McDonald’s no longer sells salads in the United States. McDonald’s removed salads from its US national menu in 2020 to simplify kitchen operations and, as of September 2026, has not brought them back. McDonald’s salads are still sold in some other countries, including the UK (a Side Salad and two crispy chicken salads), France and Japan.
Key Takeaways
- McDonald’s sold salads in the US from 1987 until 2020, when they were cut to simplify the menu during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2022 US franchisees were offered pre-made salads, and many declined; McDonald’s USA said in 2024 it would relaunch salads only if customers really wanted them.
- As of September 2026, the official US, Canadian and Australian McDonald’s menus list no salads; the UK, France and Japan still sell them.
- Lower-calorie US choices include Apple Slices (15 calories), 4-piece Chicken McNuggets (170) and a Hamburger (250), per McDonald’s USA nutrition data.
- Where salads are sold, crispy chicken, bacon and dressing raise the calories; McDonald’s UK lists its Side Salad at 58 kcal and its Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad at 401 kcal.
In brief: McDonald’s removed salads from its menus in the United States in 2020 and has not brought them back nationally; salads are still sold in some other countries, including the UK, France and Japan. The US salad line-up, prices and nutrition figures in the original version of this article were inaccurate and have been corrected below. Source: CNN Business, July 2024.
McDonald’s salads are not being updated in the United States: McDonald’s removed salads from its US national menu in 2020 and, as of September 2026, has not brought them back. The chain regularly adds limited-time items, but no US salad relaunch has been announced; in June 2024, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger told CNN the company would “gladly relaunch salads” only if customers really wanted them. No Southwest, Caesar or Mediterranean salad launched on the US menu in 2023. Southwest and Caesar salads were sold in the US before 2020, and no McDonald’s US Mediterranean salad appears in the company’s announcements or news coverage.
McDonald’s has experimented with salads for decades. According to CNN, McDonald’s first sold salads in the US in 1987 (chef, chicken and garden varieties); McSalad Shakers followed from 2000 to 2003, and the Premium Salads line launched in March 2003. The year 2020 is when salads were removed, not added. Kale is one ingredient McDonald’s did try: according to McDonald’s, in 2015 it replaced iceberg lettuce in its US salads with a blend of romaine, baby spinach and baby kale, and The Globe and Mail reported kale salads tested in Canada that year.
McDonald’s Salad Menu
When McDonald’s sold salads in the US, they were a small part of the business; former McDonald’s corporate chef Mike Haracz has said they were not big sellers. McDonald’s salads were marketed as a lighter alternative to burgers and fries, although their nutrition depended heavily on the chicken, bacon and dressing chosen. There is no public McDonald’s data showing strong customer demand for more salad options; McDonald’s USA has said customers mostly ask for fries, value meals and hot sandwiches.
McDonald’s does add new items for customers who want variety, but its recent US additions have been chicken items rather than salads, such as McCrispy Strips and the Snack Wrap, which returned on July 10, 2025. McDonald’s has said it is concentrating on what most customers order – burgers, fries, chicken and value meals – which is the main reason salads have not returned to the US menu.
Salads at Mc nutrition
McDonald’s salads were not automatically low in calories: with crispy chicken, bacon and a full serving of dressing, some had more calories than a burger.
McDonald’s no longer sells salads in the US, so there are no current US salad nutrition figures; where salads are still sold, such as the UK, McDonald’s publishes figures for each salad. Salads contain more vegetables than burgers, but a salad topped with crispy chicken and bacon still carries real fat and salt: McDonald’s UK lists its Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad at 401 kcal, 21 g fat and 1.7 g salt (as of September 2026). For comparison, McDonald’s USA lists the Quarter Pounder with Cheese at 520 calories and 1,140 milligrams of sodium (as of September 2026). The 1,000-calorie, 2,400-milligram Caesar salad figures in earlier versions of this article could not be traced to any McDonald’s nutrition source. In 2016, news reports noted that McDonald’s Canada’s kale Caesar salad with crispy chicken and full dressing reached 730 calories and 53 grams of fat.
