CAVA Calorie Calculator

How many calories are in a CAVA bowl?

A CAVA bowl's calorie count depends entirely on your choices. The curated bowls range from 580 to 860 calories: the Greek Salad Bowl is the lowest at 580 calories (37g protein), while the Falafel Crunch Bowl is the highest at 860 calories (24g protein). If you build your own bowl, you can go as low as 20 calories (greens only) or exceed 1,000 calories with multiple high-calorie bases, proteins, and rich dressings. A common build with brown rice, grilled chicken, hummus, and yogurt dill dressing totals about 640 calories with 39g protein.

The biggest calorie drivers are your base and protein. Rice bases (brown or saffron basmati) add 290-310 calories, while greens add only 20-35 calories. Among proteins, grilled chicken is 250 calories with 28g protein, while glazed salmon is 320 calories with 23g protein. Dips and dressings can add another 30-180 calories per serving. To keep your bowl under 500 calories, choose a greens base, add lean protein like grilled chicken or steak, skip heavy dips, and use lighter dressings like yogurt dill (30 cal) or tzatziki (30 cal) instead of garlic dressing (180 cal).

How many calories are in CAVA grilled chicken?

CAVA's grilled chicken contains 250 calories per serving with 28 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, and 3 grams of carbs. It's one of the best protein options at CAVA for a high-protein, relatively low-calorie meal. With 112 calories per 10 grams of protein, it's more efficient than some other proteins like braised lamb (210 cal, 24g protein) or falafel (350 cal, 6g protein). Grilled chicken pairs well with greens, lentils, or a single grain base to create a balanced bowl in the 500-700 calorie range.

If you're looking to maximize protein while minimizing calories, grilled chicken is your best bet at CAVA. Compare it to other mains: grilled steak has 170 calories with 23g protein (slightly fewer calories but also less protein), and harissa honey chicken has 260 calories with 26g protein (similar but slightly sweeter). For a vegetarian high-protein option, black lentils as a base provide 270 calories with 18g protein, which you can combine with falafel or roasted vegetables for a complete plant-based meal.

What is the lowest-calorie CAVA bowl?

The lowest-calorie curated CAVA bowl is the Greek Salad Bowl at 580 calories with 37g protein. Among custom builds, you can create an even lower-calorie bowl by choosing a greens base (20-35 cal), adding grilled steak or chicken (170-250 cal), and topping with low-calorie vegetables like tomato and cucumber (5-15 cal each), plus a light dressing like yogurt dill (30 cal). This could bring your total to 300-350 calories while still delivering 25-30g of protein.

To minimize calories further, skip rice and grain bases entirely — they add 270-310 calories. Choose super greens (35 cal), romaine (20 cal), or arugula (20 cal) as your base. For protein, grilled steak (170 cal, 23g protein) is the lowest-calorie option, followed by chicken (250 cal, 28g protein). Avoid high-calorie dips like crazy feta (70 cal), harissa (70 cal), and especially garlic dressing (180 cal). Stick to tzatziki (30 cal) or yogurt dill (30 cal) for flavor without the calorie load. This strategy keeps you well under 400 calories for a complete meal.

What is the highest-protein CAVA bowl?

For maximum protein, build a bowl with black lentils (18g protein) as the base, grilled chicken (28g protein) as the main, and hummus (2g protein) as a dip. This combination delivers 48 grams of protein for about 570 calories before adding vegetables and dressing. Add some crumbled feta (3g protein) and you're at 51g protein. Among curated bowls, the Spicy Lamb + Avocado Bowl has 43g protein at 800 calories.

For most people, the 48-51g range from a lentil + chicken + hummus bowl is more than enough for a single meal and fits well into a high-protein diet plan targeting 1.6-2.2g protein per kilogram of body weight. If you want even more protein, you can add a side of whole pita (13g protein, 320 calories) to bring your total to 61-64g protein, though the calorie count would reach 890-920 calories.

