14 Active Dates For Valentine's Day
Benjamin Committed To A Gym Routine And Lost 245 Pounds
Arby's Chicken Salad - How Many Calories?
Posted on Mar 2nd 2009 12:00PM by Martha Edwards
I don't know about you, but I am amazed that it is March already. Make that amazed and pretty happy because March marks the slow emergence into spring, and I literally cannot wait until I can venture outside without a heavy coat in tow. It also means that it's time to start thinking about -- gah! -- bathing suit season, which will be here quicker than you know. In other words? Start ordering salads.
Take, for instance, an Arby's Chicken Salad. It has the two key words you should be looking for -- chicken (as in, lean protein) and salad (as in, lots of fresh veggies.) But not all salads are created equal. How does this one stack up? You tell me.
| 353 calories | |
|---|---|
| 545 calories | |
| 699 calories | |
| 860 calories |
According to NutritionData.com, an Arby's Market Fresh Chicken Salad has 860 calories and -- gulp -- 44 g of fat, which is nearly 70 percent of your total recommended daily intake. In this case, the salad is certainly not the healthy choice -- if you're looking to trim down, it would be in your best interest to avoid this one.
A better option? Make your own chicken salad. Be sure to select skinless chicken breasts and load your bowl with lots of flavorful fruits and veggies. You could even try making you're own dressing -- keep in mind that sticking to a vinaigrette-style dressing will be the healthiest choice. Don't know what to put in your salad? Browse some recipes -- this one is a favorite of mine -- it's absolutely fab.
Surprisingly Unhealthy Foods
Pasta Salad
The veggies included in most pasta salad recipes is great, but the white-flour pasta is not (close relative to white bread).
-clb- on Flickr
Pretzels
They may be low in calories (around 110 calories per ounce) but they can raise your blood sugar faster than jelly beans or ice cream -- so be careful!
weetabixx on stock.xchng
Baked Beans
Although beans are high in fiber (which can help you feel fuller) in baked bean recipes they're often covered in a sauce full of brown and white sugars -- 1 cup of baked beans can have as much sugar as an 8oz soda.
alfredo-9 on stock.xchng
California Rolls
The seaweed wrap is full of essential nutrients, but the imitation crab and white rice are both high in carbs and low in protein. Men's Health calls California rolls "Japanese sugar cubes."
LotusHead on stock.xchng
Low-Fat Salad Dressing
Taking the fat out of the dressing does drastically reduce its calorie count, but studies have shown that taking the fat out of a salad also reduces the nutrients and antioxidants a person absorbs. So it's better to go with a full-fat dressing made with olive oil or canola oil.
icekitty37 on stock.xchng
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom
Yogurt is healthy and fruit is healthy, but when you put the two together they almost never are. Cornsyrup is the culprit, causing the sugar content to go so high it pretty much cancels out any health benefits the yogurt had to start with.
Dan4th on Flickr
Corn Oil
It has lots of Omega-6 fatty acids, but very few Omega-3s. Both are good for you, but studies show ingesting them out of balance can cause inflammation. Olive oils and canola oils are better choices because their fats are more balanced.
Steve Longus on Flickr
Granola Bars
While granola is made with whole oats (full of nutrients and fiber) in a granola bar they basically get glued to each other with sugar (corn syrup, honey, and barley malt).
greggoconnell on Flickr
Croutons
Croutons are usually made with refined flour -- which has a higher glycemic index than sugar. Thankfully they're tiny, so their negative impact usually is too.
stu spivack on Flickr
Fruit Cocktail in a Can
Again, it's the sugar! Most fruit cocktails are canned in heavy syrup and can include as much as 23g of added sugar. Look for fruit canned in "100 fruit juice," or better yet make your own fresh fruit cocktail!
ctr on Flickr
