The Healthiest Salad to Get at Chick-fil-A (And How to Make it Healthier)

January 1, 2026 •

3 min read

Chick-fil-A's salads can range dramatically in nutritional value, with calorie counts swinging from just over 500 to more than 800, depending on your choices. This makes knowing what's the healthiest salad to get at Chick-fil-A crucial for anyone aiming to make a smarter dietary decision in the drive-thru. While salads often carry a 'health halo,' some options pack more calories and sodium than a fried chicken sandwich.

Quick Summary

A comparative nutritional analysis of Chick-fil-A's main salad offerings, detailing calorie, fat, and protein content. It highlights the Market Salad as the default healthiest choice but provides crucial customization tips for the Cobb and Spicy Southwest salads. The guide also reveals the best dressing options for reducing overall fat and calories.

Key Points

Market Salad is the Top Choice: When ordered standard, the Market Salad is the lowest-calorie entrée salad at 550 calories, before any modifications.
Customize for Lower Calories: Omit the cheese, granola, and nuts from the Market Salad and opt for a lighter dressing like Light Balsamic Vinaigrette to dramatically reduce fat and sugar.
Viral Kale Crunch Hack: Combine an 8-count of Grilled Nuggets with a Kale Crunch Side for a low-calorie, high-protein meal of around 325 calories.
Dressing is Key: High-fat dressings like Avocado Lime Ranch can add hundreds of calories; choose Light Balsamic Vinaigrette or Fat-Free Honey Mustard instead.
Cobb Salad Can Be Healthier: The highest-calorie Cobb Salad can be made healthier by swapping fried chicken for grilled and reducing high-calorie toppings and dressing.
The Healthiest Hack: The lowest-calorie, protein-rich option is combining the Kale Crunch Side Salad with Grilled Nuggets.
Mindful Ordering: Request dressing on the side and use just a small amount to control your caloric intake effectively.

Your Best Bet: The Market Salad with Grilled Chicken

For most people watching their calorie, fat, and sodium intake, the Market Salad is the top contender for the healthiest salad to get at Chick-fil-A. This vibrant salad features a bed of mixed greens, fresh berries, roasted almonds, and blue cheese, topped with sliced grilled chicken. While its base is strong, smart customizations can make it an even healthier option.

How to Customize the Market Salad for Optimal Health

Hold the cheese: Asking for no blue cheese can reduce calories and fat content.
Skip the extras: The granola and roasted nut blend contain added sugar and unnecessary calories. Request to omit them to further lighten your meal.
Choose the right dressing: The pre-selected dressing for the Market Salad, Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette, adds 150 calories and 13g of fat. For a significantly lighter alternative, opt for the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette (80 calories, 6g fat) or the Fat-Free Honey Mustard (90 calories, 0g fat).

The DIY Menu Hack: Kale Crunch Side with Grilled Nuggets

For the ultimate low-calorie, high-protein meal, skip the entrée salads entirely and create your own. Combine an order of 8-count Grilled Nuggets with a Kale Crunch Side.

Why this hack works:

Lower calories: An 8-count of grilled nuggets has only 130 calories and 23g of protein, while the Kale Crunch side contains just 170 calories. A packet of Zesty Buffalo sauce adds only 25 calories. The total comes to a satisfying, macro-friendly meal for around 325 calories. This compares favorably to the standard Market Salad, which is 550 calories with all toppings and dressing included.
Nutrient-dense: The Kale Crunch side is packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
Versatile: Add honey packets for sweetness or another light sauce to customize the flavor.

Comparison of Chick-fil-A Salads (with Grilled Chicken)

Understanding the full picture requires comparing all the main entrée salads. The table below uses standard toppings and the standard dressing to illustrate the base nutritional differences.


Feature	Market Salad	Spicy Southwest Salad	Cobb Salad	Lemon Kale Caesar Salad
Calories	550	680	830	470 (with Grilled Nuggets)
Protein (g)	28	33	42	43 (with Grilled Nuggets)
Fat (g)	31	49	60	24 (with Grilled Nuggets)
Sodium (mg)	1,010	1,570	2,220	1,290 (with Grilled Nuggets)
Carbs (g)	42	27	31	22 (with Grilled Nuggets)
Dressing	Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette	Creamy Salsa	Avocado Lime Ranch	Lemon Caesar Vinaigrette

Customization for Other Salads

Spicy Southwest Salad: To lower the high fat and sodium content, request the Spicy Grilled Filet instead of the fried fillet, and use a lighter dressing like Light Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of the default Creamy Salsa.
Cobb Salad: The highest-calorie salad can be redeemed by making several key substitutions. Swap the fried nuggets for grilled chicken, omit the crumbled bacon and cheese blend, and replace the Avocado Lime Ranch dressing with a lighter option. These changes can significantly reduce the calories and fat.
Lemon Kale Caesar Salad: This is already a relatively healthy option with grilled chicken nuggets. To further reduce calories, use a lighter dressing or less of the Lemon Caesar Vinaigrette.

Dressing Wisely

Choosing your dressing is arguably the most impactful way to control your salad's calorie count. The Avocado Lime Ranch dressing, for instance, adds a massive 310 calories and 32g of fat to your meal. By contrast, the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette is only 80 calories. Always ask for dressing on the side and use it sparingly. A great trick is to dip your fork into the dressing before each bite of salad, which uses less dressing overall.

Conclusion: Mindful Choices Win

While Chick-fil-A's salads can be deceptively high in calories, understanding the nutritional breakdown and embracing customization gives you control. The Market Salad is the healthiest standard menu option, especially when modified. For an even lighter, high-protein meal, the creative combination of the Kale Crunch Side and Grilled Nuggets is an excellent and popular hack. Making small adjustments—like choosing grilled protein over fried, opting for lighter dressings, and skipping cheese or crunchy toppings—can transform any Chick-fil-A salad into a genuinely healthy and satisfying fast-food meal.

Learn more about healthy eating at fast-food restaurants on the National Institutes of Health website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Cobb Salad with grilled nuggets has the most protein, offering 42 grams. You can make it a healthier option by skipping the cheese, bacon, and creamy dressing.

The lowest calorie dressing is the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette at 80 calories. The Fat-Free Honey Mustard is also a good, low-calorie choice at 90 calories.

To make the Cobb Salad healthier, substitute the fried chicken with grilled chicken, hold the cheese and bacon, and choose a light dressing like the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of the Avocado Lime Ranch.

Yes, the Kale Crunch Side is an excellent, healthy option. It contains just 170 calories and is packed with nutrient-dense kale and cabbage. Paired with grilled nuggets, it makes a great low-calorie meal.

While Chick-fil-A doesn't offer dedicated vegetarian entree salads, you can create one. Order the Market Salad or Spicy Southwest Salad without chicken, and omit cheese or other animal products if necessary. A simple Kale Crunch side with no almonds is another vegetarian option.

Yes. The Market Salad is the lowest in carbs among the entree salads. For an even lower-carb option, consider ordering the Kale Crunch Side Salad or a modified Spicy Southwest Salad (with grilled chicken).

The mixed greens and berries are healthy, but the included granola and roasted nuts add sugar and extra calories. It is recommended to skip these extra toppings for the healthiest version.