Taste test reveals brutally honesty verdict of new doctor-designed salad intended to boost longevity

It’s age-old advice: food is medicine. 

Nutrients in food like omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber have consistently been linked to lower rates of chronic diseases, reduced obesity and longer lives.

But as over 70 percent of the US food supply is ultra-processed, most Americans are loading up on artificial additives rather than scientifically proven, whole foods. 

With this in mind, salad chain Sweetgreen has launched a new menu designed around longevity. 

In collaboration with Dr Mark Hyman, a longevity expert and founder of Function Health and the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, Sweetgreen has introduced five new bowls emphasizing the role of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, energy and protein.

Hyman, who designed the menu alongside Sweetgreen, told the Daily Mail the collaboration is based on ‘foundational biological principles: supporting steady energy, metabolic balance, and overall health through thoughtfully chosen ingredients people recognize and genuinely crave.’

He continued: ‘It challenges the idea that eating well requires sacrifice, showing instead that food can be both nourishing and deeply satisfying.’

Staple ingredients include antibiotic-free salmon and grass-fed chicken and steak, along with an array of colorful vegetables, such as broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and pickled onions. 

The bowls range from 590 to 810 calories each and boast up to 34 grams of protein and 80 grams of carbohydrates. At our local Sweetgreen in downtown Manhattan, they cost between $14 and $17. 

Daily Mail’s health team put the bowls to the test to see if they lived up their names: Spicy Reset Bowl; Nutrient Power Plate; Iron Boost Bowl; Steady Energy Bowl; and The Omega Salad.

Hyman said during the collaboration announcement: ‘Food is a powerful signal we send to our bodies. It’s information. 

‘Every ingredient on this menu was thoughtfully selected based on nutrient principles, and decades of medical insight, with a deep respect for real ingredients. The result is food people genuinely crave that also supports how the body functions.’

The first bowl we tried was the Omega Salad, which includes antibiotic-free miso glazed salmon, avocado, shredded carrots, chickpeas, cucumbers, cilantro, baby spinach, chopped romaine and lime cilantro jalapeno sauce.  

It comes in at 640 calories, 30 grams of protein, 27 grams of carbs and 44 grams of fat.  

Health authorities recommend that average, relatively sedentary adults get 0.36g of protein per 1lbs of body weight, but this varies based on activity level. 

For a sedentary person weighing 150lbs, they should consume about 55g of protein in a day, so the Omega Salad achieves over half of that.

According to the Mayo Clinic, carbs should represent about 25 percent of calories in a standard 2,000 calorie diet, though the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest 45 to 65 percent. 

This adds up to between 130 and 325 grams per day. The Omega Salad makes up a small portion of that threshold and could fit into a low-carb diet, which some doctors recommend for weight loss, improving blood sugar and managing seizure disorders. 

As for fat, experts recommend between 44 and 78 grams per day.

The Omega Bowl gets its name from the salmon and avocado, which are high in healthy fats called omega-3 fatty acids. These have been shown to lower blood pressure and triglycerides, fats in the blood that can harden and narrow arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

They have also been shown to lower inflammation in the brain and joints, reducing the risk of dementia and arthritis. 

Daily Mail’s health editor had the Nutrient Power Plate, another offering, but swapped the chicken for the miso-glazed salmon in the Omega Bowl. 

‘It was delicious,’ she said. ‘I was fuller for longer and cut calories from snacking in the afternoon and indulging in a big dinner.’

She added: ‘I didn’t get the post-lunch crash and had steady energy for the rest of the afternoon. I also didn’t get the post-meal bloat and felt good about my eating decision for the rest of the day knowing the salad was full of healthy fats, key minerals and high-quality protein.’ 

The next meal, an online exclusive, was the Iron Boost Bowl, which has antibiotic-free, grass-fed caramelized garlic steak, spicy broccoli, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, almonds, golden quinoa, organic arugula and lime cilantro jalapeno sauce. 