McDonald’s Salad Prices
McDonald’s did not debut a new national salad in the US in 2022. That year, according to CNN, citing The Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s gave US franchisees the option to sell pre-made salads, and many chose not to. There is no official US price for a salad of leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese and dressing, and the $2 to $4 range previously given here could not be verified, because no such salad is on the national menu.
Calories in a salad
Health-conscious customers still search for McDonald’s salads, but in the US there is no salad to order; lower-calorie choices include a Hamburger, 4-piece Chicken McNuggets and Apple Slices. People trying to lose weight usually do better comparing calories across the whole order, including fries, drinks and sauces.
McDonald’s did not sell US salads in the three sizes described in earlier versions of this article. For reference, McDonald’s USA lists a Big Mac at 580 calories as of September 2026. The earlier claim that a 280-calorie medium salad matched a Big Mac was also wrong: 280 calories is less than half of a Big Mac. Likewise, 390 calories is fewer than a Big Mac, not more than twice as many; the 180-, 280- and 390-calorie salad sizes previously listed here could not be traced to McDonald’s.
Healthy salads at McDonald’s
We wouldn’t typically expect to go to McDonald’s for a nutritious salad. However, the idea that McDonald’s recently added salads is wrong for the US: salads were on US menus from 1987 until 2020 and are not on the current US menu.
McDonald’s is not a favorite of everyone, though, as they believe it to be harmful. In an effort to offer lighter choices, McDonald’s launched its Premium Salads in March 2003, and in January 2015 McDonald’s USA began letting customers swap fries for a side salad in Extra Value Meals. Claims about the salads’ additives cannot be checked for the US because the salads are no longer sold; ingredient lists for current items are on McDonald’s official nutrition pages. Where salads are still sold, such as the UK, the dressing or dip is chosen separately, and it changes the calorie count.
Before 2020, McDonald’s US salads used a lettuce blend that, according to McDonald’s, included chopped romaine, baby spinach and baby kale from 2015, with red leaf lettuce and carrots added in June 2016; entree salads were topped with grilled or crispy chicken. Toppings varied by salad rather than being add-ons such as avocado or grilled shrimp; for example, the Southwest salad had black beans, corn and poblano peppers, and the Asian salad had mandarin oranges and edamame.
Salad Prices from Mc Menu
The Bacon Ranch Salad is no longer on the McDonald’s US menu, so it has no current price; the $6.99 figure previously given here could not be verified. The Premium Southwest Salad was also discontinued in the US in 2020, and the $2.99 figure previously given here could not be verified; McDonald’s prices vary by restaurant.
Are There New Salads on the McDonald’s Menu?
No, not in the US. McDonald’s does not offer US salads in 4.5-ounce and 10.5-ounce versions, and those sizes and the $1 upcharge could not be traced to any McDonald’s menu. Ingredients such as romaine, carrots and tomatoes are typical of the salads McDonald’s once sold in the US, but no such salad is on the current US menu. McDonald’s US entree salads before 2020 were topped with grilled or crispy chicken; turkey appeared only in older salads such as the Chef McSalad Shaker, which used ham and turkey.
No new McDonald’s salads are available in US restaurants as of September 2026. The closest recent item was the limited-time Caesar menu McDonald’s USA launched on July 21, 2026, which put a new Caesar sauce on a Snack Wrap and a McCrispy sandwich rather than on a salad.
What are the types of Salads on McDonald’s menu?
McDonald’s offers salads in some countries, but not in the United States.
In its last years on the US menu, the line centered on Bacon Ranch and Southwest salads with grilled or crispy chicken, plus a side salad; earlier Premium Salads also included Caesar, Asian and Fruit & Walnut versions. The Southwest salad, discontinued in the US in 2020, combined the lettuce blend with black beans, corn and poblano peppers.
Can you call McDonald’s salads healthy?
The solution is not so simple. The first factor is what you order. When the salads were sold, a grilled-chicken salad with little dressing was generally lighter than a crispy-chicken salad with bacon and ranch dressing. The same logic applies to UK salads today: McDonald’s UK lists the Crispy Chicken Salad at 355 kcal and the Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad at 401 kcal.
