Quick Answer
The spicy southwest salad at Chick-fil-A has some healthy ingredients like grilled chicken, lettuce, corn, black beans, tomatoes, and peppers. However, it also contains high amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and calories. While it’s a better option than fried chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, the salad has some less nutritious components. Moderation is key when ordering the spicy southwest salad.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts for a full spicy southwest salad with grilled chicken at Chick-fil-A are:
| Calories | 360 |
|---|---|
| Total Fat | 16g |
| Saturated Fat | 4g |
| Sodium | 1330mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 33g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5g |
| Sugars | 8g |
| Protein | 27g |
This provides a mix of macronutrients, with 27g of protein, 33g of carbs, and 16g of fat. The saturated fat and sodium are on the high side.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients in a spicy southwest salad is:
– Romaine lettuce
– Grilled chicken breast
– Roasted corn
– Black beans
– Grape tomatoes
– Cilantro lime glaze
– Red pepper strips
– Cheddar cheese
– Tortilla strips
– Southwest chili lime vinaigrette
This includes lean protein from the grilled chicken. There is fiber from the lettuce, corn, black beans, and cilantro. Vitamins and minerals come from the tomatoes and peppers. Healthy fats are provided from the cheese and vinaigrette. However, the vinaigrette, cheese, tortilla strips add more sodium, saturated fat, and refined carbs.
Positive Nutrients
Some of the healthy nutrients in a southwest salad from Chick-fil-A include:
Lean Protein
– The grilled chicken breast provides 27g of protein. Protein helps build muscle, repairs tissues, and keeps you feeling full.
Fiber
– There are 5g of dietary fiber from the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, corn, and cilantro. Fiber aids digestion and gut health.
Vitamin C
– The tomatoes and peppers contain vitamin C. This vitamin boosts immunity and acts as an antioxidant.
Folate
– The black beans are high in folate. Folate is a B vitamin that helps make red blood cells and DNA.
Iron
– Spinach in the salad provides iron. Iron carries oxygen throughout the body and supports energy levels.
So there are definitely some beneficial nutrients in the southwest salad ingredients. The positives include protein, fiber, vitamin C, folate, and iron.
Less Healthy Components
However, some of the southwest salad ingredients are less nutritious:
Sodium
– With 1330mg of sodium, the salad is very high in salt content. The vinaigrette, cheese, and tortilla strips contribute a lot of sodium. Too much sodium can increase blood pressure.
Saturated Fat
– There are 4g of saturated fat. The cheese and dressing provide saturated fat, which can raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
Calories
– At 360 calories, the salad is higher in calories than simpler salads with just greens and protein. The corn, beans, cheese, and tortilla strips pack in more calories.
Processed Ingredients
– Components like the tortilla strips and dressing are more processed than whole food ingredients. Processed foods often contain more sodium, sugar, and preservatives.
While the salad offers health benefits, it also includes some less nutritious elements to keep in mind. The high amounts of sodium, saturated fat, and calories could be concerning for some people.
Healthier Customization Options
You can make some simple swaps to make the spicy southwest salad healthier:
– Switch from grilled chicken to grilled chicken breast without skin to reduce saturated fat.
– Skip the cheddar cheese to cut sodium and saturated fat.
– Choose light dressing or get it on the side to control calories and sodium.
– Avoid tortilla strips to lower carbs, sodium, and fat.
– Ask for any dressing/sauce on the side and use half the portion.
– Sub in quinoa or brown rice for 50% of the lettuce to increase fiber.
– Add extra vegetables like mushrooms or avocado for more nutrients.
– Request balsamic vinaigrette instead of southwest dressing for a tangy, low-calorie option.
Making your own mix-ins and dressing at home can reduce sodium, fat, and calories versus using the restaurant ingredients. Overall, customizing the salad can help make it a healthier choice at Chick-fil-A.
Is the Salad Healthy Overall?
The spicy southwest salad provides a mix of beneficial nutrients and less healthy components. Here is a quick overview of the pros and cons:
Pros:
– Contains lean protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals
– Chicken, lettuce, beans, tomatoes offer nutrients
– More filling and nutritious than fried chicken dishes
– Fat-free dressing options available on request
Cons:
– High in sodium, saturated fat, calories for a salad
– Processed ingredients like tortilla strips and dressing
– Customization required to make it very healthy
– Healthier salad options available at other restaurants
While it’s one of the healthier choices at Chick-fil-A compared to burgers and fries, the southwest salad has room for improvement. With modifications and portion control, it can be part of a balanced diet. But it may not be the most nutritious salad choice in general. Moderation and customization are key if ordering the spicy southwest salad.
Healthier Salad Options
Some comparable salads at other fast food and casual dining restaurants have fewer calories, less sodium, and more nutritional value.
For example:
Panera Greek Salad
– 320 calories
– 590mg sodium
– 37g carbs
– 12g fat
– 4g fiber
– 23g protein
McDonald’s Southwest Salad
– 260 calories
– 960mg sodium
– 27g carbs
– 8g fat
– 3g fiber
– 23g protein
Subway Rotisserie Chicken Salad
– 210 calories
– 590 mg sodium
– 23g carbs
– 7g fat
– 3g fiber
– 21g protein
The nutrition stats at other popular restaurants compare favorably to Chick-fil-A’s salad. Their sodium content tends to be lower with balanced macros.
