Healthier fast food at chicken chains

Healthier fast food at chicken chains

Broadly, opting for a meal from a fast food chicken restaurant can be healthier than eating at a burger or pizza place.  However, you still need to make careful choices. Much of it has to do with how the chicken is prepared—grilled or rotisserie chicken is far healthier than battered and fried, for example.

Tips for making smarter choices at fast food chicken restaurants:

• Choose baked, broiled, grilled, or rotisserie chicken over fried or breaded chicken. And don’t think chicken nuggets are healthy—they’re loaded with as much fat and sodium as a burger.
• Go easy on the honey mustard, barbecue sauce, and other special sauces. Each sauce packet adds around 60 calories.
• Be wary of sides. Half the fun when ordering chicken are the sides: coleslaw, biscuits, baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, and mashed potatoes. But these standard side dishes are all high in calories, so make sure to count them toward your meal. Better options are steamed vegetables, green beans, or corn.
• Pass on the crispy chicken sandwich, which may be flavorful, but is fried and fatty. A much better choice is a grilled chicken sandwich.

Healthier fast food chicken options
INSTEAD OF…	TRY…
Fried chicken, original or extra-crispy	Chicken breast without breading
Teriyaki wings or popcorn chicken	Honey BBQ chicken sandwich
Fried chicken sandwich	Grilled chicken sandwich
Chicken and biscuit “bowl”	Mashed potatoes
Adding extra gravy and sauces	Limiting gravy and sauces

Best chicken choices at top chains

• Bojangles’ Grilled Filet Sandwich: 235 calories, 5 grams fat
• Boston Market Rotisserie Chicken -  Quarter White, Skinless, with side of fresh steamed vegetables: 290 calories, 6.5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 670 mg sodium, 2 grams sugar
• KFC Kentucky Grilled Chicken Breast plus corn on the cob and green beans: 340 calories, 7 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 1250 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
• Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap: 340 calories, 13 grams fat, 900 mg sodium, 3 grams sugar
• Church’s Original Leg with sides of corn and green beans: 295 calories, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 655 mg sodium, 1 gram sugar
• El Pollo Loco Flame Grilled Chicken Breast with sides of black beans and broccoli: 385 calories, 10 grams fat, 880 mg sodium, 3 grams sugar 
• Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita made with whole grain: 326 calories, 10 grams fat, 987 mg sodium, 4 grams sugar
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Loaded Chicken Wrap: 310 calories, 13 grams fat (6 grams saturated fat), 890 mg sodium, 0 grams sugar
• Smashburger Grilled Chicken Spinach and Goat Cheese Sandwich: 463 calories, 19 grams fat, 1,179 mg sodium, 5 grams sugar
• Zaxby’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich without honey mustard sauce: 420 calories, 12.5 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 1310 mg sodium, 10 grams sugar

Worst chicken choices at top chains

• Bojangles’ Cajun Spiced Chicken Thigh with Seasoned Fries: 654 calories, 42 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat), 945 mg sodium
• Boston Market Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie with side of loaded mashed potatoes: 1,130 calories, 58grams fat (28 grams saturated fat), 2800 mg sodium, 11 grams sugar
• Burger King A1 Smoky Bacon Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich: 600 calories, 27 g fat (8 g saturated), 2080 mg sodium, 11 grams sugar
• Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips (4) with Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce and Cole Slaw: 1,140 calories, 79 g fat (13.5 g saturated fat), 1,935 mg sodium, 30 grams sugar
• Chili's Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce: 2,040 calories 99 g fat 240 g carbs
• Jack in the Box Chicken Teriyaki Bowl: 688 calories, 6 grams fat, 1912 mg sodium, 35 grams sugar
• KFC Chicken Pot Pie with cornbread muffin: 1,000 calories, 54 grams fat (39 grams saturated fat), 2,210 mg sodium, 18 grams sugar
• McDonald’s Premium McWrap Chicken Sweet Chili: 590 calories, 25 grams fat, 1160 mg sodium, 27 grams sugar Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Chicken Po’Boy with large side of coleslaw:  1320 calories, 80 grams of fat (17 grams of saturated fat), 3020 mg sodium, 48 grams sugar
• Zaxby’s Large Chicken Finger Plate: 2,050 calories, 118 grams fat (18 grams saturated fat), 5330 mg sodium, 23 grams sugar

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