What oil does Tender Greens fry in?
Tender Greens cooks with Undisclosed: the chain publishes no ingredient statements and no fry-oil note (Aug 2026 Nutrition & Allergen PDF). Its own standalone dressing panels run 6-9% saturated (sherry vinaigrette 48 g fat / 3 g sat, garlic aioli 34/3, miso mayo 40/3, spicy mayo 36/3), which fits canola rather than soybean (about 15%), so the added-oil pool is canola. Pestos are sunflower-seed based per the chain's menu descriptions. The earlier 'soybean-based mayo' note had no chain source..
The 5 cleanest things to order at Tender Greens
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.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Sushi Rice | 0.6g |
| Rustic Chicken Soup (Cup) | 0.6g |
| Rustic Chicken Soup (Bowl) | 0.8g |
| Roasted Potatoes | 1.9g |
| Green Pozole Soup (Cup) | 2.1g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Tender Greens report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does Tender Greens use beef tallow?
No. Tender Greens cooks with Undisclosed: the chain publishes no ingredient statements and no fry-oil note (Aug 2026 Nutrition & Allergen PDF). Its own standalone dressing panels run 6-9% saturated (sherry vinaigrette 48 g fat / 3 g sat, garlic aioli 34/3, miso mayo 40/3, spicy mayo 36/3), which fits canola rather than soybean (about 15%), so the added-oil pool is canola. Pestos are sunflower-seed based per the chain's menu descriptions. The earlier 'soybean-based mayo' note had no chain source., not beef tallow. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.