The Scoop:
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine analyzed 34 different fast food salads based on several nutritional criteria, including fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber, and sodium, and gave a star for each criteria that was met. But only 2 out of the 34 salads earned the highest ranking of 5 stars—those included Au Bon Pain's Garden Salad and Subway's Veggie Delight. With some other fast food salads, you may be better off choosing a burger.

New "Healthy Salads": Fast Food or Fast Fat?

• Salads Reached for the Stars, but Didn't Get Them

  One star was given for each criteria met, yet only 2 out of 34 salads received 5 stars. The criteria included: Less than (or equal to) 13 g of fat Less than (or equal to) 4.5 g of saturated fat Less than (or equal to) 50 mg of cholesterol At least 3 g of fiber Less than (or equal to) 1,000 mg of sodium.

  McDonald's has teamed up with Paul Newman of Newman's Own dressings to offer you their new Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad with Newman's Own Ranch Dressing.
  
  It has 660 calories and 51 grams of fat, and also over 1500 mg of sodium—that's more calories, fat, and sodium than a Quarter Pounder with a small French fries. It also contains the same amount of cholesterol as a Big Mac (85 mg).
  
  
• Burger King's Chicken Caesar Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing, Croutons, and Parmesan Cheese is not as bad; it has about 500 calories and 27 grams of fat, but it's still more calories and fat than a Whopper Junior with cheese.
  
  
• Wendy's Chicken BLT Salad with Homestyle Garlic Croutons and Honey Mustard Dressing has 660 calories and 45 grams of fat, but the bacon isn't the only offender. The honey mustard dressing has almost as many calories (280) as the salad (310).
  
  
• Taco Bell Taco Salad with Salsa ranked the highest in calories, just short of 800; it also contains 42 grams of fat. In addition to the shell, it comes with beef, and sour cream.

"The point wasn't to put down salads; they are a great option when you're dining out, especially to get more vegetables, but there are different ones out there and some are not as good as others," says Brie Turner-McGrievy, MS, RD, Clinical Research Coordinator at PCRM.

While salads can boost your intake of fiber and vitamins, there are a few rules to follow.

Salad Suggestions

• Special order your salad
  Even if a salad comes with Newman's Own Ranch dressing, that doesn't mean that you can't have it with Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. You can even order your salads without the meat toppings.
  The good news is, the nutritional information is available, on the web, and restaurants usually break down the different components of the meal, so you can see how each part contributes to the overall nutritional value.
  
• If you want chicken, choose grilled chicken instead of fried
  This is definitely a healthier option. At McDonald's, save 100 calories and 8 grams of fat by choosing the Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch over the Crispy Chicken version.
• Use only half the packet of dressing
  Four tablespoons, which is what these 2-ounce packets contain, is really a lot more than what we should be putting on our salads.
  Wendy's has a great Mandarin Chicken salad, but the oriental sesame dressing has 100 more calories than the salad. If the dressing comes in a cup, you can dip your fork in it instead of pouring it on top.
  
• Choose lower fat dressings, for heart health
  A lot of the creamy dressings that are high in fat are also contain saturated fat; this is the fat that boosts cholesterol levels, and puts us at increased risk for heart disease. So, you're better off with the lighter dressings, such as the fat-free dressings, or the vinaigrettes. Burger King has a fat free ranch; Wendy's offers a low-fat honey mustard dressing.
  
• Limit yourself to one fatty topping per salad
  If you can't resist the creamy dressing, then skip the cheese. Or if you really like to have sour cream with your taco salad, skip the shell. Pick and choose what you like best, and your salad will be a healthy addition to your diet.