Restaurants across the United States are claiming this to be the Summer of Salads by offering up a super summer salad fiesta. If you’re a salad lover, then you’re in for a summer of tasty green treats.
Restaurants realized just a few years ago that burgers and fries couldn’t be the only meat and vegetables on the menu. There was a new breed of food conscious customers and they wanted healthier foods that still satisfied. Restaurants were in need of a tasty salad as a healthier alternative to the other foods that at one time were the only menu choices.
In 1979, Wendy’s became the first national fast food restaurant with a salad bar. This summer, it will offer up another fast food first, The Berry Almond Chicken Salad.
The Berry Almond Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh California strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and acai berry. Packed full of vitamins and antioxidants, these fresh, yummy berries surround California roasted almonds, a grilled chicken breast, and some tasty Asiago cheese with plenty of crisp Iceberg and Romaine lettuce mixed in. Top the whole salad with a fat free raspberry vinaigrette to make the perfect sweet flavorful salad.
Fast food giant, McDonald’s, has re-introduced their previously popular Asian Salad. The Asian Salad will sit right alongside McDonald’s other ten salad offerings that grace the fast food giant’s already crowded menu.
If you’re choosing to eat salads because you’re watching your calories, then you’ll be glad to know that the Asian Salad has less than 400 calories when served with grilled chicken. It consists of crisp snow peas, premium greens, edamame, delicious red bell peppers, sweet and tangy mandarin oranges, and sliced toasted almonds. You can choose from two scrumptious pieces of chicken to add to the mix: an orange glazed grilled chicken or a crispy white meat chicken breast fillet. Top the whole mouth watering mixture with Newman’s Own Low-fat Sesame Ginger Dressing.
The Summer of Salads is proving to be a green Summer indeed, as other popular restaurants are setting the stage for even more salads
Noodles & Company has added two new salads to their lineup.
First up is the Backyard Barbecue Chicken Salad. This salad is loaded with Summer time favorites. Each salad has marinated chicken breast, fresh cut summer corn, tasty Roma tomatoes, chopped red cabbage and mixed greens. This mountain of flavor is then tossed in a smoky coleslaw dressing.
Noodles & Company is also jumping on the Berry bandwagon, with the Very Berry Spinach Salad topped with Blue Cheese and a zesty balsamic Fig Drizzle. Each salad is loaded with fresh Strawberries, croutons and crispy bacon, all sitting on top of a bed of tender spinach leaves. Noodles & Company is proving to be much more than Noodles with this latest menu offering.
Bruegger’s Bakeries is joining the Summer of Salads with not one or two salads, but five “Cafe Salads” that are all under 330 calories.
The Mandarain Medley is full of greens, grilled chicken, Mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and sliced almonds. The dressing of choice for this tasty salad is balsamic vinegar. There are only 250 calories in this flavorful salad.
The Sesame Chicken Salad is loaded with greens, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and chow mein noodles. Top it off with a Asian sesame dressing. Calorie count on this one: 330.
The Harvest Chicken salad is topped with cheddar cheese and a strawberry vinaigrette. This salad is packed with fresh greens, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, apple and dried cranberries. Only 310 calories in this one!
The Classic Cobb is a classic indeed. It is chock full of turkey, fresh greens, bacon, egg, tomato, blue cheese crumbles and croutons. Drizzle some red wine vinaigrette on top and you have a salad that is fit for a king. Calorie total is only 280!
Last but definitely not least is an all time favorite, Chicken Caesar. This salad has the least calories of the bunch with a total of only 240. Enjoy fresh greens, grilled chicken, croutons and Asiago cheese in this classic salad.
Red Robin has joined the flock by offering up their Summer Strawberry Salad for a limited time. The Summer Strawberry Salad includes Feta cheese, fresh strawberries, toasted almonds, grilled chicken on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce. Top this fantastic Summer salad with an in house strawberry dressing.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse has introduced two new salad creations for the Summer. Choose from The Steakhouse Cob or The Steakhouse Lobster Cob. Both salads have replaced the regular old chicken with filet mignon or North Atlantic Lobster. Dig into fresh romaine lettuce, blue cheese, bacon, tomato, avocado, white mushrooms and asparagus.
Hurricane Grill & Wings is offering up two tropical inspired Caribbean salads with The Strawberry Fields and The Jamaican Jerk salad. The Strawberry Fields consists of mixed field greens, honey roasted pecans, red onions and strawberries. The Jamaican Jerk salad is topped with Jerk seasoned diced chicken, a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, Jack cheddar cheese and pineapple Pico.. This great combination is drizzled with Jamaican Jerk and Mango BBQ sauce.
As summer draws nearer, more restaurants will almost certainly join in with their salad offerings. The Summer of Salads is shaping up to be a salad lover’s delight!
