Some restaurants still make up their salads fresh for you. If you're lucky they bring the salad to your table and they mix it for you. You may also find ingredients for a fresh salad at a restaurant with a buffet. But many restaurants now buy pre-packaged salad mixes in plastic, refrigerated bags. These pre-made mixes save money and most people won't know they are eating old salad ingredients.
However the chances are pretty good that you can order a "protein-style" hamburger or chicken sandwich. Instead of serving the sandwich on a bun the restaurant brings it to you wrapped in lettuce. Using these basic ingredients you can ask for fresh onions, tomatoes, croutons, and salad dressing.
Asking for a burger or chicken sandwich "protein-style" is a healthy alternative to the high carbohydrate form using standard buns. Many restaurants now honor these requests routinely. So you can still mix a simple "house salad" and enjoy it with your favorite meat.
I don't enjoy eating the refrigerated salad mixes. The food services industry is cutting so many corners to reduce costs and increase profits that we sometimes forget that people are not just dining out to get away from the kitchen. They also want to enjoy good food they cannot make at home.
The restaurant industry has its share of troubles. There are always restaurants that fail and their food is great. People cannot always afford to eat out. But if we sacrifice the experience of having someone else make our food from scratch just for the sake of eating out we might as well go to a fast food chain.
So the next time you want a fresh salad, ask the server if they make it fresh or use a mix. Be polite. Tell the server you'll think about your order so you don't immediately segue into asking for a protein-style burger.
And always remember to tip your server. These people work hard, especially when restaurants are very crowded.