How many calories are in a CAVA pita?

CAVA's curated pitas range from 720 to 930 calories. The Greek Chicken pita is 720 calories with 48g protein, the Steak + Feta Pita is 820 calories with 44g protein, and the Spicy Chicken + Avocado pita is 930 calories with 48g protein. The whole pita bread itself adds 320 calories and 13g protein, making pitas significantly more calorie-dense than bowls.

If you order a custom pita, you start with 320 calories from the pita bread before adding any fillings. This means a pita will always be at least 320 calories more than an equivalent bowl with the same ingredients. For calorie-conscious diners, choosing a bowl over a pita is an easy way to save 300+ calories. However, pitas are convenient for eating on the go and provide a good source of complex carbs (54g from the whole pita). If you do choose a pita, balance it with lighter proteins and vegetables to keep the total under 700 calories.

Which CAVA base has the fewest calories?

The lowest-calorie bases at CAVA are the greens: arugula and romaine at 20 calories, baby spinach at 20 calories, power greens at 30 calories, and super greens at 35 calories. All greens bases provide 1-3g of protein and 1-4g of fiber, making them nutrient-dense choices for weight loss or low-calorie meals. In contrast, the grain-based options are much higher: saffron basmati rice is 290 calories, brown rice is 310 calories, and black lentils are 270 calories.

If you're building a low-calorie bowl but still want some substance, black lentils offer the best balance — at 270 calories, they provide 18g of plant-based protein and 15g of fiber, which will keep you fuller longer than greens alone. For the absolute lowest-calorie meal, choose arugula or romaine (20 cal), add grilled steak or chicken (170-250 cal), skip the grains, and use a light dressing. You can easily create a satisfying 300-calorie meal this way while still getting 25-30g of protein.

Which CAVA dressing or dip has the fewest calories?

The lowest-calorie dressings and dips at CAVA are yogurt dill and tzatziki, both at 30 calories per serving. Yogurt dill has 2g of protein and 1g of fat, while tzatziki has 2g of protein and 2.5g of fat. Both are yogurt-based and provide a creamy, tangy flavor without the calorie load of oil-based dressings. The next tier includes red pepper hummus (40 cal) and regular hummus (50 cal), followed by roasted eggplant (50 cal).

On the opposite end, garlic dressing is the highest at 180 calories — six times more than yogurt dill. Greek vinaigrette is 130 calories, and skhug is 80 calories. If you're watching calories, always opt for yogurt dill or tzatziki. If you want more flavor variety, balsamic date vinaigrette (60 cal), lemon herb tahini (70 cal), and strawberry sesame (60 cal) are reasonable middle-ground options. Avoid doubling up on dressings unless you're intentionally trying to increase calories, as two servings of garlic dressing alone (360 cal) is more than some entire bowls.

How much sodium is in a CAVA bowl?

CAVA bowls are high in sodium, with curated bowls ranging from 1,670 to 2,210 mg of sodium. The Falafel Crunch Bowl contains the most at 2,210 mg, nearly the entire 2,300 mg daily recommended limit set by the American Heart Association. The Spicy Lamb + Avocado Bowl has 1,670 mg, and the Greek Salad Bowl has 1,810 mg. Custom bowls can be lower if you choose greens (10-70 mg) and fresh vegetables (0-125 mg), but rice bases alone add 770 mg, and most proteins add 280-810 mg.

The biggest sodium contributors are bases, proteins, and dressings. Brown rice and saffron basmati rice each add 770 mg of sodium. Among proteins, falafel is the highest at 810 mg, while grilled chicken and harissa honey chicken are 670 mg each. Dressings vary widely: hot harissa vinaigrette is 270 mg, balsamic date is 250 mg, and Greek vinaigrette is 230 mg. To minimize sodium, choose a greens base (10-70 mg), grilled steak (280 mg), fresh vegetables like tomato and cucumber (0-125 mg), and a lighter dressing like yogurt dill (190 mg). This combination keeps sodium under 700 mg, though it requires skipping grains and beans entirely.

