Stay Away From These 9 Restaurant Salads

You're out for a nice family dinner or are on the road to vacation. You want to appease your family but stay healthy, so you opt for what seems to be the smartest option on the menu: a salad. But depending on which green meal you choose, you could've done less damage by choosing a quarter-pound burger! Before you order another salad, be sure not to choose one of these calorie-laden, dressing drenched entrees.

1. Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad: 1,390 calories, 42 grams sugar

2. Panera Bread Whole Chicken Cobb with Avocado and Greek/Herb Vinaigrette: 890 calories, 1280 milligrams sodium

>> Recipe: Copycat Panera Strawberry Chicken Salad

3. McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with Crispy Chicken and Newman's Own® Ranch Dressing: 670 calories, 41 grams fat

4. Wendy's Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad and Lemon Garlic Dressing: 790 calories, 1640 milligrams sodium

>> Read more: Fast Food Under 500: Wendy's

5. Cheesecake Factory Caesar Salad with Chicken and 3 tbsp. Caesar Dressing: 1750 calories, 1690 milligrams sodium

6. Friday's Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing: 1280 calories, 89 grams fat

7. Longhorn Steakhouse Blue Ridge Wedge salad and Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing: 1030 calories, 2060 milligrams sodium

8. Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad: 1430 calories, 2600 milligrams sodium

9. Taco Bell Fiesta Taco Salad - Beef: 770 calories, 40 grams fat

As a general rule, avoid "crusted" or "fritta" cooked meat on your salads, as those are fancy words for "fried". Choose salads with darker lettuce and those that are packed with healthy veggies. Have your dressing served on the side and use only what you need to flavor your meal, or ask for fresh lemon and squeeze it over the salad for fun flavor!

>> Recipe: Buffalo Shrimp Dinner Salad