The Saltgrass House salad is a popular salad option at Saltgrass Steak House restaurants. For those watching their calorie intake or following a specific diet plan, knowing the calorie count of menu items is important. This article will provide a quick overview of the estimated calorie content of a Saltgrass House salad.
Overview of the Saltgrass House Salad
The Saltgrass House salad is one of the signature salad options at Saltgrass Steak House. It features mixed greens, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, croutons, and chopped boiled egg. The salad comes with a choice of dressing on the side. Some of the most popular dressing choices are ranch, balsamic vinaigrette, blue cheese, honey mustard, and Caesar.
The exact nutritional content of the Saltgrass House salad can vary slightly depending on which dressing is chosen. The calorie count provided here is based on the salad with ranch dressing, since ranch is one of the most commonly selected dressings.
Determining the Calorie Count
To determine the estimated calorie count of a Saltgrass House salad, we’ll need to look at the calories in each component of the salad:
Mixed Greens
The base of the Saladgrass House salad is made up of mixed greens. The exact combination of lettuces may vary, but common greens used in restaurant house salads include romaine, green leaf, red leaf, butter lettuce, and spinach.
On average, one cup of mixed raw greens contains about 10-20 calories. We’ll estimate 15 calories per cup of greens in the Saladgrass house salad.
Shredded Cheese
The Saladgrass nutrition information lists the house salad as containing approximately 1.5 ounces of shredded cheese. Typical cheeses used would be cheddar, Monterey jack, or mozzarella.
1.5 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese contains about 150 calories.
Chopped Tomatoes
The Saladgrass salad has approximately 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes.
1/4 cup of chopped raw tomatoes is about 5 calories.
Sliced Cucumbers
The salad contains around 1/4 cup of sliced cucumbers.
1/4 cup of sliced cucumbers is approximately 3 calories.
Croutons
Croutons are another key ingredient in the Saladgrass House salad. The salad includes roughly 1 ounce of croutons.
1 ounce of croutons is usually between 70-80 calories depending on the brand. We’ll estimate 75 calories for the croutons.
Chopped Hard Boiled Egg
The Saladgrass salad has about 1/8 of a large hard boiled egg chopped on top.
1/8 of a large boiled egg is approximately 17 calories.
Ranch Dressing (on the side)
Ranch dressing is one of the most popular dressing choices for the Saladgrass House salad. Salad dressings are served on the side in a 2-4 ounce container.
Two ounces of ranch dressing contains about 215 calories.
Total Calories
Adding up the estimated calories in each component:
– Mixed greens: 15 calories
– Shredded cheese: 150 calories
– Chopped tomatoes: 5 calories
– Sliced cucumbers: 3 calories
– Croutons: 75 calories
– Chopped egg: 17 calories
– Ranch dressing: 215 calories
Total estimated calories for a Saltgrass House salad with ranch dressing: 480 calories
Nutritional Breakdown
Now that we’ve determined the total estimated calorie count, let’s take a look at some of the other key nutritional information for the Saladgrass House salad:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 480 |
| Fat | 36g |
| Saturated Fat | 14g |
| Trans Fat | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 165mg |
| Sodium | 720mg |
| Carbohydrates | 12g |
| Fiber | 4g |
| Sugars | 3g |
| Protein | 17g |
As you can see, while the salad provides protein and some vitamins from the vegetables, it is also high in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol mainly due to the full fat cheese and ranch dressing. Those looking for a lighter option may want to request lighter dressing or dairy-free cheese.
How the Calorie Count Compares
At 480 calories, the Saltgrass House salad with ranch dressing contains a moderate amount of calories compared to other full sized entree salads.
For example:
- McDonald’s Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken and ranch dressing – 520 calories
- Panera Bread Fuji Apple Chicken Salad with chicken and balsamic vinaigrette – 440 calories
- Chili’s California Salad with Grilled Chicken and salsa ranch dressing – 670 calories
- Cheesecake Factory Thai Crunch Salad with chicken and spicy peanut dressing – 770 calories
The Saltgrass salad has 110-290 fewer calories than the some of the higher calorie options above from Chili’s and Cheesecake Factory. But it is slightly higher in calories compared to lighter options like Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.
When compared to a typical hamburger and fries entree, the 480 calorie Saladgrass salad can be the lighter option. For example, a Saltgrass Bacon Cheeseburger and fries contains around 1250 calories. Choosing the house salad saves about 770 calories compared to the burger.
Tips for Reducing the Calories in the Saltgrass House Salad
For those looking to lighten up their Saladgrass House salad, here are some tips to reduce the calories:
Choose lower calorie dressing
The ranch dressing accounts for a significant portion of the salad’s calories at 215 calories for 2 oz. Opting for a lighter dressing like balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette can save 140-180 calories.
Hold the croutons
Skipping the croutons removes about 75 calories from the salad’s calorie total.
Skip the cheese
The shredded cheese contributes approximately 150 calories. Removing the cheese makes a big dent in the calorie count.
Order on the side
Ordering dressings, cheese, and other higher calorie toppings on the side allows you to control how much you use and potentially reduce the calories.
Replace egg with beans
Swap the chopped egg for fiber-rich black beans to add more volume and nutrition for minimal calories.
Opt for grilled chicken
Adding grilled chicken breast will add some extra protein. A 4 oz portion of grilled chicken is only around 140 calories.
Conclusion
The estimated calorie count for a Saltgrass Steak House salad comes in around 480 calories. This provides a moderate calorie salad option compared to other full service chain restaurant salads. There are also options to reduce the calorie count by swapping out higher calorie ingredients and dressings for lighter options. When choosing lighter dressing and avoiding croutons and cheese, it’s possible to get the salad down to around 250 calories or less. At the same time, adding grilled chicken can boost the protein while still keeping the total calorie count reasonable. Overall, with some simple modifications, the Saltgrass House salad can be a nutritious lower calorie choice for a steakhouse style salad.