Is CAVA good for weight loss?

CAVA can be excellent for weight loss if you make smart choices. The menu offers plenty of low-calorie, high-protein, fiber-rich options that promote satiety. A bowl with greens, grilled chicken, hummus, and vegetables can deliver 300-500 calories with 30-40g of protein and 5-10g of fiber — a perfect macronutrient profile for weight loss. The key is to avoid calorie-dense bases (rice, pita bread), limit high-fat dips and dressings, and load up on vegetables and lean proteins.

However, it's easy to accidentally create a 1,000+ calorie bowl if you're not careful. Rice or lentils (270-310 cal), double protein (340-640 cal depending on choice), multiple dips (50-180 cal each), and a rich dressing (130-180 cal) can quickly add up. For weight loss, aim for a bowl around 400-600 calories, which leaves room for other meals and snacks in your day while maintaining a calorie deficit. Use this calculator to experiment with different combinations and find builds that fit your calorie goals without sacrificing flavor or satisfaction.

Does CAVA offer double protein or half portions?

CAVA's official nutrition guide (March 2026 edition) provides data for standard portions only — there are no published values for double protein, half portions, or "light" servings. This calculator uses the official per-serving values from CAVA's guide. CAVA does not publish nutrition data for double or modified portions, so this calculator cannot estimate them accurately.

In practice, portion sizes can vary by location and who's serving you, as CAVA employees hand-scoop all ingredients. The published nutrition data represents CAVA's standard serving sizes, but real-world portions may be 10-20% higher or lower depending on the server. If you're tracking calories closely for weight loss or bodybuilding, be aware of this variability. For the most accurate tracking, weigh your bowl at home if possible, or average your intake over several meals rather than relying on a single data point.

Is this CAVA calorie calculator accurate?

This calculator uses official per-item nutrition data from the CAVA Nutrition and Allergen Guide, edition CAVA-REC-GID-0326 (March 2026). Every value — calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sodium, and cholesterol — is taken directly from CAVA's published guide. The totals you see are simple sums of the items you select, exactly as they appear in the guide. For example, if you choose brown rice (310 cal, 7g protein) and grilled chicken (250 cal, 28g protein), the calculator shows 560 calories and 35g protein.

However, accuracy depends on actual portion sizes. CAVA employees hand-scoop ingredients, so real-world portions can vary by 10-20% from the standard values. A "generous" scoop of rice might be 350 calories instead of 310, while a "light" scoop might be 270 calories. The calculator is accurate to the published standard portions, but your actual bowl may differ. For planning purposes, these estimates are reliable. For precise tracking, consider the ±15% margin of error typical of restaurant nutrition data. Always remember: this is an unofficial tool, not affiliated with CAVA.

CAVA nutrition and allergen guide: where to find the official PDF

The official CAVA Nutrition and Allergen Guide (March 2026 edition, code CAVA-REC-GID-0326) is available at https://assets.ctfassets.net/kugm9fp9ib18/7KrOGNUFZjBddOWezWLWwm/a20b10d71b9b0496f96b8e38bd8e0211/CAVA-REC-GID-0326-AllergReg.pdf. You can also find it by visiting cava.com/nutrition and following the link to the PDF. The guide includes full nutrition facts (calories, macros, fiber, sodium, cholesterol) and a complete allergen matrix for every menu item.

CAVA updates its nutrition guide periodically as recipes and suppliers change. This calculator is based on the March 2026 edition, checked on November 3, 2026. If you're reading this in the future, check CAVA's website for the latest edition. For allergen information, always refer to the official guide rather than relying on this calculator, as allergen cross-contact and ingredient sourcing can change. CAVA also notes that some items (like Whisked! Apricot Honey) are regional and may not be available at all locations.