Sweetgreen Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Sweetgreen cooks with: No deep fryer; proteins and vegetables are roasted in extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil after the company-wide switch off soybean/canola oil in 2023, and the Ripple Fries are air-fried in avocado oil. The dressings did NOT all follow: the chain's own ingredient statements on sweetgreen.com/nutrition (Sept 2026) list SUNFLOWER OIL first in six of fifteen dressings (Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pesto Vinaigrette, Miso Sesame Ginger, Spicy Cashew, Hot Honey Mustard), canola oil in the hummus and crispy rice, palm oil in the crispy onions, and soybean plus hydrogenated soybean oil in the crispy noodles. EVOO in the tortilla and focaccia.. Across the 33 menu items we analyzed, it averages 10.3g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
Sweetgreen already cooks in real fats
No ask needed here. Reward them with your business, and see who else made the switch on Tallow Watch.
Safest Orders at Sweetgreen
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: BBQ Chicken Salad + Open Water Sparkling Water, 4.0g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Hu Salty Dark Chocolate Bar | 0.8g |
| Rosemary Focaccia | 0.8g |
| Hu Cashews + Vanilla Bean Hunks | 1.1g |
| Hummus + Focaccia | 2.9g |
| BBQ Chicken Salad | 4.0g |
What to Avoid at Sweetgreen
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Classic Chicken Caesar Wrap | 29.8g |
| Shroomami Bowl | 28.2g |
| Hot Honey Chicken Plate | 21.2g |
| Steak Honey Crunch Bowl | 19.8g |
| Crispy Rice Bowl | 19.2g |
Every Sweetgreen item, ranked
All 33 items we have for Sweetgreen, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Open Water Sparkling Water | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Hu Salty Dark Chocolate Bar | 0.8g |
| Rosemary Focaccia | 0.8g |
| Crispy Rice Treat | 0.9g |
| Hu Cashews + Vanilla Bean Hunks | 1.1g |
| Siete Sea Salt Potato Chips | 1.6g |
| SG x Siete Green Goddess Ranch Potato Chips | 2.1g |
| Mini Mezze (Kids) | 2.4g |
| Hummus + Focaccia | 2.9g |
| BBQ Chicken Salad | 4.0g |
| Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Green Goddess Ranch | 4.0g |
| Ranchy Chicken + Rice (Kids) | 4.5g |
| Steak Mezze Plate | 5.2g |
| Guacamole Greens | 5.8g |
| Super Green Goddess | 6.2g |
| Chicken Avocado Ranch Bowl | 7.3g |
| Fish Taco Bowl | 9.0g |
| Chicken Pesto Parm Bowl | 13.0g |
| Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Hot Honey Mustard | 13.6g |
| Cali Chicken Club Wrap | 14.8g |
| Kale Caesar | 14.9g |
| Buffalo Chicken Salad | 16.5g |
| Miso Glazed Salmon Plate | 16.7g |
| Hummus Crunch Salad | 16.8g |
| Harvest Bowl | 18.5g |
| Little Harvest (Kids) | 18.6g |
| Caramelized Garlic Steak Plate | 19.0g |
| Crispy Rice Bowl | 19.2g |
| Steak Honey Crunch Bowl | 19.8g |
| Hot Honey Chicken Plate | 21.2g |
| Shroomami Bowl | 28.2g |
| Classic Chicken Caesar Wrap | 29.8g |
Fry Oil History at Sweetgreen
Cooking in avocado oil since January 2025.
Sweetgreen brought Ripple Fries to all its stores on March 4, 2025 after the Los Angeles test. They are russet potatoes tossed in avocado oil and air fried, with no seed oil and no deep fryer. Source
On January 7, 2025 Sweetgreen rolled out a lineup of menu items made without seed oils, built around a Green Goddess Ranch made in house daily with avocado oil. Sweetgreen called it its first seed oil free menu, though not every dressing on the wider menu changed. Source
Sweetgreen started testing Ripple Fries at some Los Angeles stores in November 2024. They are air fried with avocado oil instead of being deep fried in seed oil, and the test went viral fast. Source
Sweetgreen said on October 18, 2023 that starting October 24 it would cook all its proteins, veggies and grains in extra virgin olive oil instead of seed oils. The olive oil comes from Bari Olive Oil Company in California, with Texas Olive Ranch supplying Texas stores. Source
Every documented oil switch across the industry lives on the Oil History timeline.
Frequently asked
Does Sweetgreen use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Sweetgreen cooks with: No deep fryer; proteins and vegetables are roasted in extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil after the company-wide switch off soybean/canola oil in 2023, and the Ripple Fries are air-fried in avocado oil. The dressings did NOT all follow: the chain's own ingredient statements on sweetgreen.com/nutrition (Sept 2026) list SUNFLOWER OIL first in six of fifteen dressings (Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pesto Vinaigrette, Miso Sesame Ginger, Spicy Cashew, Hot Honey Mustard), canola oil in the hummus and crispy rice, palm oil in the crispy onions, and soybean plus hydrogenated soybean oil in the crispy noodles. EVOO in the tortilla and focaccia.. Across the 33 menu items we analyzed, it averages 10.3g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of D (Very High Risk).
What oil does Sweetgreen cook with?
Our research indicates: No deep fryer; proteins and vegetables are roasted in extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil after the company-wide switch off soybean/canola oil in 2023, and the Ripple Fries are air-fried in avocado oil. The dressings did NOT all follow: the chain's own ingredient statements on sweetgreen.com/nutrition (Sept 2026) list SUNFLOWER OIL first in six of fifteen dressings (Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pesto Vinaigrette, Miso Sesame Ginger, Spicy Cashew, Hot Honey Mustard), canola oil in the hummus and crispy rice, palm oil in the crispy onions, and soybean plus hydrogenated soybean oil in the crispy noodles. EVOO in the tortilla and focaccia.. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Sweetgreen use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Sweetgreen cooks with No deep fryer; proteins and vegetables are roasted in extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil after the company-wide switch off soybean/canola oil in 2023, and the Ripple Fries are air-fried in avocado oil. The dressings did NOT all follow: the chain's own ingredient statements on sweetgreen.com/nutrition (Sept 2026) list SUNFLOWER OIL first in six of fifteen dressings (Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pesto Vinaigrette, Miso Sesame Ginger, Spicy Cashew, Hot Honey Mustard), canola oil in the hummus and crispy rice, palm oil in the crispy onions, and soybean plus hydrogenated soybean oil in the crispy noodles. EVOO in the tortilla and focaccia., not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Sweetgreen seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Sweetgreen cooks with No deep fryer; proteins and vegetables are roasted in extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil after the company-wide switch off soybean/canola oil in 2023, and the Ripple Fries are air-fried in avocado oil. The dressings did NOT all follow: the chain's own ingredient statements on sweetgreen.com/nutrition (Sept 2026) list SUNFLOWER OIL first in six of fifteen dressings (Caesar, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pesto Vinaigrette, Miso Sesame Ginger, Spicy Cashew, Hot Honey Mustard), canola oil in the hummus and crispy rice, palm oil in the crispy onions, and soybean plus hydrogenated soybean oil in the crispy noodles. EVOO in the tortilla and focaccia., which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Sweetgreen?
Hu Salty Dark Chocolate Bar is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Sweetgreen, at an estimated 0.8g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Sweetgreen?
Classic Chicken Caesar Wrap is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Sweetgreen, at an estimated 29.8g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
Compare other chains
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See where Sweetgreen lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.