Best High-Protein CAVA Orders: Bowls, Pitas, and Custom Meals

ByRachael Ajmera, MS, RD Updated

Quick summary

  • CAVA offers several high-protein bowls and pitas, including the Spicy Lamb + Avocado Bowl, the Chicken + Rice Bowl, and the Steak + Feta Pita, among others.
  • Grilled chicken, harissa honey chicken, steak, salmon, lentils, hummus, and feta are some of the best protein-rich ingredients to prioritize when building your order.
  • Choosing fiber-rich vegetables and being mindful of dips and dressings can also help you build a healthier, more balanced meal.

Featuring a Mediterranean-inspired menu full of bowls, salads, and wraps, CAVA is a hotspot for healthy eating. But with dozens of customizable bases, proteins, toppings, dips, and dressings, it can be surprisingly difficult to figure out which combinations are actually high in protein versus which ones just sound healthy on the surface.

Luckily, CAVA makes it pretty easy to create a balanced, protein-packed meal once you know which ingredients to prioritize. From grilled chicken and salmon to lentils, hummus, and fiber-rich veggies, there are plenty of ways to build an order that’s filling, flavorful, and high in protein.

In this guide, we’re breaking down the best high-protein orders at CAVA, including healthier custom bowls, pitas, and protein-packed ingredient combos to help you order with confidence.

  • Best High-Protein CAVA orders
  • Best High-Protein CAVA orders

How to build a high-protein order at CAVA

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to building a high-protein CAVA order so you can easily mix and match ingredients for a balanced, satisfying meal:

  1. Pick a protein: Start by choosing a high-protein base like grilled chicken, steak, salmon, or lamb. This sets the foundation for your bowl, pita, or salad and typically contributes the majority of the protein in your order.
  2. Boost protein content: Next, you can layer in additional protein-boosting ingredients such as hummus, tzatziki, lentils, or crumbled feta. While these add-ons aren’t as protein-dense as the main proteins, they can bump up the amount of protein in your meal while also improving texture and flavor.
  3. Add toppings: From there, focus on building volume and fiber with vegetables like SuperGreens, spinach, arugula, tomato + cucumber, Persian cucumber, pickled onions, and fire-roasted corn. These ingredients help balance the meal, increase satiety, and add important vitamins and minerals (without tons of calories).
  4. Finish it off: Finally, it’s time to choose your dressing. Be mindful of portions, since sauces like Greek vinaigrette or harissa vinaigrette can add significant amounts of fat and sodium. A lighter drizzle or pairing with a yogurt-based dressing can keep your meal balanced while still delivering plenty of flavor.

Best protein options

If you’re trying to build a high-protein meal, the most important step is choosing a protein-rich base. Here are the best protein options at CAVA, along with the amount of protein they provide per serving:

  • Grilled Chicken: 28g protein
  • Harissa Honey Chicken: 26g protein
  • Grilled Steak: 23g protein
  • Glazed Salmon: 23g protein
  • Spicy Lamb Meatballs: 24g protein
  • Braised Lamb: 24g protein
  • Falafel: 6g protein
  • Roasted Vegetables: 3g protein

For the most protein-dense orders, grilled chicken and harissa honey chicken are your best bet, especially when paired with additional protein-boosting add-ons like hummus or lentils.

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Best high-protein CAVA orders

Here are some of the best high-protein CAVA orders that make it easy to build a nutrient-dense meal without skimping on flavor.

1. Spicy Lamb + Avocado Bowl

  • Calories: 800
  • Protein: 43g
  • Fat: 52g
  • Carbs: 49g
  • Fiber: 17g
  • Sodium: 1,670 milligrams (mg)

Made with spicy lamb meatballs, avocado, red pepper hummus, spicy feta dip, veggies, lentils, and lemon herb tahini, this bowl clocks in at 43g of protein per serving, making it the highest protein curated bowl on the menu at CAVA.

Not only that, but it’s also the highest in fiber, making it a great option to keep you feeling full.

While this is the lowest sodium bowl on the menu, keep in mind that it still contains a very high amount in each serving. Be sure to balance it out with plenty of water throughout the day and other lower sodium meals, especially if you’re sensitive to sodium or watching your intake.

2. Chicken + Rice Bowl

  • Calories: 700
  • Protein: 40g
  • Fat: 42g
  • Carbs: 44g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Sodium: 1,810mg

The Chicken + Rice Bowl is a classic, balanced option at CAVA, coming in at about 40g of protein per serving.

It’s built around grilled chicken, which serves as the primary protein source and is paired with brown rice for slow-digesting carbs that support satiety.

The mix of hummus and tzatziki also adds creaminess while contributing a bit of extra protein and healthy fats.

3. Steak + Feta Pita

  • Calories: 820
  • Protein: 44g
  • Fat: 42g
  • Carbs: 68g
  • Fiber: 9g
  • Sodium: 1,800mg

With 44g of protein per serving, the Steak + Feta is a solid high-protein option at CAVA. It’s made with grilled steak, feta cheese, red pepper hummus, pickled onions, romaine lettuce, and dressing for a flavor-packed dinner or lunch.

If you want to boost it even further, you can customize it with extra veggies or add lentils for more fiber and staying power.

4. Harissa Honey Salad Bowl

  • Calories: 535
  • Protein: 34g
  • Fat: 28g
  • Carbs: 28g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Sodium: 1,545mg

This custom Harissa Honey Chicken bowl comes in at just over 500 calories while delivering 34 grams of protein, making it a great protein-rich option.

