Chick-fil-A’s market salad is a popular healthy menu item, but many customers wonder just how many calories are in one of these salads. As a dietitian writing an informative article, I will provide a thorough breakdown of the calorie count and nutritional information for a Chick-fil-A market salad below.
Overview of the Chick-fil-A Market Salad
The Chick-fil-A market salad contains a mix of leafy greens and vegetables along with the customer’s choice of grilled or fried chicken, dressings, and other toppings. The standard market salad includes a base of chopped romaine lettuce and kale along with carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cheese, and tomatoes. Customers can then choose to add grilled or fried chicken breast strips, bacon pieces, eggs, and a variety of dressings including honey mustard, zesty apple cider vinaigrette, garlic and herb ranch, etc.
The market salad aims to provide a lighter, healthier alternative to some of Chick-fil-A’s fried menu options. By building your own salad combination, you can control the ingredients and calories. However, the total calorie count can climb quickly depending on your choice of mix-ins.
Calories in a Chick-fil-A Market Salad with Grilled Chicken
If you choose grilled chicken as the protein on your market salad, you will consume fewer calories than opting for fried chicken. A Chick-fil-A market salad with grilled chicken contains the following calories:
- Chopped romaine lettuce and kale blend: 25 calories
- Carrots: 20 calories
- Broccoli: 15 calories
- Cabbage: 10 calories
- Cherry tomatoes: 10 calories
- Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend: 110 calories
- Grilled chicken breast strips (4 oz): 140 calories
So the total calories for just the base market salad with grilled chicken is approximately 330 calories. However, this will increase if you add any additional toppings or dressings like the following:
- Bacon pieces (1 oz): 45 calories
- Egg (1): 70 calories
- Honey mustard dressing (2 oz): 180 calories
- Zesty apple cider vinaigrette (2 oz): 140 calories
- Garlic and herb ranch dressing (2 oz): 210 calories
As you can see, dressings in particular can add a significant number of calories. Selecting a low-fat balsamic vinaigrette or oil and vinegar dressing can help keep the calorie count down.
Calories in a Chick-fil-A Market Salad with Fried Chicken
Opting for crispy, breaded fried chicken as the protein source will bump up the calorie content of your market salad considerably. Here is a breakdown:
- Chopped romaine lettuce and kale blend: 25 calories
- Carrots: 20 calories
- Broccoli: 15 calories
- Cabbage: 10 calories
- Cherry tomatoes: 10 calories
- Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend: 110 calories
- Fried chicken breast strips (4 oz): 340 calories
The fried chicken adds nearly 200 more calories than the grilled chicken, bringing the total calorie count of the base market salad with fried chicken up to about 530 calories before any additional toppings or dressing.
Some other common fried chicken salad additions and their calories:
- Bacon pieces (1 oz): 45 calories
- Egg (1): 70 calories
- Honey mustard dressing (2 oz): 180 calories
- Ranch dressing (2 oz): 210 calories
Tips for Creating a Low Calorie Chick-fil-A Market Salad
Here are some tips to keep your market salad on the lighter side if you are watching your calorie intake:
- Choose grilled chicken as the protein – saves you about 200 calories compared to fried chicken
- Ask for the light balsamic vinaigrette or oil and vinegar dressing rather than creamier, heavier dressings
- Skip the cheese and bacon toppings to reduce calories and saturated fat
- Add extra veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers for more volume and nutrients
- Order the salad without croutons to decrease carbs and calories
- Stick to one packet of dressing to control calories
- Avoid adding avocado, nuts, tortilla strips or other higher calorie toppings
Following these recommendations can help you customize a market salad with grilled chicken that stays under 400 calories total. Pairing it with an unsweetened iced tea and fruit salad makes a balanced, 500-600 calorie meal.
Nutritional Benefits of the Chick-fil-A Market Salad
Despite the potential for high calorie counts with fried chicken and heavy dressings, the market salad offers some excellent nutritional perks. These include:
- High fiber – romaine and kale provide 8-10g fiber per salad which aids digestion and heart health
- Protein – chicken is an excellent source of lean protein to support muscle tissue
- Vitamin A – carrots, kale, and broccoli supply this vision-boosting vitamin
- Vitamin C – the tomatoes and broccoli provide a day’s worth of immune-supporting vitamin C
- Calcium – the cheese contains about 30% of your daily calcium needs for bone strength
- Low carb – without croutons, crackers, or fried toppings, the market salad is relatively low in carbs
- Potassium and antioxidants from fresh produce
So while the calorie count can climb quickly if you are not mindful of dressing and mix-in choices, the basic nutrient profile of the fresh market salad is quite healthy.
Chick-fil-A Market Salad vs. Other Fast Food Salads
To put the Chick-fil-A market salad’s calorie content in perspective, let’s compare it to salads from some other popular fast food chains.
McDonald’s Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad
- Half size with grilled chicken – 290 calories
- Full size with grilled chicken – 450 calories
Wendy’s Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad
- Half size – 280 calories
- Full size – 560 calories
Subway 6″ Sweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken Salad
- without dressing – 284 calories
- with fat-free Italian dressing – 324 calories
As you can see, calories in chicken salads at most fast food chains range from 280-560 depending on size and ingredients. A Chick-fil-A market salad with grilled chicken falls right in the middle at 330-400 calories depending on dressing. Controlling portions and toppings is key for any fast food salad to keep it as a “lighter” menu option.
The Healthiest Low Calorie Chick-fil-A Market Salad Combination
Based on all of this nutritional information, what would be the very lowest calorie Chick-fil-A market salad combination you could order? Here is an example:
- Base greens blend: 25 calories
- Carrots: 20 calories
- Broccoli: 15 calories
- Cabbage: 10 calories
- Cherry tomatoes: 10 calories
- Grilled chicken strips: 140 calories
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette: 80 calories
Total: 300 calories
This would be a filling 300 calorie Chick-fil-A salad that provides fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lean protein, and heart-healthy fats from the vinaigrette. Pair it with an unsweetened iced tea or water and a small fruit cup for dessert to have a very balanced fast food meal.
Conclusion
The Chick-fil-A market salad can range widely in calories based on your specific order, from 300 to over 600 calories. Choosing grilled chicken, lighter dressing, and skipping high calorie toppings are the best ways to create a lower calorie salad combination. While salads have a reputation as a “healthy” fast food option, your choices of protein, dressing, and mix-ins really impact the total calorie content. With smart selections, you can enjoy a freshly prepared market salad from Chick-fil-A as part of balanced diet. Just be mindful of your serving sizes and customizations.
