Macca’s kale salad has more calories than a Big Mac

IF YOU’VE been feeling virtuous choosing that ‘healthy’ option, you might want to take a look at this.

MCDONALD’S has a PR problem. Its profits are down, people don’t eat fast food as often as they used to and the chain is having trouble shaking its unhealthy image.

It’s currently in the midst of executing its “turnaround plan”. Part of that plan has been to introduce healthier options onto the menu.

But it turns out that these ‘light’ options may not be so healthy after all. McDonald’s is currently testing two new salads in the US market and media have been quick to jump on the fact that the ‘Keep Calm, Caesar On’ kale salad has more calories, salt and fat than a double Big Mac.

The salad, which is made with baby kale, bacon, parmesan, garlic croutons and crispy chicken comes in at 520 calories, 1140mg of sodium and 31 grams of fat (without dressing). Add the Asiago Caesar Pure Kraft Dressing and those numbers go up to a whopping 730 calories, 1400mg of sodium and 45 grams of fat — more than a Double Big Mac and just 10 calories shy of a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

Unfortunately salads closer to home can also be less healthy than we’d hoped.

A store-bought Caesar salad (involving kale, bacon, parmesan, croutons and chicken breast) has 520 calories, 31 grams of fat and 1140mg of sodium. A warm chicken salad has 179 calories, or 744kj. Dressing adds an extra 33kj.

Aloysa Hourigan, senior nutritionist at Nutrition Australia Queensland, says if you’re choosing a pre-prepared salad your best option is usually a Greek salad (kale, feta cheese, cous cous, pita chips, cucumber and capsicum with chicken breast) which has 280 calories, 770mg sodium and 12 grams of fat.

McDonald’s Australia currently offers a warm chicken salad and a garden salad.

The dressings are the biggest concern, according to Ms Hourigan.

“Often the nutrition panel doesn’t give an accurate idea of the fat content of the dressing ... It’s not very upfront,” Ms Hourigan says.

“It would be more helpful to the consumer if this was clearer.”

When selecting salads it’s also important to consider how the ingredients are cooked.

“In a Caesar the croutons and bacon are often cooked in fat. Sometimes there’s also a ‘crispy chicken’ portion which has also been cooked in fat.”

A good rule of thumb is thinking about what makes up the bulk of the salad. For a salad to be truly healthy, the veggie component should make up the vast majority of the salad, says Ms Hourigan.

Originally published as Macca’s kale salad has more calories than a Big Mac