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Improved taste and more healthy - McDonald's Chicken Salad


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Old 29-07-2008, 02:07
prl100
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Being on a diet, I haven't eaten a McDonald's in a while. But I went in today whilst in Manchester, so I thought I better order a salad.

Now I have had a salad from McDonald's before but they appear to have changed them recently. They no longer sell a 'Caesar' salad, instead just calling it a chicken salad. I opted for grilled chicken and was asked if I wanted Caesar salad dressing or a balsamic vinegar. I opted for the Caesar dressing.

It came over in a new white card-board container (it used to be a plastic dish) and to my surprise it tasted much better than I remember. No cheese or croutons were to be found this time, but personally I would prefer it without cheese, the croutons I always used to eat - but I didn't miss them.

From checking on the website I have found that the salad was only 115 calories, with the dressing making it up to 170. It also contains 0.7g salt (I think this is low - not too informed on salt and its not something I have been keeping an eye on) and is 2% fat.

This has really surprised me - I could seriously eat one of these new delicious salads every lunch!

However I am wondering why they didn't advertise these positive changes? Especially with all the criticism they got after introducing high fat/salt salads a few years ago. All I ever see from McDonald's on TV is 'Summer Menu' or 'New McFlurry'!
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:17
asyousay
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If you are going to have a salad i fail to see why anybody would pick a mcD's salad as its never going to be a well made salad.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:28
whoever,hey
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mcdonalds salads are worse than a burger.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:45
asyousay
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Dont get me started on the burgers. My mate had a cheese burger the other day and the burger was gray. Never seen anything so horrible in my life. I actually made him chuck it away as i couldnt bare him to eat it.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:46
♣ Moya
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I don't mind them, though I would have gone for the balsamic vinegar.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:50
SHAFT
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I am always amazed that people will eat the swill that McD's serve. I just don't get it.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:53
♣ Moya
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Maybe because when you are out for the day and don't want to stop too long on your journey, they are convenient.
That's my reason anyway.
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Old 29-07-2008, 14:56
asyousay
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But with all the supermarkets and coffee places now sellling Sandwhiches i always think its just as quick to pop into one of them and they taste nicer.
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Old 29-07-2008, 15:43
SHAFT
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But with all the supermarkets and coffee places now sellling Sandwhiches i always think its just as quick to pop into one of them and they taste nicer.
Word. Convenience is a poor excuse.
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Old 30-07-2008, 02:12
prl100
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But with all the supermarkets and coffee places now sellling Sandwhiches i always think its just as quick to pop into one of them and they taste nicer.
Something from a supermarket or coffee shop is not automatically better than something from McDonald's.

As far as I am aware you cannot get a salad with hot chicken in a supermarket.

I no longer go to Starbucks since my diet as some of their drinks clock up to 700 calories.
When I went in last time and got a cup of tea on the way to the train station, they were unable to provide me with any nutritional information about the food items they serve. I can't even find it on the website so I don't know how you are expected to know.

In terms of nutritional value the salad I had at McDonald's (115 calories, 2g fat) is pretty hard to beat. I don't think you could get a sandwich that low in calories. When making them at home a single slice of Hovis bread is 88 calories before you put any butter/margarine on it.

Taste is a totally individual preference, but I really enjoyed my salad.

To the person who said "i fail to see why anybody would pick a mcD's salad as its never going to be a well made salad" - I don't see the difference between getting a salad from McDonald's and any other relatively quick place such as a cafe or sandwich shop - they are all going to be staffed with the same people. At least at McDonald's its exactly the same where-ever you go.
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Old 30-07-2008, 02:41
pabs1904
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'Shop bought sandwiches'

You people should watch Dispatches, you'll be running back to McD's once you see what goes into the 'nicer sanwiches'


Last edited by pabs1904 : 30-07-2008 at 02:41. Reason: No offence intended:)
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Old 30-07-2008, 08:38
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I caught the end of that programme pabs
It was shocking wasn't it!
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Old 30-07-2008, 09:14
Gogfumble
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I no longer go to Starbucks since my diet as some of their drinks clock up to 700 calories.
When I went in last time and got a cup of tea on the way to the train station, they were unable to provide me with any nutritional information about the food items they serve. I can't even find it on the website so I don't know how you are expected to know.
http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Food/N...nformation.htm

Also, last time I asked for nutrition information in a Starbucks the guy I asked was more than knowledgeable and produced a folder with all the information in.

I have just checked their Roasted Chicken Salad is 165 calories and 10g of fat. I don't know what that includes though (besides Chicken and Salad of course).

I have never had a salad from McDonalds myself so cannot comment on what they are like, are they a decent size? I rarely go there (about once a year) and when I do it tends to be in the morning for a bacon and egg muffin cos they are scrummy!
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Old 30-07-2008, 09:25
stud u like
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Why waste your money on MuckDonalds when you make a perfectly good salad at home?

