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March 16, 2015 By Ricci 46 Comments

McDonald’s Southwest Salad

This post contains affiliate links.

I am a brand ambassador for Central Arkansas McDonalds. While I am being compensated for this post all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Making healthy choices when you are on the go as much as I am is hard. I always plan on meal planning and packing my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for work but somehow that only happens about 25% of the time.

I work at a hospital and so when I go to work I am gone from 5:45am until 7:30pm. That means I have to plan out ALL my meals for the day and let’s face it, when you are dog tired from a tough work day going through the drive through on your way home sounds a lot better than driving home, letting the dog out, changing clothes, etc and not eating until 8:30 or 9.

I was in a similar situation last week and decided to stop by the McDonald’s by my house and grab something quick and as I was scouring the menu (I had decided to get something different than my usual Quarter Pounder with Cheese) I saw that McDonalds is carrying salads now. I was intrigued so I ordered one.

mcdonalds salad menu

I went with the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken, Ranch dressing, and a bottle of water. I am a huge fan of Ranch dressing, LOL! McDonalds serves Newman’s Own dressings which I really like because it tastes good and all of the after-tax profits go straight to charity. Pretty amazing, right?

southwest salad

This may not be the prettiest after surviving my driving but it tasted delicious!! According to McDonalds it has “slices of tender chicken breast filet, mixed greens, fire-roasted corn, savory black beans, roasted tomatoes and poblano peppers. Sprinkled with cheddar and jack cheeses, chili-lime tortilla strips, a fresh-sliced lime wedge and served with Newman’s Own Southwest Dressing.”.

Y’all. This salad is where it’s at!! I was pretty hungry by the time I got home and this salad seriously filled me up. I love all of the flavors and textures and the chicken was amazing!

salad closeup

I haven’t been good about eating all of my veggies lately but each premium McDonalds salad contains about three cups of veggies so I think I pretty much crushed it in the veggie department.

Speaking of eating veggies, here is a breakdown of the nutrition info from my salad, dressing included:

nutrition info

Not too shabby! I love that the whole thing is only 520 calories including dressing, most of my fave fast food salads are 1000+ calories including dressing. It also has tons of protein so that will keep me fuller longer. I will definitely be getting this salad again and I won’t feel guilty about getting fast food on my home.

Have you tried McDonalds salads? Which one is your favorite?

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: food, McDonald's, salad, sponsored post

Hi! I'm Ricci and let me be the first to welcome you to Ricci Alexis, my lifestyle and beauty blog! I am a 36 year old single lady and am currently living in central Arkansas. My current obsessions include my dog Sophie, McDonald's frappes, the smell of DryBar hair products, the Royal Family, anything leopard print and celebrity gossip. Read More…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thriftanista in the City says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:55 am

    I’ll admit it. I don’t look to McD’s for the salad. I do love salads just never thought to look for on there. I’ll look out for them next time and try to resist the #3. :)

    Reply
  2. Gina says

    March 16, 2015 at 11:14 am

    i’be been eating this Southwest salad (minus the chicken) for about twelve years! It’s my fave item on The McD’s menu. The dressing is amazing.

    Reply
  3. Christine says

    March 16, 2015 at 1:39 pm

    Good job! Nothing worse than being a little Hangry, at a drive-thru, late at night, ha! You made a great choice!!

    Reply
  4. Lacey Charrene says

    March 16, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    It’s a really good option. My kid love McD’s so if we go this is what I get.

    Reply
  5. Robin (Masshole Mommy) says

    March 16, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    I have never had a salad from McDonald’s before. That Southwest Salad sure does look good!

    Reply
  6. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

    March 16, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    That looks delicious! The calorie count isn’t terrible for a fast food salad, either. Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Life As A Convert says

    March 16, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    Yep! I’ve tried them. This one is my favorite out of all of them. I always crave this one.

    Reply
  8. Terri Ramsey Beavers says

    March 16, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    I get one of these at least once a month. I love them for some reason and they are the perfect lite lunch when I’m on the go.

