When it comes to salad dressings, many people want to know the calorie content before pouring it on. This is especially true for chopped salads from popular restaurants like Portillo’s, where the dressings can add a significant amount of calories to an otherwise healthy salad. In this article, we will explore the calorie content of Portillo’s iconic chop salad dressings to help you make informed decisions.
An Overview of Portillo’s Chopped Salads
Portillo’s is a popular Chicago-style restaurant chain known for its hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and chopped salads. The restaurant offers four different chopped salad options on its menu:
- Original Chopped Salad
- Chicken Caesar Chopped Salad
- Chicken Cobb Chopped Salad
- Steak Chopped Salad
All of the chopped salads feature a mix of salad greens, chopped vegetables, and proteins like grilled chicken breast or sliced steak. The salads are tossed in one of Portillo’s signature dressings:
- Creamy Italian dressing
- Ranch dressing
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Blue Cheese dressing
The dressing is a major component of these chopped salads, adding flavor and calories. Next, we’ll take a look at the nutrition information for Portillo’s dressings.
Nutrition Information for Portillo’s Dressings
According to the Portillo’s website, here is the calorie and fat content for each 2-ounce serving of their salad dressings:
| Dressing | Calories | Total Fat |
|---|---|---|
| Creamy Italian | 180 | 18g |
| Ranch | 180 | 20g |
| Balsamic Vinaigrette | 45 | 4.5g |
| Blue Cheese | 180 | 18g |
As you can see, the Creamy Italian, Ranch, and Blue Cheese dressings are the most calorie-dense options, with 180 calories and 18-20 grams of fat per serving. The Balsamic Vinaigrette has significantly less, at just 45 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per serving.
Determining Total Calories Based on Salad Size
To determine the total calories contained in the dressing on your Portillo’s chopped salad, you’ll need to consider the size of the salad you order. Here are the dressing calories based on Portillo’s salad sizes:
| Salad Size | Serving Size of Dressing | Total Calories (Creamy Italian Dressing) |
|---|---|---|
| Side Salad | 2 fl oz | 120 |
| Regular Salad | 4 fl oz | 240 |
| Large Salad | 6 fl oz | 360 |
A regular chopped salad comes with around 4 fl oz (1/2 cup) of dressing, which equals 240 calories if you choose the Creamy Italian option. Order a large salad and you’ll get 6 fl oz (3/4 cup) of dressing, racking up 360 creamy Italian calories.
Key Takeaways
Here are the key takeaways on calories in Portillo’s chopped salad dressings:
- Creamy Italian, Ranch, and Blue Cheese dressings have the most calories at 180 per 2 fl oz serving
- Balsamic Vinaigrette has just 45 calories per serving
- A regular chopped salad comes with around 240 dressing calories (Creamy Italian)
- Order a large chopped salad and you’ll get 360 calories just from the Creamy Italian dressing
Tips for Lightening Up Your Portillo’s Salad
If you want to cut down on chopped salad calories at Portillo’s, here are some tips:
1. Opt for Balsamic Vinaigrette
Choosing the balsamic vinaigrette instead of Creamy Italian or Ranch will immediately reduce the dressing calories on your salad. You’ll save 135 calories per serving with this simple switch.
2. Ask for Dressing on the Side
Requesting the dressing on the side allows you to control exactly how much gets poured over your salad. Start with just 1 fl oz (2 tablespoons) and add more from there if desired.
3. Order a Smaller Size Salad
Downsizing your chopped salad from “regular” to “side salad” cuts the included dressing portion in half, dropping the calorie count. A 120-calorie side salad may be plenty to satisfy you.
4. Use Fat-Free or Low-Fat Dressing
Some Portillo’s locations allow substitutions with fat-free Ranch or low-fat Italian. This would significantly reduce the calories compared to the creamy full-fat dressings. Ask your server for availability.
5. Skip Croutons and Cheese
Ordering your chopped salad without free add-ons like croutons, cheese, and bacon bits will lower the calorie content of your salad.
How Portillo’s Salad Dressing Calories Compare
To put the calorie content of Portillo’s signature dressings in context, let’s see how they compare to some other major restaurants’ salad dressings:
| Restaurant | Dressing | Calories (per 2 fl oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Portillo’s | Creamy Italian | 180 |
| McDonald’s | Newman’s Own Creamy Italian | 140 |
| Panera Bread | Greek Dressing | 260 |
| Chipotle | Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette | 230 |
Portillo’s Creamy Italian dressing is on par calorie-wise with McDonald’s Newman Creamy Italian. However, Panera Bread’s Greek dressing packs significantly more calories at 260 per serving. Overall, most restaurant dressings range from 140-260 calories per serving.
The Healthiest Low-Calorie Salad Dressing Options
If you want maximize nutrition and minimize calories with salad dressings, here are some of the top low-calorie, healthy options to look for:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Classic balsamic vinaigrette is one of the lighter options, with around 45 calories and 4.5g fat per serving.
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
A simple mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and herbs comes in under 50 calories per serving.
Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil
Red wine vinegar and olive oil make a lower-calorie oil and vinegar dressing option.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Olive Oil
Opt for apple cider vinegar combined with olive oil for a tangy, light salad dressing.
Salsa
Fresh tomato salsa can double as a zero-calorie salad dressing alternative.
Vinegar
Red wine, balsamic, rice wine, or cider vinegars add big flavor for almost zero calories.
Conclusion
When dining at Portillo’s, salad lovers don’t have to skip out on the signature chopped salads. By choosing a lighter dressing like balsamic vinaigrette and managing portion sizes, you can balance nutrition and calories. Request dressing on the side to control how much gets added or ask for substitutions like fat-free Ranch. With smart customizations and careful tracking, you can still enjoy Portillo’s chopped salad as part of healthy lifestyle.
