Creamy, rich, comforting and satisfying, a spoonful of chicken salad is a great no-cook bite for a warm summer night. Pile it on a baguette, add a scoop to green salad, or pair it with crackers for a savory, protein-packed meal.

While it’s easy to make at home, pre-made chicken salad is a deli staple at most supermarkets. A taste through the offerings, including both pre-packaged and those in the deli case, reveals that making great chicken salad can be tricky.

Nearly all include chicken, celery and dressing of some kind, but the most successful versions incorporate other top-quality ingredients that add pops of flavor that complement, but don’t overpower, the chicken. Bad chicken salad is gloppy and tastes over-processed.

Here are details on the creamy, delicious chicken salads that will make short work of any summer picnic spread, and the sorry concoctions that you should skip. Nutrition info refers to 1/2 cup of chicken salad.

Whole Foods Classic Chicken Salad

The texture of this salad is a total win. It features big cuts of each ingredient, which makes every bite taste a bit different, depending on what fits on the fork. Purple onion and fresh parsley add both flavor and a welcome pop of color. 260 calories, 18 g fat, 460 mg sodium sugar, 19 g protein. $12.99 per pound. ???•

Whole Foods Sonoma Chicken Salad

Those who like their chicken salad a bit sweet will enjoy this rustic mix of whole grapes and pecans, chopped chicken and celery tossed in poppyseed dressing. Roast and chop the pecans and it would be even better. 250 calories, 16 g fast, 380 mg sodium, 2 g sugar, 17 g protein. $12.99 per pound. ???•

Costco Chicken Salad

Even shreds and minimal mayo make this onion-forward mix a pleasant, if slightly boring scoop. It’s good as-is, but tastes even better served with grapes or chopped apple. The massive size of the package makes it a good choice when feeding a crowd. 240 calories, 15 g fat, 6 g sugar, 24 g protein. $14.92 for 2.5 pounds. ???

Trader Joe’s Homestyle Chicken Salad

It’s so sad when the chef gets it almost right. Great chicken, just the right amount of flavorful dressing and a pleasant hit of salt are a great start, but the shreds of carrot in this extra-creamy salad are bitter. 320 calories, 27 g fat, 370 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 16 g protein. $5.49 for 10.5 ounces. ??•

Good & Gather Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

The salad in these cups literally tastes like a bite of Thanksgiving, as it’s herb-forward, and packed with cranberries. The downside is that it’s simply too sweet. 130 calories, 3.5 g fat, 420 mg sodium, 1 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 12 g protein. $8.49 for 4 4-ounce cups at Target. ??

Safeway Chicken Salad

Those looking for a very plain mix of chicken and mayo may like this. It includes a touch of pickle seed, but little else in terms of flavor. 220 calories, 17 g fat, 4 g sugar, 13 g protein. $7.99 per pound at Safeway.?•

Trader Joe’s Wine Country Chicken Salad

Love the poppyseeds, but this is essentially cranberry salad with a hint of chicken. The amount of fruit plus the sweet dressing add up to a bite so sweet that it seems more like dessert than a savory snack. 350 calories, 27 g fat, 450 mg sodium, 14 g sugar, 10 g protein. $4.99 for 11.5 ounces. ?•

Walmart White Meat Chicken Salad

The tart, pickle-forward flavor of this is OK, but the tiny, tuna-like shreds of chicken taste like they came from a can. 250 calories, 19 g fat, 380 mg sodium, 6 g sugar, 13 g protein. $5.94 for 12 ounces at Walmart. •

Good & Gather Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Salad

Bits of chicken swimming in garlicky, super-processed orange spread simply don’t qualify as salad. This should be labeled “garlic dip.” 370 calories, 34 g fat, 440 mg sodium, 1 g sugar, 14 g protein. $6.49 for 12 ounces at Target. •

Good & Gather Rosemary Chicken Salad

This pasty mash of tough chicken is spiked with far too much rosemary and garlic. 330 calories, 28 g fat, 300 mg sodium, 4 g sugar, 13 g protein. $6.49 for 12 ounces at Target. (no stars)