Picnic lunch

Mayo and I have now made friends.

Subway Orchard Chicken Salad Sub

Where purchased: University Drive, Urbana Subway

Price: $5 for 12" sub

Overall rating: 4/5

In general, I am not a fan of deli chicken salad. There is something about a huge unhealthy glob of mayo-covered chicken that I have never found appealing. Subway's new orchard chicken salad sub caught my attention, however, because they put it on their fresh fit menu - which I knew meant it had to be 8 grams of fat or less. And really, how nasty and mayonnaisey can you make a chicken salad for 8 grams of fat or less?

So I picked up a $5 foot-long for my friend Katie and I to try for lunch, and I was very impressed. It had great flavor, and I loved the chunks of apple in it. There are also some golden raisins, cranberries, and celery  bits thrown in there, mixed together in a light mayo. I was actually surprised at how moist it was - I thought it might be a little dry, but there was no need to add extra mayo or sauce at all.

So, in case those commercials grab you like they do me... go ahead and try it! It's delicious. And really, you can't beat those $5 foot-longs. So plan a little picnic, grab a friend or spouse, some veggies and sun chips, and bust out of the turkey and ham rut!

Going back to my Panera roots

Oh yes, ladies and gentlemen. It is summer salad time. So head to Panera and pay $8.00 or some ridiculous amount of money for their delicious Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad. Or... just go ahead and make your own at home.

Panera Bread Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

Price: $4.49 for 12 oz bottle
Where purchased: Schnucks
Overall rating: 4/5

On a recent trip to Schnucks, I discovered that they actually carry the entire line of Panera Bread salad dressings. I had tried a poppy seed dressing from Kraft a while ago that I really did not care for, so I was pretty excited to find this dressing that would sweeten up my summer salad experience. I was also excited to see how healthy the dressing is - 15 calories per serving, 0 grams of fat, and very little sugar or "junk" in the ingredients. I did spot some sucrulose at the very end of the ingredients, but I'm thinking it must be a pretty tiny amount.

On the bottle itself, Panera gives you the "recipe" to duplicate their Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad: Romaine lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple tidbits, mandarin oranges, and toasted pecans. I didn't have all of those things, so instead I first tried it with red romaine, strawberries, cucumbers, and 2 of my latest salad obsessions: Athenos Basil and Tomato Feta Cheese and Almond Accents - Honey Roasted flavor. Deeee-licious. The next time I tried it with some walnuts and craisins thrown in there. Also delicious. I have also seen recipes that suggest using the poppy seed dressing for fruit salads, spinach salads, and even chicken salads and wraps.

At $4.50 a bottle, this dressing is fairly pricey, but I think it is worth it to find a healthy, tasty, and versatile dressing that will keep me from getting tired of my daily salad. And with its healthy nutrition label and pleasantly sweet and not-too-tangy flavor, I'm giving this product a 4 out of 5 rating. Schnucks is the only grocery store where I have seen it sold, but I'm pretty sure you can purchase it at any Panera Bread bakery location as well.

Happy summer salad eating!