Salads Are Cool Again—and They’re Helping Animals!

In recent years, a subset of fast food has emerged as the new “it” choice for many discerning consumers: salad-based, quick-serve restaurants. These restaurants have all the convenience of fast food, while serving up healthier meals through plant-forward menus, fresh ingredients and custom preparation. Whether you eat it in your car, at your desk or literally on the run, you’ve almost certainly participated in the comeback of the lunch salad.

Now you’ve got another reason to feel good about your salad purchases—this sector is moving toward integrating compassion for farm animals into their business! The ASPCA is proud to have worked with several leading salad restaurants on new animal welfare policies committed to supporting more humane farming practices through a promise to buy meat, eggs and dairy from farmers using more responsible animal-rearing practices.

These leading salad restaurants have each committed to earning an independent animal welfare certification recognized by the ASPCA Shop With Your Heart program for one or more species of farm animals—ensuring that animals are never confined to small cages or crates and have at least have space to move freely, environmental enrichments to engage with and living conditions that accommodate natural behaviors (e.g., pecking objects for chickens; rooting materials for pigs)—and/or pledging to improve the lives of broiler chickens as part of the Better Chicken Commitment. Click on the company’s name to see their commitment to animal welfare:

  • Panera Bread – see locations here
  • fresh & co – see locations here
  • The Plant Café – see locations here
  • Fresh Thymes Eatery – see locations here
  • Sweetgreen – see locations here
  • Luna Grill – see locations here
  • Ladle & Leaf – see locations here
  • Farmer’s Fridge – see locations here
  • Honeygrow – see locations here
  • Just Salad – see locations here
  • CAVA/Zoës Kitchen – see locations here
  • Saladworks – see locations here

Since sourcing changes can take time to implement, policies are accompanied by a 100% phase-in date over the next one to four years. A forward-looking deadline adds public accountability and a proven way to evaluate and celebrate a company’s progress.

While these companies have committed to supporting a more humane world for animals, others are still resistant to change. Be sure to thank restaurants that have an animal welfare policy or, if your favorite salad chain does not have a meaningful animal welfare policy, contact them to request more humane sourcing! This way, individually and collectively, we can create a more humane food system.

To learn more about these leading commitments as well as other companies standing up for animals, please visit www.aspca.org/committedcompanies.

If you are unsure whether a company has an animal welfare policy or if the company’s animal welfare policy is meaningful or not, please reach out to [email protected]

You can find the Bring Your Store On Board request card, guidance on engaging companies on social media and more on our Consumer Resources page. 

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