McDonald’s baby kale salad loses to Big Mac in keeping calories low

It’s not news that grab-and-go dinners ordered from the McDonald’s menu score high on the calorie chart and dip when it comes to nutritional value. For a long time now, the name McDonald’s has been synonymous with “unhealthy” and “junk food.”

Chances are, if you’re looking for a healthy lunch or dinner, you already know to steer clear of the fast food giant.

But every so often, runners find themselves stepping in to grab a quick bite whether it’s on a road trip when there are limited options or when taking the kids out for a Saturday afternoon happy meal. Sometimes, fast food orders happen.

But since most of us runners are conscious of what we eat– meaning eating healthily, eating enough and staying away from high-fat options– we want to eat wisely even when ordering off the McDonald’s menu.

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And so it’s important to note that a newer “healthier” option that the fast food chain may be marketing as healthy, is anything but. The Caesar kale option actually has a higher calorie count than your Double Big Mac burger or your classic Quarter Pounder.

It might sound far fetched, but it’s true. A recent story by CBC points this out noting McDonald’s efforts to market the salad option as being fresh and nutrient rich, order.

But all one has to do is go onto McDonald’s website and look at the calorie, fat and sodium content listed to realize how the kale salad (and other salad items) stack up against the traditional high-fat sandwiches.

So what are the numbers? The Caesar Kale salad is listed as having 1,400 milligrams of salt, 31 grams of fat and 520 calories. Don’t let that trick you. Add the dressings and those numbers all soar. The Asiago Caesar dressing on its own has 22 grams of fat. Depending on whether a customer adds the lighter balsamic dressing or a higher-fat cream dressing the total number of calories of the kale salad jump to anywhere from 640 to 730.

That 730 calorie salad is a lot higher than your 680 calorie Big Mac or your 640 calorie Quarter Pounder (without the fries). So really, if you’re stuck having to make a choice at a drive through or highway rest station, the salad isn’t your best bet.

There are tons of sneaky culprits hidden on the menu. Take your milkshake for example. No one thinks of this as a healthy option, duh.

But if you’re thinking of treating yourself to a decadent beverage after a long run, or you’re contemplating adding a fun drink to an order, keep in mind its 720 calorie score— that’s more than many post-run meals and again, higher than the McDonald’s burgers too.