Sweetgreen, a make-your-own salad joint, has been expanding rapidly over the past few years. With locations all over the North East and West Coast, Sweetgreen makes eating healthy easy. It’s so good that even die-hard haters of all things green can’t help but be addicted to its delicious food and trendy atmosphere.
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If you’re a seasoned Sweetgreen veteran, you probably have your own custom order that you keep written down in the notes app on your phone, just in case anyone ever asks you what to get or offers to pick it up for you. If you’re a newbie, the wide range of options might be overwhelming. Luckily, Sweetgreen offers a variety of pre-made salad and grain bowl combinations that are guaranteed to delight.
Even though all of the options are healthier than hitting up the Mickey D’s drive-through, some of these options can rack up more calories than a Big Mac. Here’s the full run-down of Sweetgreen menu items, ranked from most to least calories:
12. Earth Bowl (755 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: quinoa and farro, organic arugula, tomatoes, raw corn, organic chickpeas, spicy broccoli, organic white cheddar, roasted chicken, and pesto vinaigrette
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles
11. AvoCOBBo Salad (705 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: shredded kale + chopped romaine, tomatoes, raw corn, avocado, bacon, egg, roasted chicken, and blue cheese dressing
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, and DC
10. Harvest Bowl (685 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic wild rice, shredded kale, apples, sweet potatoes, toasted almonds, local goat cheese, roasted chicken, and balsamic vinaigrette
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, and DC
9. Hollywood Bowl (685 Calories)
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What’s inside: organic wild rice, shredded kale, jicama, grapes, raisins, sprouted almonds, goat cheese, roasted chicken, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Where to find it: Los Angeles
8. Hummus Tahina Salad (610 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: shredded kale and chopped romaine, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, pita chips, local feta, housemade hummus, baked falafel, and cucumber tahini yogurt dressing
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles.
7. OMG Omega Salad (550 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic arugula, baby spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, basil, avocado, columbia river steelhead, nori furikake, and miso sesame ginger dressing
Where to find it: Los Angeles
6. Wild Child Bowl (545 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic wild rice and organic baby spinach, cilantro, peppers, raw beets, shredded cabbage, carrots, raw seeds, avocado, and miso sesame ginger dressing
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, and DC
5. Guacamole Greens Salad (540 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic mesclun, tomatoes, red onion, tortilla chips, avocado, roasted chicken, fresh lime squeeze, and lime cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles
4. Hello Portobello Bowl (510 Calories)
Photo courtesy of @sweetgreen on Instagram
What’s inside: organic wild rice, shredded kale, raw beets, sprouts, basil, spicy sunflower seeds, roasted portobello mushrooms, and miso sesame ginger dressing
Where to find it: Los Angeles
3. Kale Caesar Salad (430 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: shredded kale and chopped romaine, tomatoes, shaved parmesan, parmesan crisp, roasted chicken, fresh lime squeeze, and caesar dressing
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles
2. Spicy Sabizi Salad (430 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic baby spinach and shredded kale, spicy quinoa, spicy broccoli, raw beets, carrots, sprouts, basil, roasted organic tofu, sriracha, and carrot chili vinaigrette
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles
1. Rad Thai Salad (375 Calories)
Photo courtesy of sweetgreen.com
What’s inside: organic arugula and organic mesclun, sprouts, carrots, shredded cabbage, spicy sunflower seeds, cucumbers, basil, citrus shrimp, and spicy cashew dressing
Where to find it: New York, Philly, Boston, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and Los Angeles
Top 5 add-ons with little to no nutritional value
Dressing (around 200 Calories)
Photo courtesy of @sweetgreen on Twitter
This is where your healthy choice can become a fatty, caloric nightmare. Try swapping out the dressing for a fresh lemon or lime squeeze. If your salad already has avocado in it, the healthy fats from the avocado should be enough to make the salad palatable. If you absolutely can’t eat the salad without dressing, ask for it on the side or for very very minimal dressing.
Organic white cheddar (170 Calories)
Photo courtesy of 10thkitchen.com
Save 100 calories by swapping the cheddar cheese for either feta or goat (70 calories each) or 120 calories by switching it out for shaved parmesan (50 calories)
Bacon (110 Calories)
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It’s totally cool if your inner Ron Swanson requires a certain amount of bacon in your diet. However, you might as well satisfy your bacon cravings on the side of some eggs or on top of a burger. Since you’ve already made a healthy choice by going to Sweetgreen, you’re best off topping your salad or grain bowl with lean protein, such as the roasted chicken (130 calories), citrus shrimp (110 calories), or tofu (80 calories).
Pita chips (100 Calories)
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I have a friend (you know who you are) whose go-to Sweetgreen salad looks more like a Superbowl party tray than a salad. It’s completely understandable if you need some carb-y, fried deliciousness to ease your way into a healthier lifestyle #babysteps. But, you can still get the same feel of the pita chips by swapping them out for tortilla chips or parmesean crisps (both 70 calories).
Alternatively, you could ditch the fried toppings all together and get your salad with a side of bread (90 calories). The extra carbs will definitely not kill you, especially since bread is absolutely to die for.
Raw seeds (90 calories)
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Okay, these aren’t really that bad for you if you think about it. But, you’ll get the same taste and crunch, but save 20 calories, by switching out the raw seeds for toasted almonds (90 calories). If you’re just in it for the crunch, try loading up on raw veggies, all of which come in at under 35 calories.
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Happy Sweetgreen-ing (it’s a verb)!