I'm not American; I'm French. We invented the vinaigrette, and I have worked at quite premium restaurants. You are just clueless, and it's not even worth explaining.

Salad is a stupid meal for rich people to feel superior. It's wasteful and plain stupid. And if you are actually a worker (or someone who needs to be physical), you are ingesting the wrong type of calories. But that's the whole point. It's not sustainable for a worker; thus it is a class signifier.