What I'd Order at Sweetgreen to Lose Weight

Ask for double roasted chicken on any salad and go light on the crunchy toppings, because dressings and nuts are where the calories hide.

John Schaefer, fat loss coach for 27 years · Updated October 2026

What do I order?

Tell me where you're eating and your goal weight. I'll tell you exactly what to get, with the calories and protein.

Want me to email you your numbers? Your calories, protein, carbs and fats for your goal weight, plus this page so you have it at the table.

Answers are estimates from published nutrition data, not medical advice.

My Sweetgreen orders

Kale Caesar

Lunch style

Kale Caesar Salad as listed

405calories40gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 22% of your calories and 38% of your protein for the day.

Wild rice chicken bowl

Carb meal

Baby spinach, warm wild rice, 2 roasted chicken, spicy broccoli, portobello mix, lime cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette

655calories51gprotein

For a 150 lb goal: 36% of your calories and 49% of your protein for the day.

Double chicken arugula salad

Lunch style

How I order it, the calories and the protein are in the Eating Out Playbook, along with 59 other chains and 25 kinds of restaurants.

See the Playbook ($7) →

The rule at Sweetgreen: the lunch style order is built on protein, fat and fiber. The carb meal is the one you have when this is your dinner, or the one meal of the day you're spending your carbs on.

Skip these at Sweetgreen

Hot Honey Chicken920 cal
Chicken Avocado Ranch Bowl755 cal

Numbers from Sweetgreen's published nutrition data via fastfoodnutrition.org. Menus change, so check before you order.

How I fit any restaurant into the day

Protein firstEat the protein, then the vegetables and fats, then the carbs. You're satisfied before the bread matters.

One carb meal a dayBread, rice, pasta, potatoes, fries. Keep the big carb hit to one meal. On a night out, that's dinner.

Zoom out to the weekFat loss runs on your weekly average. One dinner out is easy to absorb when the rest of the week is steady.

The Eating Out Playbook

Every restaurant you go to, already figured out.

60 chains and 25 kinds of restaurants, including Sweetgreen. Search the place you're going, pick an order, and see how it fits your goal weight before you sit down. Works on your phone, $7 one time.

Get the Playbook Free: my numbers

Quick answers

What is the best high protein order at Sweetgreen?

Kale Caesar: Kale Caesar Salad as listed. It comes to about 405 calories and 40g of protein.

How many calories should I eat at Sweetgreen to lose weight?

It depends on your goal weight. I use goal weight x 12 for daily calories, so a 150 lb goal is 1,800 calories a day and a lunch around 500 to 800 of them. The kale caesar is 22% of that day with 38% of the protein. Type your own goal weight on this page to see your numbers.

What should I avoid at Sweetgreen if I'm trying to lose weight?

The ones that stack calories with little protein: Hot Honey Chicken (920 calories), Chicken Avocado Ranch Bowl (755 calories).

Can I eat Sweetgreen and still lose fat?

Yes. I've never told a client to stop eating out. Build the order around protein, keep the carbs for one meal a day, and Sweetgreen fits fine. Ask for double roasted chicken on any salad and go light on the crunchy toppings, because dressings and nuts are where the calories hide.