Macdonalds is guilty of animal cruelty,exploiting children with Happy Meals,exploiting the working classes,exploiting it's workers,encouraging mass littering of towns and cities and damaging the environment and planet with its wanton globalisation.
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Old 30-07-2008, 09:35
indianwells
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'Shop bought sandwiches'

You people should watch Dispatches, you'll be running back to McD's once you see what goes into the 'nicer sanwiches'

I watched that. I will never buy a pre-packed sandwich again. I never bought many anyway, i've always wondered why anyone would buy a sandwich with a 3 day use by date. Put it this way, would you make a sarnie, wrap it up, put it in the fridge and then 3 days later think "ooh, I think i'll have that sandwich that's been in the fridge 3 days?" No, neither would I..
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Old 30-07-2008, 09:45
stud u like
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I watched that. I will never buy a pre-packed sandwich again. I never bought many anyway, i've always wondered why anyone would buy a sandwich with a 3 day use by date. Put it this way, would you make a sarnie, wrap it up, put it in the fridge and then 3 days later think "ooh, I think i'll have that sandwich that's been in the fridge 3 days?" No, neither would I..
I was reminded of Pandora Braithwaite with the "neither would I!"
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Old 30-07-2008, 11:36
SHAFT
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As far as I am aware you cannot get a salad with hot chicken in a supermarket.

Sainsburys.
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Old 30-07-2008, 14:24
prl100
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http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Food/N...nformation.htm

Also, last time I asked for nutrition information in a Starbucks the guy I asked was more than knowledgeable and produced a folder with all the information in.

I have just checked their Roasted Chicken Salad is 165 calories and 10g of fat. I don't know what that includes though (besides Chicken and Salad of course).
Thanks for that, its one more place that I can go back to now! The guy at my Starbucks also produced a folder but he said it didn't include the food items? I had no problems finding out the calories in the drinks though. Maybe he had a different (or out of date) folder?

On the bad side - have just checked the cake that I used to get in Starbucks - 755 calories! :-O
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Old 30-07-2008, 18:28
Scots_Dragon
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I am always amazed that people will eat the swill that McD's serve. I just don't get it.
You and me both, I wouldn't use their toilets; let alone eat anything from them.

As for the salad, 170 calories is disgusting. I happen to know that the bottle of Orange Lucozade I have just drunk has 175 calories. While most of that is made up of sugar, its scary to think that a salad of all things is as healthy as a sugary fizzy drink.
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Old 30-07-2008, 18:54
dodgygeeza
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The 170 calorie figure is with caesar dessing added
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Old 30-07-2008, 21:40
Scots_Dragon
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The 170 calorie figure is with caesar dessing added
So the dressing counts for a total of 55 calories by itself. That's about a third of the whole meal, which means 2/3rds is the salad part of the meal.
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Old 30-07-2008, 22:14
Amadude
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As for the salad, 170 calories is disgusting. I happen to know that the bottle of Orange Lucozade I have just drunk has 175 calories. While most of that is made up of sugar, its scary to think that a salad of all things is as healthy as a sugary fizzy drink.


How do you figure that Lucozade provides the same health benefits as a salad just because of its caloric value?

Seriously....

I don't want to get into a whole thing here, but if you're just going to compare calories then you're really going to be having problems.
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Old 31-07-2008, 08:17
SHAFT
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How do you figure that Lucozade provides the same health benefits as a salad just because of its caloric value?

Seriously....

I don't want to get into a whole thing here, but if you're just going to compare calories then you're really going to be having problems.
Whoosh!
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Old 31-07-2008, 08:45
Scots_Dragon
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How do you figure that Lucozade provides the same health benefits as a salad just because of its caloric value?

Seriously....

I don't want to get into a whole thing here, but if you're just going to compare calories then you're really going to be having problems.
Did you read my post, I wasn't really comparing the two items. I was passing comment that this supposedly healthy option of a salad, is as healthy as a bottle of sugary, fizzy drink.

95% of Lucozade's calories come from the sugar content alone, where as 68% of those 170 (with dressing) calories are from just the salad; without the dressing. All that aside, just to clear this up. I would rather go for the salad, then the fizzy drink.
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Old 31-07-2008, 08:53
Amadude
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Did you read my post, I wasn't really comparing the two items. I was passing comment that this supposedly healthy option of a salad, is as healthy as a bottle of sugary, fizzy drink.

95% of Lucozade's calories come from the sugar content alone, where as 68% of those 170 (with dressing) calories are from just the salad; without the dressing. All that aside, just to clear this up. I would rather go for the salad, then the fizzy drink.
lol.
Nope, I'm still not getting you. The salad also contains chicken...
Sorry
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