Healthy Food at Disney World | Salads You’ll Actually Want to Eat (Updated 2026)
Why would you care about healthy food at Disney World? I get it. You’re on vacation, and no one is counting calories. But in between all the Mickey pretzels, ice cream bars, and churros, a light and refreshing salad really hits the spot, and these salads do not disappoint!
I say this all the time, but Disney World food keeps getting better. Thirty years ago, you would have never seen a spinach salad with beets and fennel. If you think salads are boring, it’s because you’re eating boring salads, and these salads are unique, flavorful, and delicious!
If you’re planning a Disney trip, I recently shared some of my favorite sandwiches and the best quick-service options at Disney if you’re on a budget.
We’re back with another round of our favorite Disney World salads! If you missed our last post, we shared our top picks from 2024, including an excellent shrimp and cabbage salad at the Polynesian Resort. One thing I heard a lot from you after that post was that you wanted more tips for making healthy choices at Disney, so be sure to go to the end of this post where I’m sharing some of the things we do to eat a little healthier while saving money.
Finding healthy food at Disney World is surprisingly easy. Most menus clearly list options for common allergens, such as eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat, as well as gluten-free choices.
Healthy Food At Disney World
The first and most obvious question is: why bother eating healthy at Disney World? For some people, it’s a necessity due to dietary restrictions. For others, like us, it’s all about balance. Eating well simply helps us feel our best. If I splurge all day, every day, I end up feeling pretty awful, and that’s not how I want to feel on vacation. I genuinely crave fresh, nourishing food, and with salads like these, I never feel like I’m missing out!
Spinach with Beets @ Terralina Crafted $18.00
I’m starting with our favorite salad of the trip. We loved it so much that we went back for it twice. Terralina Crafted is located in The Landing at Disney Springs. It’s often overlooked and highly underrated. People walk right past this outdoor bar without noticing it, but it’s one of our favorite spots to grab a drink and a bite to eat. They have a fantastic happy hour at both the indoor and outdoor bars. You can read more about Disney Springs’ happy hours here.
The base of the salad is fresh spinach, and a generous amount of it. It’s tossed in a honey balsamic vinaigrette that is perfectly balanced and not too sweet. The shaved fennel is crunchy and fresh, and adds amazing texture. If you’ve never had fennel before, it has a subtle licorice flavor. The Gorgonzola adds an earthy creaminess that is the perfect finishing touch. This salad is truly SO delicious and a fantastic combination of flavors. It was an 11 out of 10 for us, and I’m already excited about having it again on our next trip.
Caesar Salad With Chicken @ The Artist’s Palette $11.99
On our most recent trip, we did a split stay, spending one week at Saratoga Springs. We absolutely loved the resort, but it is a little light on dining options, which makes sense given that Disney Vacation Club properties come with full-size kitchens. The idea is that they’re a home away from home, so most guests cook for themselves.
We did find a few gems, including the Caesar salad at The Artist’s Palette. It’s simple, with just romaine, chicken, Parmesan cheese, croutons, and packaged dressing. Caesar salads are supposed to be simple. In fact, if you add other ingredients, it’s no longer a Caesar salad. I loved this and appreciated the simplicity. If you prioritize protein, this is LOADED with chicken and easily enough for two people.
Chicken Arugula-Farro Salad @ ABC Commissary $8.29
Of all the salads on this list, this one surprised us the most. It’s a kids’ meal, and you can find this at the ABC Commissary located on Commissary Lane at Disney Hollywood Studios. For just $8.29, you get this hearty salad plus two sides and a drink.
The salad itself is marinated chicken over a bed of arugula and farro, topped with Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, plant-based parmesan, and pecans, all tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette. It is so good. If you’ve never had farro before, think nutty and chewy in the best possible way. And as you can see from the photos, the amount of chicken is generous, making this salad very filling.
As I mentioned above, you get two sides, and there are many to choose from at ABC commissary. My husband wanted the steak fries, and I always grab a cutie orange for a snack later. Highly recommend this one!
Chopped Salad @ The Boathouse (Dockside Bar) $17.50
On the first day of our trip, you can typically find us at the Dockside Bar, behind the Boathouse Restaurant at Disney Springs. It’s first come, first served, so if you can’t get a reservation at the Boathouse, it’s worth walking out to the bar. They share the same menu, so you can find all your favorites outside at the bar as well as inside the restaurant.
