How Many Calories ... in a Cobb Salad?

Now that it's summer, it's time for salads: fresh, crisp, cool delicious salads. Order one with a side of iced tea and you've got yourself a refreshing, light, summer meal. But the thing about salads is this: You have to be careful. Salads can pack a real calorie punch if you overdo it on the ingredients; Things like cheese and dressing can wreak havoc on the best dieting intentions.

One of my favourite salads is a Cobb salad. Mmmmmm, tasty -- and it really hits the spot on a hot summer day. So I have to wonder about the good old Cobb salad. How many calories does it have? Fat? I really have no idea -- do you?

The answer is 970 calories and 60g of fat! Yikes - that's not quite what you'd call a 'healthy' salad, huh? The ingredients don't look so bad: corn, black bean relish, iceberg lettuce, a hard-boiled egg, chicken. But there's a few ingredients in there that won't do you any favours, namely bacon, cheese and avocado ranch dressing. Plus the chicken is listed as 'crispy,' and you know what that means -- breaded and deep fried.

My suggestion? You can order this salad without cheese, with the chicken grilled and with the dressing on the side -- those changes will save you a few calories at least. But a better suggestion? Make your own. Here are some better recipes:

• Vegetarian Cobb Salad from Yoga Journal
  
• Healthier cobb salad from Suite 101
  
• The EatingWell Cobb Salad