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CAVA vs Sweetgreen: which is better for your macros?
The top protein play at CAVA is the Spicy Chicken + Avocado Pita (51g protein, 970 cal); Sweetgreen answers with the Hot Honey Chicken Plate (52g, 920 cal). Below, all 32 meals we track at both chains go head-to-head on protein, calories, low-carb and vegetarian options — from each brand's official nutrition data, not AI guesses — with a verdict for cutting, bulking and keto.
The tale of the tape
CAVA vs Sweetgreen, by the numbers
| Head-to-head | CAVA | Sweetgreen |
|---|---|---|
| Highest-protein meal | 51g Spicy Chicken + Avocado Pita | 52g Hot Honey Chicken Plate |
| Leanest meal | 345 cal Steak + Greens Bowl & Unsweetened Tea | 300 cal Roasted Chicken, Broccoli & Chickpea Bowl + Sparkling Water |
| Avg protein per meal | 38g | 31g |
| Avg calories per meal | 682 cal | 593 cal |
| Meals at 425 cal or less | 2 | 3 |
| Low-carb / keto meals | 4 | 4 |
| Vegetarian meals | 1 | 3 |
| Meals tracked | 16 | 16 |
✓ marks the stronger number for that row (more protein, fewer calories, or more options). Computed from the 32 meals we track — not the chains' full menus.
Top 5, ranked by protein
The highest-protein meals, side by side
🥙 CAVA
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spicy Chicken + Avocado Pita Warm pita, grilled chicken, harissa, Crazy Feta, tzatziki, avocado, cucumber-tomato, pickled onions, fire-roasted corn, feta | 51g | 970 |
| 2 | Greek Chicken Pita Warm pita, grilled chicken, hummus, tzatziki, cucumber-tomato, kalamata olives, feta, red onion, Greek vinaigrette | 48g | 870 |
| 3 | Spicy Lamb Power Bowl Power Greens, brown rice, spicy lamb meatballs, tzatziki, red pepper hummus, sumac slaw, pickled onions, feta, cucumber-tomato, tahini Caesar | 44g | 910 |
| 4 | Spicy Lamb + Avocado Bowl Saffron basmati rice, spicy lamb meatballs, Crazy Feta, hummus, avocado, cucumber-tomato, pickled onions, fire-roasted corn, hot harissa vinaigrette | 43g | 795 |
| 5 | Harissa Avocado Bowl Saffron basmati rice, black lentils, grilled chicken, harissa, hummus, avocado, fire-roasted corn, pickled onions, cucumber-tomato, feta | 42g | 840 |
🥗 Sweetgreen
| # | Meal | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hot Honey Chicken Plate Blackened chicken, warm roasted sweet potatoes, veg slaw, crispy onions, herbed quinoa, hot honey mustard sauce | 52g | 920 |
| 2 | Classic Chicken Caesar Wrap Roasted chicken, chopped romaine, garlic breadcrumbs, parmesan crisps, shaved parmesan, lemon squeeze, caesar dressing, olive oil tortilla | 43g | 730 |
| 3 | Kale Caesar with Chicken Shredded kale, chopped romaine, roasted chicken, shaved parmesan, lime squeeze, caesar dressing, parmesan crisps | 39g | 510 |
| 4 | Harvest Bowl Roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, roasted almonds, wild rice, shredded kale, balsamic vinaigrette | 37g | 700 |
| 5 | Chicken Pesto Parm Bowl Shredded kale, chopped romaine, warm quinoa, roasted chicken, basil pesto vinaigrette, shaved parmesan, herb breadcrumbs | 35g | 530 |
MacroBite scores these against your daily protein & calorie targets and logs them in one tap. Get the app →
The verdict
Which is better for your goal?
Cutting
CAVA takes it. Its leanest high-protein pick, the Steak + Greens Bowl & Unsweetened Tea, packs 32g of protein into 345 calories — 9.3g per 100 cal, ahead of Sweetgreen's best (Roasted Chicken, Broccoli & Chickpea Bowl + Sparkling Water, 27g for 300 cal, 9.0g per 100 cal). CAVA lists 2 meals at 425 calories or less; Sweetgreen has 3.
Bulking
Sweetgreen wins on raw protein. The Hot Honey Chicken Plate tops out at 52g (920 cal), beating CAVA's biggest hitter, the Spicy Chicken + Avocado Pita, at 51g. For repeat trips, Sweetgreen has 8 meals with 30g+ protein vs 14 at CAVA.
Keto
Even on options: both chains have 4 low-carb meals. Head-to-head on the best pick, CAVA's Steak & Feta Keto Bowl brings 39g protein at 25g carbs, while Sweetgreen's Kale Caesar with Chicken brings 39g at 15g carbs.
How we score it: cutting = most protein per calorie (25g protein floor) · bulking = highest absolute protein · keto = low-carb meals (20g carbs or less, or flagged low-carb in the official data). General nutrition info, not medical advice.
Dig deeper: full CAVA menu → · full Sweetgreen menu → · all chains ranked →
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Settle CAVA vs Sweetgreen with your own macros.
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