Maccas | Gourmet Grilled Chicken Salad

01.10.2017 – McDonald’s is widely known for its Burgers, Fries, and Happy Meals, but not about Salads and Wraps. In Australia that’s entirely a different perspective when you talk about trying to eat healthy in a fast food restaurant. But lately McDonald’s is Australia had kept their menu above that kind of food quality. When you think of salads the first thought in mind was Wendy’s and when it was about wraps you got KFC. But here in Australia McDonald’s or rather known as “Maccas” is thriving for you to take on their Gourmet Grilled Chicken Salad.

Australia has the highest rate of obesity in the world and fast food restaurants is one of the reasons why people in Down Under is twice or even three times bigger than their actual body mass and weight. But there is reason why food quality here is high and Jollibee has been trying to enter the Australian market, but failed several times to no avail. This is because of the standard quality aside from the food they serve is how they maintain their business.

For now McDonald’s is Australia has no equal save that they don’t really compete Hungry Jacks (Burger King in Australia) directly when it comes to the menu. So Maccas expands their menu with healthier food, since the Wendy’s here is not the American version and this is why they have salads and wraps.



Enter the Gourmet Grilled Chicken Salad, this is compose of Grilled chicken, spinach, lettuce, grape tomatoes, shaved parmesan and your choice of creamy Caesar or balsamic dressing. Nutrition information does not include dressing. Its in a bigger serving they don’t have a regular or ‘small’ version and what you see in their product photo is what you actually get.

Driving all the way to Noarlungga is like going from Makati to Alabang and having lunch at a nearby Maccas gives you little choice aside from KFC and a struggling Pizza Hut restaurant (long story). Whenever dining at Maccas I’d like to try the ones that they have where the Philippines’ McDonald’s doesn’t have which is their salads and wraps. I’ve tried and tasted almost all of the wraps but have not tried their salad which consists of only two choices.

The other is the Gourmet Crispy Chicken Salad, which I have to try to get next time. For now the Gourmet Grilled Chicken Salad is something like taming a beast while trying to taste every flavour that this has to offer.

You’ll probably be bit curious now about the salad Maccas have that hoping that McDo would try to offer in the Philippine market. This would be a disappointment if the franchise owners in the Philippines would rather dictate what the Filipinos want instead of venturing and going to a healthy route.



The verdict for the Gourmet Grilled Chicken Salad is something worth coming back for if you want to eat healthy something to also have a heavy meal. Chugging down with a country style orange juice seems appropriate than drinking Eight O’clock that tasted too artificial and downright unhealthy.

But that would be impossible for McDo to replace in the Philippines, but here in Adelaide I’d take advantage of that benefit anytime.