It’s made with Super Greens, Harissa Honey Chicken, tomato + onion, Persian cucumber, pickled onions, fire-roasted corn, Crazy Feta, and a drizzle of hot harissa vinaigrette for a mix of lean protein, fiber-rich vegetables, and bold flavor.

If you’re looking to lighten it a little more, try using half dressing or skipping the Crazy Feta dip to maintain the protein content and flavor.

5. Falafel Lentil Protein Bowl

  • Calories: 745
  • Protein: 32g
  • Fat: 41g
  • Carbs: 68g
  • Fiber: 22g
  • Sodium: 2,075mg

This custom Greens + Grains bowl is one of the higher fiber options thanks to the combination of black lentils, baby spinach, falafel, crumbled feta, tomato + cucumber, kalamata olives, and yogurt dill dressing, totaling an impressive 22 grams of fiber.

It also provides 32 grams of protein, largely from the lentils and falafel, making it a solid plant-based choice at CAVA.

6. Loaded Salmon Pita

  • Calories: 760
  • Protein: 38g
  • Fat: 39g
  • Carbs: 62g
  • Fiber: 8g
  • Sodium: 1,720mg

If you’re looking for a high-protein pita from CAVA, try this custom order, which is made with a whole wheat pita stuffed with glazed salmon, hummus, tzatziki, SuperGreens, tomato + cucumber, Persian cucumber, pickled onions, fire-roasted corn, and a light sprinkle of crumbled feta.

With 38 grams of protein per serving, it’s an excellent choice if you’re trying to bump up your protein intake.

The mix of greens and veggies also boosts the fiber and volume, helping keep you full while still staying balanced.

7. Chicken + Greens Bowl

  • Calories: 720
  • Protein: 41g
  • Fat: 34g
  • Carbs: 45g
  • Fiber: 9g
  • Sodium: 1,890mg

This Mediterranean-inspired bowl is made with SuperGreens, grilled chicken, hummus, tzatziki, tomato + cucumber, Persian cucumber, pickled onions, fire-roasted corn, arugula, crumbled feta, and a drizzle of Greek vinaigrette.

It’s a strong high-protein option thanks to the grilled chicken, which provides the majority of the protein, while hummus and tzatziki add an extra boost, along with extra creaminess and flavor.

The mix of SuperGreens, cucumbers, tomato, arugula, pickled onions, and fire-roasted corn adds fiber and a variety of textures that help keep the bowl filling without feeling heavy.

  • Best High-Protein CAVA orders
  • Best High-Protein CAVA orders

Tips for healthier orders

Whether you’re trying to increase protein, add more fiber, or keep calories and sodium in check, there are several simple ways to build a healthier order at CAVA without sacrificing flavor.

  • Customize your base: Swapping some or all of your rice for greens like SuperGreens or spinach can cut back on calories while adding extra fiber and nutrients.
  • Choose a healthy protein source: Grilled chicken, harissa honey chicken, steak, and salmon are some of the best high-protein options available and can help keep you full longer.
  • Load up on veggies: Ingredients like SuperGreens, spinach, arugula, cucumbers, tomato, onions, and cabbage slaw add fiber and micronutrients to your meal with relatively few calories.
  • Add fiber-rich ingredients: Lentils, vegetables, and greens can help promote digestion and satiety while creating a more balanced meal overall.
  • Be mindful of dressings and dips: Sauces like Greek vinaigrette, garlic dressing, and Crazy Feta can significantly increase the amount of sodium, fat, and calories in your meal. Asking for dressing on the side makes it easier to control portions.
  • Keep an eye on your sodium intake: Many menu items at CAVA are relatively high in sodium, especially when combining seasoned proteins, cheese, dips, and dressings. Pairing your meal with lower-sodium foods throughout the rest of the day can create better balance.

High-protein order cheat sheet

  • Choose grilled chicken, harissa honey chicken, steak, salmon, or lamb as your protein base, or opt for falafel as a lighter plant-based option
  • Add hummus, tzatziki, lentils, or feta for an extra protein boost
  • Load up on fiber-rich veggies like SuperGreens, cucumbers, tomato, onions, and arugula
  • Ask for dressing on the side to help manage calories and sodium
  • Swap some or all of the rice for greens if you want a lighter option
  • Double up on protein for a more filling, higher-protein meal
  • Pair protein with fiber and healthy fats to stay satisfied longer

FAQ

Some of the best high-protein CAVA orders include bowls or pitas made with grilled chicken, harissa honey chicken, steak, or lamb. Adding extra protein, lentils, hummus, or feta can increase the amount of protein even more.

Yes! CAVA can be a great option for high-protein meals because the menu is highly customizable. You can build bowls, salads, or pitas with protein-rich ingredients like chicken, steak, salmon, lamb, lentils, hummus, and tzatziki.

Grilled chicken is often considered one of the healthiest protein options at CAVA because it’s high in protein, plus lower in calories and saturated fat compared to some other proteins on the menu.

To build a healthier order, focus on lean proteins, fiber-rich vegetables, and balanced portions of dips and dressings. Choosing greens as your base, adding veggies, and asking for dressing on the side can also lower calories and sodium.

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Conclusion

CAVA offers plenty of ways to build a flavorful, satisfying high-protein meal, whether you prefer chicken, steak, salmon, lamb, or plant-based options like falafel and lentils.

By pairing a solid source of protein with fiber-rich vegetables, toppings, and your favorite dips and dressings (in moderation!), it’s easy to customize an order that tastes great and fits your nutrition goals.

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