The second factor is how frequently you eat at McDonald’s. Your risk of obesity and other health issues is lower if you occasionally go there for a salad than if you frequent the restaurant daily.
Does McDonald’s serve salads?
McDonald’s does not serve salads in the United States as of September 2026; the Southwest and Bacon Ranch salads were removed in 2020. McDonald’s does serve salads in some countries, including the UK, France and Japan.
How are the salads at McDonald’s?
The salads at McDonald’s may not always be the best choice for a nutritious dinner. Where they are sold, they can be a reasonable lower-carbohydrate option, but crispy chicken, bacon and dressing push the calories and fat up.
Are there salads on the McDonald’s menu?
Salads are not offered at McDonald’s in the United States, Canada or Australia, based on each country’s official McDonald’s online menu as of September 2026; they are offered in the UK, France and Japan.
Mcdonald’s Salads Menu with Prices
| McDonald’s Menu Salads | Prices |
| McDonald’s Southwest Salad | Discontinued in the US in 2020; no current price |
| McDonald’s Bacon Ranch Salad | Discontinued in the US in 2020; no current price |
Do they have salads like other restaurants?
Not in the US. McDonald’s does not compete on salads the way salad-focused chains do; its US menu centers on burgers, chicken, fries and breakfast items. The list below mixes salad-related items McDonald’s has sold at different times and in different countries; none of the salads is on the current US menu.
- Pineapple fruit sticks (not on the current US menu)
- Green salad with crispy chicken (sold in the UK as the Crispy Chicken Salad)
- French fries
- Grilled Chicken Caesar salad (US, discontinued)
- Banana (not on the current US menu; the US fruit side is Apple Slices, 15 calories)
- Mcdonald’s garden
- McSalad Shakers (US, 2000 to 2003)
The former US Bacon Ranch salad came with a choice of grilled or crispy chicken, not a double serving of both, along with bacon, cheese and the lettuce blend.
In contrast, the former Southwest salad paired the lettuce blend with chicken. It also included black beans, corn and poblano peppers.
A side salad made with the 2016 blend of romaine, red leaf lettuce, baby spinach, baby kale and carrots was also sold in the US until 2020. Restaurant salads are not pet food: onion, which is in the current UK Side Salad, is toxic to dogs and cats, according to the ASPCA. Check with a veterinarian before sharing any human food with a pet.
Salads did not come with fries; from January 2015, McDonald’s USA let customers choose a side salad instead of fries in Extra Value Meals. The Bacon Ranch salad featured meat and vegetables, with crispy (fried) or grilled chicken.
Nutritional Information on McDonald’s Salad Menu
McDonald’s publishes calories, fat, sodium and other nutrients for every item on its official nutrition pages. On their official website, you can find a list of all the nutritional information included in the menu items.
Where it is sold, the Side Salad is the lowest-calorie salad option. McDonald’s Japan lists its Side Salad at 10 kcal and McDonald’s UK lists its Side Salad at 58 kcal, both without dressing, as of September 2026; there is no current US figure because the US side salad was discontinued.
The Bacon Ranch salad figures previously given here (260 calories, 9 grams of fat and 1,000 milligrams of sodium) cannot be checked against any current McDonald’s source because the salad is no longer sold in the US. No “Baked Chicken” Bacon Ranch salad appears in McDonald’s product history; the US options were grilled or crispy chicken, and the 370-calorie figure could not be verified.
What are the Shaker Salads of McDonald’s?
McSalad Shakers are not on any current McDonald’s US menu; they were sold in the US from 2000 to 2003. They came in three varieties, Garden, Chef and Grilled Chicken Caesar, served in a tall lidded cup so the dressing could be shaken through the salad.
The Chef McSalad Shaker contained a leafy green mix, julienned ham and turkey, chopped egg, chopped tomato, green onions and a cheddar and Jack cheese blend.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article about McDonald’s menu salads and their prices is intended for general informational purposes only. Prices and menu items may vary by location and are subject to change without notice. We recommend checking directly with your local McDonald’s restaurant or visiting their official website for the most current and accurate information. The author and publisher of this article are not affiliated with McDonald’s and are not responsible for any discrepancies or changes in menu items, prices, or availability.
