'It's At The Bottom Of The Salad Food Chain' — Why Chick-Fil-A Avoids Using This Classic Green

Chick-fil-A is known for doing things differently from other fast food chains: It has incredibly friendly staff, high-quality food, and it's always closed on Sundays. But there's one other detail you might have missed that makes Chick-fil-A stand out from the rest, and it's in the leafy greens department.

In an interview with Business Insider, Chick-fil-A's Senior Vice President of Restaurant Experience, David Farmer, shared that when its test kitchen develops recipes, it completely avoids using iceberg lettuce. The company's total omission of the popular lettuce is somewhat surprising, but it's for a good reason. "It's at the bottom of the salad food chain," Farmer said, due to its lack of nutritional value and taste. Instead, Chick-fil-A opts for romaine and kale when developing its salad recipes.

"We're seeing purchase behavior shift toward healthier items, so we're fully committed to providing more nutritional options for customers," Farmer said. And he's right that iceberg is less nutritious: Compared to romaine, iceberg has fewer calories, but also fewer vitamins. And considering it doesn't have much flavor, iceberg doesn't bring enough to the plate for Chick-fil-A to justify its use. 

Iceberg lettuce didn't always have a bad rap. After all, it was undoubtedly the most popular lettuce in the U.S. for the majority of the 20th century, and is still the go-to choice for many Americans. Think of the wedge salad, a simple but sophisticated mid-century classic: The reason it "works" so well is the contrast between super-crispy layers of iceberg and the creamy blue cheese dressing.

But everyone's probably had a bad experience with iceberg lettuce, especially when it's wilted or turns that weird red color. At best, it's neutral and light. At worst, it's watery and limp — something you'd pick out of a sandwich or salad rather than add to it.

Although the wedge salad might be due for a comeback, other choices are arguably superior. Generally speaking, the people who order salads at fast food joints tend to be the same people who care about what's good for them, so it makes sense that customers want something more substantial and nutritious. Even back when McDonald's offered salads, they too kept iceberg out of the lineup (McDonald's salads were discontinued in 2020). Instead, superfoods like kale and spinach have taken their place in the salad scene.