This chopped salad is delicious, full of fresh, bold flavors. What I always notice about the salads here is how fresh and generous the ingredients are, and this one is no exception. It’s hearty and flavorful, packed with a romaine blend, grilled chicken, chopped bacon, salami, tomatoes, olives, red onions, white cheddar, artichokes, and pepperoncini, all tossed in their herb vinaigrette, which is really, really good.
However. This is not a chopped salad. I am a chopped salad snob, and you should be able to eat a true chopped salad with a spoon. I’ll forgive The Boathouse since this was so delicious, but just know you’re not getting a chopped salad. It’s loaded with protein from the chicken, bacon, salami, and it eats like a full meal.
Garden Salad @ The Boathouse (Dockside Bar) $9.00
Also at The Boathouse, you can’t beat a good garden salad. When you’re craving something light and refreshing,a simple salad hits the spot. The base is iceberg lettuce, and it’s topped with carrots, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers. It’s usually served with an herb vinaigrette, but we asked for blue cheese dressing and added blue cheese crumbles.
Pro tip. When it comes to finding healthy food at Disney World, don’t be afraid to make a request. You’ll notice I made changes to most of these salads. Disney is great about accommodating you, so don’t hesitate to ask if you see something you want to omit or add.
Combination Bowl @ The Mara $15.79
Lastly, the Combination Bowl at The Mara inside Animal Kingdom Lodge was a total flavor bomb! Chermoula-spiced shrimp and oak-grilled chicken with pilau rice, kale slaw, cucumber-tomato salad, and chermoula sour cream. We requested more kale slaw than rice, and they were happy to accommodate. They make this right in front of you, so don’t hesitate to ask. The line moves quickly, so I suggest asking politely and quickly.
Pilau rice is a fragrant and flavorful rice dish typically cooked with a blend of Indian and African spices. One thing to note about the food at Animal Kingdom Lodge is that it is not lacking in flavor. The Chermoula-spiced shrimp and chicken are cooked perfectly with warm, earthy spices. The kale salad and cucumber salad are bright and zippy, and the chermoula sour cream was cool and creamy. This was hearty, flavorful, filling, and so delicious! For $15.99, this is an excellent value and easily shareable between two people.
10 Tips for Making Healthy Choices at Disney World
- Eat a solid breakfast before you head into the park. It’s so much easier to make good choices the rest of the day when you’re not starving by 10 am.
- Peek at the menus before you go. Pick out one healthy option at each park ahead of time so you’re not standing in line hungry, staring at the menu in a panic.
- Don’t sleep on food court-style eateries. Places like Sunshine Seasons at Epcot have TONS of great options, especially protein (hello, half chicken for $12.99)
- Get groceries delivered to your resort. Instacart and Amazon Fresh both deliver to Disney hotels. Stock your room with snacks you feel good about, and you won’t be raiding a vending machine at 9 pm.
- Check out the kids’ menu. Smaller portions, usually come with fruit, and honestly? Sometimes that’s exactly the right amount of food, especially on a hot Florida day when you don’t want to walk around feeling full and uncomfortable.
- Drink water constantly. The Florida heat makes you feel hungrier than you actually are. Disney will give you free cups of ice water at any quick-service spot, so there’s no excuse not to stay hydrated.
- Book a table at a table-service restaurant for at least one meal. Sit-down spots almost always have better options, and eating slowly actually gives your body a chance to register that it’s full.
- Walk when you can. You’re already doing plenty of that at Disney World, but being intentional about walking after meals will curb blood sugar spikes.
- Split the treat, not skip it. Share the Mickey pretzel or churros. You don’t have to miss out. Plus, if you share, you get to try more treats.
- Decide on your splurge the night before. Pick the one thing you’re really excited about and enjoy every bite. I love the Mickey affogato at Epcot, and I look forward to it on every trip, which really does help me avoid temptation beforehand.
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of healthy food at Disney World – 2025 salad edition. If you missed our 2024 edition, you can find it here. If you have any favorites you’d like to share, please comment below, and we will add them to our list to try on our next trip!
