Build your salad and see the calories add up.
A base of mixed greens is just 10 calories, but a restaurant salad can easily exceed 700-1,000 calories with heavy dressing, cheese, croutons, and fried protein. The biggest calorie offender is almost always the dressing: 2 tablespoons of ranch = 120 calories, Caesar = 140, blue cheese = 160. Restaurant portions often use 4-6 tablespoons (240-480 calories of dressing alone!). To keep salads under 400 calories: use vinaigrettes over creamy dressings, skip croutons (60 cal/serving), add nuts sparingly (170 cal/oz), choose grilled over fried protein, and request dressing on the side to control portions. A truly healthy salad: greens + lean protein + vegetables + light vinaigrette = 250-350 calories with 30+ grams of protein.