pplebee’s Paradise Chicken Salad is a Tasty, Health-Conscious Choice

This New Salad Entree is Low in Calories and High in Flavor

While I am not always a fan of chain restaurants, I do have a weakness for Applebee’s, so I was curious to try their new Paradise Chicken Salad on a recent visit. I like their salad entrees in general and find them an appealing dinner choice when I want something filling, but not too heavy. The Paradise Chicken Salad is described on Applebee’s menu as “…an island blend of pineapple, mandarin oranges, fresh apple chunks, pico de gallo and crisp greens. Topped with slices of blackened grilled chicken and served with cool balsamic vinaigrette.” It is priced at $8.99 and also listed as one of their Weight Watchers selections, with a Points value of 6. I ordered the Paradise Chicken Salad at the Applebee’s located in Deptford, New Jersey on 1850 Deptford Center Road.

According to LiveStrong.com, Applebee’s Paradise Chicken Salad is 412 calories per serving, with 6.4g of fat, 59.7g of carbohydrates, 24.2g of protein and 0g of fiber. These numbers seem high for a Weight Watchers Points value of 6, as advertised on their menu. From my experience doing Weight Watchers for several years, generally something with 6 points should be no more than 300-350 calories, and only higher in calories if it contains considerable fiber. Still, the Paradise Chicken Salad is fairly dietetic even if the stated Points value seems low, and quite reasonable for someone on a restricted-calorie diet.

When my Paradise Chicken Salad arrived, the one thing I noticed was it was missing the advertised pineapple. Perhaps because we were dining late at night, about 9:30pm, the kitchen had run out of pineapple, but this was somewhat disappointing. The chicken was nicely grilled, however, and the greens were a mixture of baby greens, shredded red cabbage, and shredded green cabbage. With the mandarin orange slices and sweet dressing, the flavor was almost more Asian than tropical. The green apple wedges could have been sliced thinner to be both more attractive and to pick up the flavor of the dressing better.

Overall I was pleased with Applebee’s Paradise Chicken Salad, despite a few flaws in presentation. It was more than ample in serving size, especially as I had ordered an appetizer to share before the salad. I ended up taking a sizable portion home with me for lunch the next day. I would probably order the Paradise Chicken Salad again on a future visit to Applebee’s, although I’d hope it would be prepared with all of the listed ingredients next time.

Sources:
* “Applebee’s Fresh From The Garden.” Applebees.com.

* “Calories in Applebee’s Paradise Chicken Salad.”

* Personal experience