It has 615 calories, 36 grams of protein, 31 grams of carbs and 40 grams of fat. 

The steak is a rich source of iron, hence the name. Iron is a vital mineral that makes hemoglobin in red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. 

Adult men and postmenopausal women need about 8 mg per day, while women who have not been through menopause need 18 mg as they lose blood and hemoglobin during menstruation. Health authorities recommend pregnant women get 27 milligrams for fetal development.

One three-ounce steak, for reference, contains about two to three milligrams of iron.

One editor who tried the Iron Boost Bowl only ate half but ‘still felt extremely full,’ she said. 

She added: ‘The salad was fresh and had a nice spicy kick to it. The label said it had almonds, but it seemed like they crushed up just three and spread them in the salad. The steak was a little dry, but that is expected from a salad place.’

Another health reporter said: ‘While eating the meal, I was impressed at points with the sudden bursts of flavor that occurred. With the dressing, the moisture levels were just right too.

‘The steak was good, I felt happy to have spared a chicken, and I clocked the broccoli had an interesting flavor, although I would not have said spicy. The almonds were a nice touch too and unoffensive, as many portions of nuts tend to be.

‘At about $16.35 a helping, while the price sounds horrifying to most, it is in line with what a standard office lunch in Manhattan normally costs. I felt full for quite a while too, but toward 5pm the hunger pangs started to come back.’

The Steady Energy Bowl is another of the Function menu’s online exclusives, containing antibiotic-free roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy broccoli, cilantro, pickled onions, while rice, shredded kale and Green Goddess ranch.  

It has 590 calories, 32 grams of protein, 56 grams of carbs and 29 grams of fat.

Sweetgreen says the bowl promotes energy through its sweet potatoes, which are high in potassium, B vitamins and fiber, all of which prevent blood sugar spikes that would cause crashes and sluggishness. 

One health reporter who tried the bowl said it was ‘a combination of food and flavors that I would never think to combine,’ but she enjoyed the fish. 

‘The portion was really generous. I realistically could have stopped at like, halfway in but I kept munching while I worked,’ she added. ‘Overall, I feel very full now, though not in an uncomfortable way. 

‘It’s not like I can feel the nutrients, antioxidants, etc. being metabolized in my body, but I feel genuinely good about what I ate. The bowl seems to have a really good nutrient profile where a lot of fast casual places are lacking.’

Another editor tested the Spicy Reset Bowl, which has antibiotic-free blackened chicken, avocado, shredded cabbage, apples, chickpeas, cilantro, nori sesame seasoning, wild rice, shredded kale, olive oil, hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon. 

This bowl contains 720 calories, 33 grams of protein, 62 grams of carbs and 37 grams of fat.  

The standout in this bowl is apples, which are rich in antioxidants, compounds that protect the body’s cells from damage from unstable molecules called free radicals. These have been shown to reduce inflammation and boost immune health.

The editor who tried it, however, thought the apples ‘were a bit of a strange addition.’

He added: ‘[It was] filling though with a decent amount of chicken and tons of kale.’ 

I opted for the Nutrient Power Plate, which contains antibiotic-free blackened chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy broccoli, chickpeas, pickled onions, almonds, wild rice, golden quinoa, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. 

This one was the most calorie and carb heavy, with 810 calories and 80 grams of carbs. It also had 34 grams of protein and 38 grams of fat. 

The carbs, Sweetgreen says, are built ‘to support energy and focus.’ Wild rice and quinoa are complex carbs, which digest slowly and release glucose gradually, providing long-lasting energy without blood sugar spikes. 

It only took a few bites for me to realize I would be full after this meal, but I wasn’t bloated or sluggish. The food tasted fresh and minimally processed, and it felt like I was getting a better value than at other fast casual restaurants. I’ll especially be thinking about the kick of that spicy broccoli for a while. 

The Omega Salad, Nutrient Power Plate and Spicy Reset Bowl, are available through in-store, pickup and delivery, while the Iron Boost Bowl and Steady Energy Bowl are online exclusives.