CAVA and Sweetgreen are two of the most popular healthy fast-casual chains in the country. They attract basically the same customer, sit at similar price points, and both let you build your own bowl from fresh ingredients. But when you run the actual nutrition numbers side by side, the differences are real enough to matter depending on what you're trying to do.
This breakdown uses official nutrition data from both chains to compare three real build scenarios: high protein, low calorie, and everyday balanced. All the numbers below are calculated from the same data that powers the CAVA macro calculator and Sweetgreen macro calculator on BowlMacros, so you can verify any of these builds yourself.
Two Different Formats, Two Different Defaults
CAVA is built around Mediterranean customization. You pick a base (greens, grain, or half-and-half), a protein, dips and spreads, toppings, and a dressing. The layered format gives you a lot of flexibility, and a lot of spots where calories can quietly stack up if you're not paying attention — mostly through dips and dressings.
Sweetgreen leans toward chef-curated signature bowls. You can customize, but the menu is designed around specific builds that tend to work well as written. Ingredients rotate seasonally and the default assumption is greens, not grains. In late 2025 Sweetgreen also increased chicken portions by 25%, so the protein numbers have gotten more competitive recently.
The short version: CAVA gives you more protein options and more control. Sweetgreen makes it easier to eat light without having to think hard about every choice.
High-Protein CAVA vs Sweetgreen
The High-Protein CAVA Bowl
Brown rice and grilled chicken is the backbone of most CAVA protein builds. The rice adds 7g protein on top of the chicken's 28g, and hummus plus tzatziki round it out without wrecking the calorie budget. Yogurt Dill is only 30 calories — compare that to Greek vinaigrette at 130 and you can see how the same bowl with a different dressing reads very differently.
High-Protein CAVA Bowl
The High-Protein Sweetgreen Bowl
This is where Sweetgreen surprises most people. Roasted chicken at Sweetgreen is 110 calories for 23g protein. CAVA's grilled chicken is 250 calories for 28g. You're getting nearly the same protein for 140 fewer calories per serving. Stack a hard boiled egg (7g), chickpeas (2g), and herbed quinoa base (5g) on top and you land at 39g protein for 605 total calories — 120 fewer than the CAVA build with only 2g less protein.
Caesar dressing is on the heavier side at 160 calories. Swap to pesto vinaigrette (110 cal) and this drops to 555 calories at 38g protein if you want to trim it.
High-Protein Sweetgreen Bowl
CAVA wins on raw protein (41g vs 39g), but Sweetgreen gets within 2g at 120 fewer calories. If protein per calorie matters to you, Sweetgreen's roasted chicken is the more efficient protein source of the two.
Low-Calorie CAVA vs Sweetgreen
The Low-Calorie CAVA Build
Swap the brown rice for SuperGreens (35 cal) and you lose 275 calories immediately. You keep the full grilled chicken, two light dips, and a solid pile of vegetables. 460 calories and 38g protein is hard to beat at a fast-casual restaurant. This is one of the better low-calorie high-protein builds you can order anywhere.
Low-Calorie CAVA Build
The Low-Calorie Sweetgreen Build
Kale and romaine as a double base, roasted chicken plus an egg for protein, a bunch of vegetables, and hot sauce to keep the flavor without adding calories. 325 calories and 37g protein with only 12g fat is a legitimate number for a bowl that would actually fill you up. Sweetgreen goes lower on calories than CAVA can on a greens build, mostly because the chicken portion is lighter and the format starts from greens by default.
Low-Calorie Sweetgreen Build
Sweetgreen wins the low-calorie scenario by a wide margin. 325 vs 460 calories at essentially the same protein. The CAVA build is still excellent, but if minimizing calories is the main goal, Sweetgreen has a real structural advantage.
Everyday Balanced Bowl
Not tracking macros strictly, just want something solid.
CAVA Everyday Bowl
The half-and-half base is one of CAVA's better moves for everyday ordering. You get some grain for staying power and some greens for volume without committing fully to either. Crazy Feta (70 cal, 4g protein) and Lemon Herb Tahini (70 cal) add real flavor without going overboard. Fat is on the higher side at 38g but it's olive oil, tahini, and feta — not a red flag.
CAVA Everyday Bowl
Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl
The Harvest Bowl is one of Sweetgreen's most popular orders and a good example of why the chef-curated format works. Protein is lower than the CAVA build (37g vs 44g), but the balance of sweet potatoes, almonds, and apples makes it feel like a complete meal. One thing to flag: the Harvest Bowl traditionally comes with balsamic vinaigrette, which is 210 calories at 22g fat in Sweetgreen's data. Pesto vinaigrette at 110 cal saves 100 calories and works just as well — worth making that swap every time.
Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl
CAVA wins on protein (44g vs 37g). Sweetgreen's Harvest Bowl comes in 150 calories lighter and is a better all-around eating experience if hitting a protein target isn't the priority.
Where Each Chain Has a Real Edge
CAVA is the better call when:
- You want to maximize protein — black lentils (18g), grilled chicken (28g), grilled steak (23g) all do real work
- You want the half-and-half base to balance volume and carbs
- You want a high-protein low-calorie build under 500 calories
- You want more dip variety and bolder Mediterranean flavors
Sweetgreen is the better call when:
- You want to eat light without having to optimize every choice
- Protein per calorie matters — 23g protein for 110 cal from roasted chicken is hard to match
- You want lower carbs naturally — Sweetgreen's salad builds run 15 to 30g carbs vs CAVA's grain bowls at 40 to 65g
- You like rotating seasonal menus and don't want to eat the same thing every week
The Dressing Problem at Both Chains
This is where most people miscalculate both menus.
At CAVA, Greek vinaigrette adds 130 calories and garlic dressing is 180. Add two dips and a heavy dressing and a bowl that looked fine is suddenly 900-plus calories. Yogurt Dill (30 cal) and Lemon Herb Tahini (70 cal) are the two worth defaulting to. One or two dips max.
At Sweetgreen, balsamic vinaigrette is 210 calories at 22g fat, and it's the default pairing on several popular signature bowls. Green Goddess Ranch is 180 calories. Pesto vinaigrette (110 cal), Honey BBQ (55 cal), or just hot sauce are all substantially lighter and work well with most builds. That one dressing swap is the single most common Sweetgreen nutrition mistake and it's an easy fix.
Build Your Own and Check the Numbers
The CAVA calculator and Sweetgreen calculator on BowlMacros use the same official nutrition data as the numbers in this article. Build your exact order and see where it lands before you get in line.
If you're comparing other chains in the same space, the Chipotle macro calculator is worth having open too. And if you want a deeper breakdown of what to order at each chain individually, the best high-protein CAVA bowl guide and low-calorie Sweetgreen bowl guide go further on each menu.