    Reply
  9. lisa @bitesforbabies says

    March 16, 2015 at 4:22 pm

    Taco salads are my weakness…although I much prefer making my own, this one looks good!

    Reply
  10. Alli says

    March 16, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    I’ve been eating the southwest salad for a long time and I love it. I always have them hold the chicken. :) I’m so glad that there is healthy fast food options.

    Reply
  11. Chubskulit Rose says

    March 16, 2015 at 6:48 pm

    I love Newman’s Own salad dressing. I would probably enjoy that too, I have tried their salad before and liked it!

    Reply
  12. Pamela says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:18 pm

    I used to eat McDonald’s salads, and they were really good. It’s easy to have healthy options at McDonalds, you just have to be open to trying them. Great post!

    Reply
  13. Liz Mays says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:21 pm

    I tend to order salads whenever we make it to fast food restaurants. I should really try this one out.

    Reply
  14. Kori Tomelden says

    March 16, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    I will fully admit, I gave up McDonalds quite some time ago. There’s one within walking distance of our house, but it was a personal decision. That being said, that salad does look pretty good.

    Reply
  15. Nina Say says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    I have mean meaning to try this salad. I will definitely order it next time I’m there for lunch.

    Reply
  16. Courtney says

    March 16, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    Ok this is a new salad to me lol…. As much as I hate to admit it, I like me some mc Donald’s lol…. I will have to try one of these out!

    Reply
  17. Victoria says

    March 16, 2015 at 11:20 pm

    Nothing like a little crunch when enjoying a salad. Those strips make for one tasty salad!

    Reply
  18. onceuponamaritime says

    March 16, 2015 at 11:22 pm

    I would get this without dressing, that’s a ton less calories; though it isn’t that bad!

    Reply
  19. Ashleigh Walls says

    March 17, 2015 at 12:58 am

    I haven’t eaten the salads before but I’ve thought about it. I love that you can find all the nutrition information on it!

    Reply
  20. Tammilee Tips says

    March 17, 2015 at 1:54 am

    I always struggle to find a low calorie meal when we are on the go! This looks great to grab from McDonalds!

    Reply
  21. Elizabeth O. says

    March 17, 2015 at 1:54 am

    Unfortunately, we don’t have McDo salads here. I’ve been wanting to try those for sometime…

    Reply
  22. Sara-Jayne says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:23 am

    I used to love the salads there years ago. I wonder if they will come back to the UK! If so, I’ll be buying again!

    Reply
  23. Kristin @momentousmoms says

    March 17, 2015 at 7:22 am

    I love the southwest salad at McDonalds. It is pretty much the thing I stick to on their menu. I love the spice of the dressing yummy!

    Reply
  24. lisa says

    March 17, 2015 at 9:59 am

    I really like that salad. It tastes so good and has a lot of protein!

    Reply
  25. Lynndee says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:32 am

    I honestly haven’t tried their salads yet.But I certainly want to try now. Your photos got me.

    Reply
  26. Alyssa C says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:47 am

    This salad looks delicious, unfortunately I gave up McDonald’s awhile ago. But thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  27. Donna Ward says

    March 17, 2015 at 11:35 am

    Hey Ricci – I was surprised when I saw that McDonalds had some great tasting and healthy looking salads – thanks for sharing the ingredients and calories count!

    Reply
  28. Roselynn says

    March 17, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    I’ll admit I don’t usual look at my salad options at Mcdonalds anymore after trying one and not like it many years ago. I do however tend to have the Chicken Caesar from Burger King a lot more often.

    Reply
  29. Yona Williams says

    March 17, 2015 at 4:42 pm

    I haven’t had a salad from McDonalds before; I usually get mine from Wendy’s. I don’t associate them with salads, but it’s one of the only places I go for coffee drinks. I LOVE McCafe hot drinks.

    Reply
  30. Bonnie @ wemake7 says

    March 17, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    Yes I have tried a few of their salads and thought they were pretty good. Normally I am pretty bad when I order from there lol. I will have to try this salad the next time I drive thru McDonalds.