What Happened to McDonald’s Salads?
McDonald’s salads were removed from the US national menu in 2020, when McDonald’s cut its menu down to best-selling items during the COVID-19 pandemic to cope with staff shortages and supply-chain disruption, according to CNN Business. As of September 2026, the official McDonald’s USA menu lists no salads.
The removal ended more than 30 years of salads at US McDonald’s restaurants. The timeline below uses dates reported by McDonald’s, CNN, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Wikipedia’s product history.
| Year | What happened to McDonald’s salads in the US |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Salads added nationally: chef, chicken and garden varieties (CNN). |
| 2000 to 2003 | McSalad Shakers sold in cups in Garden, Chef and Grilled Chicken Caesar varieties. |
| March 2003 | Premium Salads launched, later including Bacon Ranch, Caesar, Southwest, Asian and Fruit & Walnut. |
| 2015 | Iceberg lettuce replaced by romaine, baby spinach and baby kale; side salads offered instead of fries in Extra Value Meals (McDonald’s). |
| June 2016 | Red leaf lettuce and carrots added to the salad blend (McDonald’s). |
| 2018 | Cyclospora outbreak linked to McDonald’s salads: 511 lab-confirmed cases in 15 states and New York City, 24 hospitalizations (CDC). Salad sales halted at about 3,000 restaurants. |
| 2020 | Salads removed from the national menu during the pandemic. |
| 2022 | Franchisees offered pre-made salads; many declined (CNN, citing The Wall Street Journal). |
| June 2024 | McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger says the chain would relaunch salads only if customers really wanted them. |
| July 2026 | Limited-time Caesar menu (Caesar Snack Wrap, Bacon Caesar McCrispy, Caesar dip) launches, without a salad. |
Why did McDonald’s stop selling salads?
McDonald’s stopped selling salads in the US for four connected reasons reported by CNN and others:
- Low demand: salads were never big sellers compared with burgers, fries and chicken.
- Speed: a shorter menu made drive-thru service faster when kitchens were short-staffed in 2020.
- Supply complexity: salads needed a specific lettuce blend and their own supply chain, according to former McDonald’s chef Mike Haracz.
- Food safety history: the 2018 Cyclospora outbreak traced to a salad mix made for McDonald’s damaged confidence in the product.
Where Can You Still Buy a McDonald’s Salad?
McDonald’s menus differ by country because each market sets its own line-up. The table below reflects each country’s official McDonald’s website as checked in September 2026; individual restaurants may not carry every item.
| Country | Salads on the official menu? | What is listed |
|---|---|---|
| United States | No | No salads since 2020; Apple Slices are the only fruit or vegetable side. |
| Canada | No | No salad on the full online menu; Caesar-style items appear only as McWraps and sandwiches. |
| Australia | No | No salad category on the online menu; salads were dropped in 2024. |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Side Salad, Crispy Chicken Salad, Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad (Wraps & Salads menu). |
| France | Yes | A “Nos Salades du Jour” range, including Caesar salads with chicken or a vegetarian version. |
| Japan | Yes | Side Salad of lettuce, red cabbage and red and yellow peppers, with a sesame-style dressing. |
| India (North and East) | No standalone salad | Lettuce and vegetables appear only as fillings in burgers and wraps; India’s West and South operator runs a separate menu. |
McDonald’s UK salad nutrition
McDonald’s UK publishes nutrition per salad on its product pages. The figures below were listed in September 2026; McDonald’s UK says the Side Salad and Crispy Chicken Salad figures exclude dressing or dips.
| UK salad | Energy | Fat | Salt | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side Salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red onion) | 58 kcal | 4.0 g | 0.14 g | 1.2 g |
| Crispy Chicken Salad | 355 kcal | 18 g | 1.3 g | 21 g |
| Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad | 401 kcal | 21 g | 1.7 g | 26 g |
The UK no longer lists a grilled chicken salad on its current Wraps & Salads menu, so the lighter grilled options quoted on some older price sites may not be available. McDonald’s Japan lists its Side Salad at 10 kcal without dressing.
