WE TASTE-TESTED 19 CAESAR SALAD KITS—HERE ARE OUR FAVORITES

These top picks are food editor- and registered dietitian-approved, so we guarantee they’re as delicious as they are healthy.

Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD

Salad kits are a go-to convenience product for good reason. They can save you time and energy in the kitchen—no chopping veggies or whisking up a dressing needed. Plus, they're a quick way to add a serving of vegetables to your meal. Salad kits come in a variety of flavors, often with add-in components that can take a salad to the next level (and save you the hassle of buying croutons for one meal).

And perhaps the most popular variety is the Caesar salad. To help you find the best Caesar salad kit at the grocery store, we decided to put as many as we could find to the test.

Before we got to tasting, we had to consider the nutrition—we limited the products we tasted to a maximum of 250 calories and 360 milligrams of sodium per serving. "These parameters, which fit our guidelines for a healthy side dish, allow a salad to be flavorful, while also being lower in sodium and calories to complement a full meal," explains Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, EatingWell's nutrition editor. "If you choose to enjoy a salad kit as more of an entree, check the label to see how many servings it has and how the number of servings you choose fits into your day. And consider adding some protein like grilled chicken, salmon or tofu to give it some extra staying power."

With this advice in mind, we tried 19 different Caesar salad kits to find the tastiest ones. Here are our top choices for the best Caesar salad kits.

Related: I Tried Every Salad Kit at My Aldi—This Was My Favorite

Our Product Recommendations

Best Caesar Salad Kit: Good & Gather Classic Caesar Salad Kit

Target's Good & Gather Classic Caesar Salad Kit checked all the boxes of a great Caesar salad. First, the visual elements of the salad had our testers eager to dig in, from the dark green lettuce leaves (especially compared to kits that had wilted and browning leaves) to the large shavings of Parmesan cheese (versus the powdered or shredded Parmesan that came in most of the other bags). Next, the texture was a winner—the dressing was rich and creamy and the lettuce fresh and crisp. Finally, the major flavor winner was the little packet of cracked black pepper, which stood out to our testers and added another delicious element. While our testers liked the Classic Caesar Salad Kit the best, they were also fans of Target's Chopped Caesar Salad Kit, which had a nice ratio of ingredients between the romaine, cheesy garlic crouton crumbles and shredded Parmesan cheese. However you like your lettuce, our testers are sure you'll be a fan of one of Target's Caesar salad kits.

Nutrition info for Good & Gather Classic Caesar Salad Kit, per 1-cup serving

210 calories, 18 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1 g total sugars (0 g added sugar), 4 g protein

Nutrition info for Good & Gather Chopped Caesar Salad Kit, per 1-cup serving

190 calories, 16 g total fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 1 g total sugar (0 g added sugar), 4 g protein

Best Light Caesar Salad Kit: Dole Classic Light Caesar Kit

If you're looking for a flavorful salad, but with fewer calories, Dole's Classic Light Caesar Kit is a great option. Featuring romaine lettuce, garlic croutons and Dole's light Caesar dressing, this salad kit contains one-third less calories than the brand's regular Caesar salad kit. Our testers appreciated the kit's crisp lettuce, although the croutons were a hit-or-miss. Some testers liked the crunchiness and size of the croutons, while others thought they lacked flavor. But the ingredient in the kit that won our testers over was the dressing. While the dressing tasted more like a vinaigrette than a creamy Caesar dressing, our testers enjoyed the tangy, garlic-forward flavor it added to the salad.

Nutrition info for Dole Classic Light Caesar Kit, per 1-cup serving

90 calories, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g total sugars (1 g added sugar), 2 g protein

Best Flavored Caesar Salad Kit: Fresh Express Twisted Caesar Avocado Caesar Chopped Salad Kit

While we're fans of Caesar salad as is, many kits take creative liberties with the flavor profile, often drawing loose inspiration from the original (our testers tried seven kits). The Fresh Express Twisted Caesar Avocado Caesar Chopped Salad Kit was the clear winner in this category that featured other flavor combinations like feta cheese and flatbread strips or pineapple, sesame seeds and wonton strips. This kit includes romaine, yellow and blue corn tortilla strips, crunchy freeze-dried corn kernels, grated Parmesan cheese and an avocado Caesar dressing. Our testers loved the addition of corn and thought it provided great texture and a nice sweetness. They also enjoyed the crunchiness of the tortilla strips in lieu of croutons. The avocado Caesar dressing wasn't the most appealing shade of green, but it had nice tanginess and acidity, which helped our testers overlook the visual. Although we'd hesitate to call this kit a Caesar salad—it's more of a taco-inspired salad that we could imagine adding beans or grilled chicken to—our testers enjoyed it for what it was, making it our top choice in the category.

Nutrition info for Fresh Express Twisted Caesar Avocado Caesar Chopped Salad Kit, per 1-cup serving

130 calories, 9 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g total sugars (0 g added sugar), 2 g protein

The Bottom Line: The Best Caesar Salad Kit

If you're looking for a classic Caesar salad kit, Good & Gather's chopped and unchopped versions are both winners. Or, if you'd rather buy a salad kit with a flavor variation, Fresh Express' offering is a tasty selection.

Our Test

To narrow the field, we researched and read the labels of more than 45 products, and selected the ones that fit the following nutrition requirements: 250 calories or less and no more than 360 mg of sodium. We looked at a range of products, including light kits, classic kits and kits with flavor variations. For the taste test, an unbiased tasting was set up with five testers. Each salad kit was fully tossed with all of the included ingredients and eaten as is. Testers took notes regarding the taste, texture and appearance of each product and ranked their top choices.

Nutrition Parameters

For our nutrition parameters, we analyzed the numbers of products in the category. Each Caesar salad kit met the following criteria: ≤250 calories and ≤360 mg sodium with all of the toppings and dressings. These parameters are aligned with EatingWell's standards for a healthy side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bagged Caesar Salad Healthy?

Yes, bagged Caesar salad is healthy. Salad kits are an excellent way to add a serving of vegetables to your meal. You can also make a salad kit your main dish and add a protein like grilled chicken, beans or canned fish for staying power. Salad kits can be high in sodium, though, especially with additions like cheese, bacon and dressing, so that's something to be mindful of if you're watching your sodium intake.

What Is in a Caesar Salad Kit?

A Caesar salad kit typically contains the following ingredients: romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, croutons and Caesar dressing. Depending on the kit, some packages may include cracked black pepper, a common garnish for the salad. If a kit is drawing inspiration from a Caesar salad, but not following the flavor profile exactly, it may also include substitutions or additions like tortilla strips, feta cheese, corn, bacon and more.

Our Trusted Expertise

Alex Loh is the associate food editor at EatingWell and has over three years of experience with the brand. She has tested hundreds of products, from foods like cottage cheese and canned tuna to kitchen tools like can openers and cast-iron skillets. For this article, she consulted with a registered dietitian and nutrition editor at EatingWell, Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, for her nutrition expertise and insights. The testers included registered dietitians and food editors.

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