    Reply
  31. Jesica H says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:01 pm

    Adding chips to salads was a new thing for me, but doesn’t it make the salad that much more fun! I rarely go to mcdonalds unless for ice cream, but I will keep there salads in mind!

    Reply
  32. Erin says

    March 17, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    I’ve never tried their salads but I might have to! This looks super yummy!

    Reply
  33. Jeanine says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:38 pm

    That’s one thing I haven’t tried at mcds. The salads. However thus does really look good! I may have to give them a try!

    Reply
  34. christina aliperti says

    March 17, 2015 at 10:57 pm

    I don’t eat fast food often but next time I am at McDonald’s I will try this salad. It looks really good and it’s a much better choice than a burger and fries.

    Reply
  35. Rosey says

    March 18, 2015 at 12:36 am

    I love that they’ve got healthy options on the menu. Looks like it’d make for good eating while the kids ate their happy meals. ;)

    Reply
  36. Chrystal @ YUM eating says

    March 18, 2015 at 11:40 am

    The only bad thing about a 520 calorie salad for me is that it would only work if it were a late dinner. A lot of the calories come from the dressing at those tortilla strips. They could stand to add some more vegetables and a bit more chicken. If I were to have this for lunch (and I have) I am hungry a few hours later. So, that 520 calorie lunch just turned in to 700. They do have other things on the menu that have similar calories.

    That said, this IS a good option if that is all that is available to you. Like, if you are eating and McD and your family is gorging away on burgers and fries. Last time I was there I got the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait and the fruit and walnut salad. Low calories, good protein and a lot of staying power.

    For breakfast I love their oatmeal. I eat that for breakfast once in a while about 8 and I don’t get hungry until 2ish.

    I try to stay away from fast food altogether, but sometimes, it isnt up to me or my schedule calls for something else! My dietitian always told me just to do the best you can with the options you have and follow the 80/20 principal. 80% eat good and leave 20% for the wiggle room.

    Reply
  37. Amby Felix says

    March 18, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    I haven’t eaten Mc Donalds in about 8 years and had no idea they made salads! Looks tasty!!!

    Reply
  38. Modern Pilgrim Blog says

    March 18, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    I have had so many of these salads that I have lost count. They are always good and always easy. Winner!

    Reply
  39. Christy says

    March 18, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    I must say I enjoy a good salad. These look scrumptious.

    Reply
  40. rochkirstin says

    March 18, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    Wow, that salad looks delicious and healthy! I hope it also becomes available to our local McDonald’s chain.

    Reply
  41. HilLesha says

    March 19, 2015 at 1:35 am

    I don’t really get into salads much as I used to. However, that salad looks really good!

    Reply
  42. Beth says

    March 19, 2015 at 9:00 am

    I actually refuse to eat at McDonalds.. but I’d love to try making something similar at home!

    Reply
  43. Cherri Megasko says

    March 19, 2015 at 10:11 am

    I think it still looked pretty good, even after getting it home. I haven’t ever tried one … I’ll check to see if they’re sold in my area.

    Reply
  44. Cara (@StylishGeek) says

    March 19, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    I go to McDonalds once in a while but had no clue that they serve scrumptious salads like this. Thank you for letting me know. I like knowing they are adding more healthy options to their menu. Now I have an alternative to my grilled chicken wrap! :)

    Reply
  45. Krystal says

    March 19, 2015 at 3:47 pm

    I eat their salads a lot. They’re SO easy to grab on the go!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. McDonald's Homeschool Day - Life As A Convert says:
    March 23, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    […] children ordered their favorite food and found a place to sit.  I ordered a Southwest Salad. Ricci’s post made me crave one! As soon as Kaia saw it, he said how delicious it looked and was asking for bites […]

    Reply

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ricci

Ricci is a 39 year old digital content creator from central Arkansas. She is passionate about skincare, travel, reading, and being an advocate for women's health issues. She is dog mom to Sophie, cat mom to Rooster and Poppy and an aunt to 10 amazing kiddos. riccialexis83@gmail.com

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