If you're a chicken lover, you’ve likely walked through the red doors at Chick-Fil-A on more than one occasion, lets be real. Incase youhaven't, you may still be familiar with their “Eat More Chikin” advertising cows. As the name suggests, the restaurant only serves chicken dishes, including sandwiches, wraps, tenders, and salads. As a lean-meat protein, Chick-Fil-A's nutrition profile can offer great choices for a healthy meal-all depending on the cooking method. Breading and deep frying both add unnecessary fats and calories to the meal, taking away from some of its nutritional value. Opting for grilled or baked chicken will provide you with that lean protein source that will help you stay on track with your health goals. Check out our tips & tricks below on what to order and what to avoid! Items to Avoid Fried chicken sandwiches such as the Spicy Chicken Deluxe are not a good Chick-Fil-A nutritionoption because of their high fat & high in sodium content. We detail the nutrition breakdown of this sandwich, paired with a medium order of waffle fries, below: Order This Thankfully, there are a number of nutritious Chick-Fil-A alternatives that can provide a balanced meal while still supporting your weight loss and health goals. Grilled Chicken Sandwich & Side Salad The Grilled Chicken Sandwich paired with a side salad is one of the healthiest options on the menu: Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap, Small Waffle Fries Create your own Ordering one of the meals above (try pairing it with anunsweetened iced tea!)will likely keep your calorie intake to a reasonable level in a nutritionally balanced manner. But be careful with those side orders- anumber of the side orders can derail your healthy intentions, including the cole slaw (360 calories), Simply Orange Juice (160 calories), and a large order of fries (520 calories). Making a smart choice regarding dressings and toppings is also important. The buffalo sauce and fat free honey mustard are your best bets, while the avocado lime ranch dressing and the buttermilk ranch dressing should be limited. There are many different ways to optimize your Chick-Fil-A nutrition. Although their restaurants are not open on Sundays, stopping by Chick-Fil-A can align with your nutrition and weight loss goals the other six days of the week.
Gal Shua-Haim is a registered dietitian and recipe developer. She has an all foods fit approach when it comes to nutrition. Her overall goal is to simplify your life in the kitchen by showing you that eating healthy can be easy without compromising taste.
