Colleen Sullivan, beauty and fashion editor, loves Cobb salad: mixed salad greens, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, blue-cheese crumbles, and blue-cheese dressing.
Colleen likes the contrasts in a classic Cobb—creamy, crunchy, tangy, and smoky—all in one meal. But it comes at a cost: The salad is superhigh in fat, calories, and sodium. Here’s how we lightened it and still kept the flavor.
Bacon
Order 1 ½ tablespoons (that’s two slices, or half the usual amount) and use your fork to spread it around your salad, so you get more of the savory, smoky flavor. You save: 115 calories, 9 g fat.
Avocado
Get 3 tablespoons (half the normal serving) and cut it into smaller chunks, so you get a creamy piece in every bite. You save: 67 calories, 6 g fat.
Blue-cheese crumbles
Skip them—you’ll still get great flavor from the dressing. “Most people don’t realize how high in saturated fat cheese is,” Blake says. “If your salad is covered in cheese, you’re not doing yourself any favors.” You save: 150 calories, 12 g fat.
Blue-cheese dressing
Use 2 tablespoons, which is half the usual amount of dressing, and you’ll still get the piquant taste of blue cheese throughout the salad. You save: 140 calories, 14 g fat.
Mixed salad greens
Ask for extra lettuce to bulk up the salad. You’ll be satisfied on a psychological level if the bowl looks full, Blake says. Plus, because lettuce has fiber and water, it fills you up without filling you out. You add: 8 calories, 0 g fat.
| Before* | Skinny Version | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 926 | 462 |
| Fat | 70 g (22 g saturated) | 29 g (7 g saturated) |
| Sodium | 1,914 mg | 712 mg |
*Nutritional analysis is based on typical meal-size salads at chain restaurants.
By Colleen Rush
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