Cava Just Released Their Fall Menu Items—Here's What's Recommended By Dietitians

Cava, a Mediterranean-inspired fast-food restaurant, is growing in popularity across the U.S. Their grain bowls, salads and pitas combine fresh and comforting ingredients to create a delicious grab-and-go dish.

If you're a fan, this news will make you want to pick up your fork. The chain just launched limited-time menu options featuring three seasonal items: Sweet and Spicy Chicken Pita, Balsamic Date Chicken Bowl and Balsamic Date Vinaigrette. The fall and winter additions are available now through the upcoming holiday season.

Before you drive over to Cava to snag one of these offerings, there's some things you need to know about their nutritional content. Read on to find out what our dietitians think—plus what they recommend trying out.

First, here's the nutrition information for the Sweet + Spicy Chicken Pita:

• 740 calories
• 30 grams total fat
• 8 grams saturated fat
• 2,140 milligrams sodium
• 72 grams carbohydrates
• 14 grams sugar
• 9 grams fiber
• 43 grams protein

Here's the breakdown for the Balsamic Date Chicken Bowl:

• 645 calories
• 34 grams total fat
• 6 grams saturated fat
• 1,880 milligrams sodium
• 49 grams carbohydrates
• 11 grams sugar
• 8 grams fiber
• 36 grams protein

And this is what the Balsamic Date Vinaigrette (included in the Balsamic Date Chicken Bowl) has per serving:

• 60 calories
• 4 grams total fat
• 0.5 grams saturated fat
• 250 milligrams sodium
• 7 grams carbohydrates
• 5 grams sugar
• 1 gram fiber
• 0 grams protein

Our nutrition editor Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, provided some insights regarding these menu items.

"Each of these new menu items is packed with protein and fiber, which can help them feel really satisfying," she explained. "That said, each entree is really high in sodium, close to or over 2,000 milligrams per serving. The Sweet and Spicy Chicken Pita is close to the recommended max intake of 2,300 milligrams per day."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting your sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams per day. Eating too much sodium in your diet can cause problems like headaches, bloating and, in more severe cases, can increase your risk of certain cancers and other diseases.

EatingWell's senior nutrition & news editor Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia shared some tips to decrease the sodium content in each of these dishes.

"For the Sweet and Spicy Chicken Pita, there are different ways to reduce the amount of sodium in this dish: you can skip the salt-brined pickles—which have 280 milligrams of sodium per serving—or ask that they put them on the side so that you can add some but not the whole serving," Haddad-Garcia suggested. "And for the Balsamic Date Chicken Bowl, you can ask for light dressing, ask for it on the side and just use some, or skip it all together."

By taking Haddad-Garcia's advice, you can remove some of the sodium and sugar from the chicken bowl by ordering it with less dressing.

The Bottom Line

These seasonal options sound tasty and filling, but adding them to your lunch or dinner routine as-is may not be the healthiest option due to the high sodium content of each meal.

"Cava can be a filling and flavorful option for lunch in a pinch, but it may not be the best fit for an everyday meal," Ball said. "If you really love Cava, there's nothing wrong with enjoying it as a special-occasion lunch every now and again. But remember to consider how it factors into your day and aim to drink plenty of water and eat high-potassium foods to help balance the sodium out."

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