Healthiest Salad Choices
Some of the absolute healthiest fast food salads include:
– Panera Green Goddess Cobb Salad
– McDonald’s Side Salad with Newman’s Own Dressing
– Wendy’s Harvest Chicken Salad
– Subway Veggie Delite Salad
– Taco Bell Chicken Power Bowl
These provide protein, greens, and nutrients with lower amounts of sodium, carbs, fat, and calories compared to most restaurant salads.
Nutrients in Ingredients
Analyzing the nutrients in the southwest salad’s individual components gives more insight on its health profile:
Romaine Lettuce
– Low calorie, high water content vegetable
– Good source of vitamin K, A, C, potassium
– Provides folate and antioxidants
Chicken Breast
– Lean protein, little saturated fat when grilled
– Contains B vitamins, selenium, iron
Corn
– Starch vegetable with carbohydrates
– Has lutein, zeaxanthin for eye health
– Small amounts of potassium and fiber
Black Beans
– Legumes high in plant-based protein
– Rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus
– High fiber and folate content
Tomatoes
– Provide vitamin C, potassium, folate
– Lycopene antioxidant benefits
– Water-filled vegetable
Peppers
– Contain antioxidants like vitamin C
– Provide vitamin A through carotenoids
– Can add crunch and flavor
So most of the base ingredients like lettuce, chicken, beans, and veggies are nutritious. The corn adds more starch and carbs. Things like the dressing and tortilla strips impact the overall health profile. But the core ingredients give a solid nutritional base.
Portion Size
In addition to the nutrient content, the portion size of a salad affects how healthy it is:
– Chick-fil-A southwest salad serving size: 15.7 oz (445g)
This provides about 2-3 servings of salad greens and toppings. A single serving salad is often around 6-8 oz.
Eating multiple servings adds more:
– Calories
– Carbohydrates
– Fat
– Sodium
– Sugar
Consuming a large restaurant salad pushes higher limits for these components. Sticking to a smaller 6-8 oz salad promotes healthy portions and prevents overeating.
Getting a full 15 oz southwest salad adds extra calories and sodium. Splitting it into two smaller meals or sharing it can help control portions.
Watching Calorie Density
The calorie density of a salad also impacts its health profile. Calorie density = calories per gram of food.
– Vegetables and lean protein = low calorie density
– Nuts, cheese, tortilla strips = higher calorie density
Higher calorie density foods can add a lot of calories for a small amount of food. Focusing on low density foods makes a salad more nutrient-rich.
Asking for light cheese and no tortilla strips reduces the southwest salad’s overall calorie density. This allows you to eat more food for fewer calories.
Satiety
How filling a salad is also affects its health impact:
Factors that Increase Fullness
– Protein – chicken provides filling protein
– Fiber – beans, lettuce, corn boost fiber
– Water content – tomatoes and lettuce have high water for volume
Factors that Reduce Fullness
– Fat – cheese and dressing add fat for less satiety
– Simple carbs – tortilla strips lack volume, fiber
– Sugary dressing – vinaigrette likely contains added sugars
Balancing protein, fiber and water-rich food makes the salad more satiating. Limiting fat, sugars and refined carbs improves its hunger-busting potential.
Customizing the southwest salad can optimize its satiety value. The base ingredients of chicken, lettuce, veggies provide filling macros and water content.
Energy Levels
The kinds of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in a salad influence how energetic you feel after eating it:
– Complex carbs = steadier energy
– Refined carbs = energy crash later
– Healthy fats = sustained energy
– Unhealthy fats = fatigue, sluggishness
– Lean proteins = alertness
– Fried, fatty proteins = tiredness, low energy
The southwest salad has a mix of components. Beans and corn offer complex carbs for lasting energy. But tortilla strips have refined carbs that may lead to an energy dip.
Grilled chicken provides lean protein for an energy boost. However, cheese adds more unhealthy fat that can reduce energy levels after the meal.
Optimizing the carb, fat, and protein sources can help the salad sustain energy better. Prioritizing lean protein with complex carbs and healthy fats enhances post-meal energy levels.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed in smaller amounts:
– Vitamin C
– Vitamin K
– Potassium
– Folate
– Iron
– Carotenoids like lutein
– Lycopene
These support immunity, bone health, red blood cell formation, vision and cellular function.
The southwest salad provides a range of beneficial micronutrients. Sources include:
– Romaine lettuce – Vitamin K, A
– Tomatoes – Vitamin C, potassium
– Black beans – Iron, folate
– Corn – Lutein, zeaxanthin
– Peppers – Vitamin C
It’s a fairly micronutrient-rich salad. Adding extra veggies boosts this nutrition even more. Prioritizing the whole food ingredients over processed toppings maximizes micronutrients.
Conclusion
The spicy southwest salad at Chick-fil-A does provide some nutritional value with grilled chicken, lettuce, beans, corn, tomatoes, and peppers. It contains lean protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
However, the high sodium, saturated fat, calories, and processed ingredients make it far from the healthiest salad option. Customizing the southwest salad by limiting cheese, skipping tortilla strips, and requesting light dressing improves the nutrition stats.
Compared to other restaurant salads, Chick-fil-A’s option is moderate at best for health factors. Lean protein salads like Subway’s or McDonald’s often have fewer calories and less sodium.
Overall, the southwest salad at Chick-fil-A is a better choice than fried chicken or waffle fries. But it requires modification to reach optimal nutritional value. Going easy on high-calorie toppings, choosing fat-free dressing, and watching portions makes this salad a more balanced meal.
