Trying to eat a healthy diet in El Paso restaurants has always been tough, and Souper Salad is one of the few options available for vegetarians. Although there are a few meat items such as some of the pasta salads, pizza, and sloppy joes, Souper Salad does provide a good variety of vegetables and non-meat items.

Unfortunately, though, the restaurant has the typical boring variety of salad, soups, and fruits. The food is mass-produced, and MSG is added to many of the items, presumably to help maintain the flavor while they sit for hours in the buffet line, much the same as at a Chinese buffet. I was getting MSG headaches until I found out the reason I was having a problem at the El Paso restaurants (the Austin Souper Salads apparently do not use MSG, and I had no reaction from eating there).

Another solution to the MSG problem is to ask the employees or the manager which items contain it so these items can be avoided. I was informed that all the soups, one pasta salad, and almost all the salad dressings have MSG, so I do not eat these items.

The Salad is safe as long as I choose an Italian type dressing. The lettuce and vegetables are not very exciting, but it is fun to load it up with a lot of ingredients that I would probably not normally eat. I have found that adding sunflower seeds makes the difference whether the salad is enjoyable or not.

Several breads are fresh baked, with the Cornbread being my favorite. Like the salad, this is not gourmet food, but at least it is enjoyable.

Desserts are good and probably negate any health benefit to eating here. I have found the Chocolate Pudding to be my favorite. It tastes as if it is probably made from a mix, but so was the one my mom used to make.

Souper Salad is a chain, and I am not saying that they serve great food. It is just something I can enjoy when I go. Most of the things I like the best, though, are the items with MSG; therefore Souper Salad is not on the list of restaurants to which I make regular visits.