Healthier Options on the US McDonald’s Menu
Without salads, the lowest-calorie items on the US McDonald’s menu are simple sandwiches, small portions of chicken and fruit. The table uses McDonald’s USA official nutrition information as of September 2026; figures can change when recipes change.
| US menu item | Calories | Fat | Sodium | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Slices | 15 | 0 g | 0 mg | 0 g |
| Hash Browns | 140 | 8 g | 310 mg | 2 g |
| 4-piece Chicken McNuggets | 170 | 10 g | 340 mg | 9 g |
| Small World Famous Fries | 230 | 11 g | 190 mg | 3 g |
| Hamburger | 250 | 9 g | 510 mg | 12 g |
| 6-piece Chicken McNuggets | 250 | 15 g | 500 mg | 14 g |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 13 g | 720 mg | 15 g |
| Egg McMuffin | 310 | 13 g | 770 mg | 17 g |
| Fruit & Maple Oatmeal | 320 | 4.5 g | 150 mg | 6 g |
| Filet-O-Fish | 380 | 19 g | 580 mg | 16 g |
| McChicken | 390 | 21 g | 560 mg | 14 g |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese (for comparison) | 520 | 26 g | 1,140 mg | 30 g |
| Big Mac (for comparison) | 580 | 34 g | 1,060 mg | 25 g |
How to build a lighter McDonald’s order
- Pair a small main with fruit: a Hamburger with Apple Slices totals 265 calories, based on McDonald’s USA figures.
- Watch the drink: DASANI water and Unsweetened Iced Tea are 0 calories; a 1% Low Fat Milk Jug is 100 calories.
- Count sauces: dips and spreads add calories that are listed separately on the nutrition pages.
- Check sugar, not just calories: the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal has 31 g of sugars, 18 g of them added.
- Mind the sodium: 3-piece McCrispy Strips carry 1,320 mg of sodium, more than a Big Mac.
Breakfast items such as the Egg McMuffin are only served in the morning; see the McDonald’s breakfast menu and what time McDonald’s switches to lunch. For planning an occasional fast-food meal inside a diet, see these healthy cheat meal ideas.
How to Check McDonald’s Nutrition Yourself
McDonald’s nutrition figures are published by each country’s McDonald’s website, and they are the most reliable source because recipes and portion sizes differ between markets.
If you track calories with a wearable, note that burn estimates are less precise than menu labels; this guide on whether fitness trackers count calories accurately explains the margin of error. For another chain that publishes calories for every item, see the Chick-fil-A breakfast menu with nutrition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does McDonald’s still sell salads in the US?
No. McDonald’s removed salads from its US national menu in 2020, and the official McDonald’s USA menu lists no salads as of September 2026. A franchise option to sell pre-made salads in 2022 was declined by many owners.
Why did McDonald’s get rid of salads?
McDonald’s dropped salads in 2020 to simplify its menu and speed up service during the pandemic. Salads were also slow sellers, needed their own lettuce supply chain, and had been linked to a 2018 Cyclospora outbreak that sickened 511 people, according to the CDC.
Will McDonald’s bring salads back?
There is no announced plan. In June 2024, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger said the chain would relaunch salads if customers really wanted them, but said demand centers on fries, value meals and sandwiches.
Which countries still have McDonald’s salads?
McDonald’s salads are still sold in the UK, France and Japan, among other markets. The UK lists a Side Salad, a Crispy Chicken Salad and a Crispy Chicken and Bacon Salad; Japan lists a Side Salad. Canada and Australia list no salads.
What is the lowest-calorie food at McDonald’s in the US?
Apple Slices are the lowest-calorie food on the US menu at 15 calories. Among main items, 4-piece Chicken McNuggets (170 calories) and the Hamburger (250 calories) are the lightest, per McDonald’s USA nutrition data as of September 2026.
How many calories are in a McDonald’s side salad?
It depends on the country. McDonald’s UK lists its Side Salad at 58 kcal and McDonald’s Japan lists its Side Salad at 10 kcal, both without dressing. The US no longer sells a side salad.
