Do the Crazy Ivan at Mad Greens

Southeast Fort Collins hit the healthy fast-food jackpot earlier this winter when Mad Greens opened a franchise in a strip mall at Timberline and Harmony (it's nestled between a Chipotle and a Floyd's Barber Shop).

It's a perfect location for the suburban set who still equates healthy eating with salads (God forbid anyone really learn to eat or cook with tofu, Brussels sprouts or parsnips -- OK, I'll do that next week) and salads only.

You've seen the bumper sticker: "Eat Beef: The West wasn't won on a salad." Thank you, North Dakota Beef Commission. There's more to vegetarian eating than leaves.

That written, Mad Greens does leaves right. And, in general, you're probably going to leave the store with a better and happier stomach than if you'd ordered to triple greasy gut-bomb from Burger Nova.

A thorough perusal of the Mad Greens nutrition charts for salads and dressings reveals some interesting information, and it underscores that any consumer needs to be aware of the combinations s/he orders.

As with any salad, health-conscious diners need to be careful the dressing isn't adding most of the calories. And even though a salad may look heavy, combined with a lighter dressing, the heaviest salad might actually be the most healthy.

For example, the Crazy Ivan carries the most calories (572) on the menu, as well as 34 fat grams and nearly 43 grams of carbs. But a quick look at Ivan's ingredients reveals a cornucopia of healthy fats, fibrous veggies and good protein. In fact, adding chicken to another salad still won't get you to the same level as Ivan's protein mark, and you'd have to pay more. Eliminate the croutons, and you get rid of a bunch of the carbs and calories without losing protein or fiber.

The Crazy Ivan (sans the croutons):

• Salad Greens
• Beets
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Goat Cheese

Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and by removing the croutons, you can add back in some of the calories by ordering it with one of the olive or canola oil vinaigrettes. I'd recommend Port wine, lemon curry or balsamic.

On the flip side, if you're ordering one of the low-calorie salads (fewer than 200 calories) you might risk not getting enough calories to fuel your afternoon. Adding chicken to the Custer, the Van Gogh, the Nobo Seagaru, the Da Vinci or the MAD Molly Brown seems almost essential for a normal-sized adult.

Among the dressings, the ginger soy has the healthiest nutritional profile, but its pungent flavors might not work with certain dressing ingredients.