Is Chick-fil-A Healthy, Actually? What Science Says

Chick-fil-A has a catchphrase, “Eat More Chicken,” complete with an adorable cow holding the sign. Which is a cute way of insisting on choosing chicken over beef. This seems healthy enough, right? After all, chicken is notoriously touted as healthier than beef. The focus on a chicken-based menu instead of burgers has some wondering: is Chick-fil-A healthy? If you have ever asked yourself this question, then you are in luck. This article will explore the question in depth and give you an idea of what items on the Chick-fil-A menu can be a healthier option for you. 

Is Chick-fil-A Healthy?

The question of whether Chick-fil-A is healthy is a complex one. To begin with, can any fast food restaurant where the food is highly processed truly be healthy? However, Chick-fil-A has taken steps to provide customers with healthier alternatives, making it easier to eat at this restaurant if there are certain dietary restrictions, such as low-calorie or low-carb.  

The Focus is on Chicken

Chick-fil-A has a chicken-centric menu, and the chicken is seasoned in their own unique mixture. The focus on chicken means that none of the lunch menu items include beef. 

Chicken is an excellent source of protein, and whether you choose fried or grilled, the protein intake will be roughly the same. 

However, fried foods are particularly known to have more carbs, fat, and calories. With this information in mind, here is a breakdown of what each type of Chick-fil-A chicken item offers in the way of health: 

As you can see, many chicken items have higher sodium and carbs. The chicken options that are under 400 calories are:

• Chicken strips
• Grilled nuggets 
• Chick-fil-A nuggets 
• Grilled chicken sandwich 

These choices are also under 1,000 mg of sodium, which is decent for a fast-food restaurant. 

What About the Sides? 

Chick-fil-A's most popular side item is the waffle fries. They may seem healthier than typical fries, but the waffle fries come in at 420 calories per serving, with 24g of fat, 240 mg of sodium, and 45g of carbohydrates. However, you do not have to pick waffle fries as a side. There are a few side items that are healthier to choose from. These include: 

As you can see, you do not have to choose solely from the fry choices on the menu. Providing plenty of healthy options on the menu allows customers to enjoy an entree paired with a low-calorie or low-carb side. This is refreshing and not something you see at many other fast-food restaurants.

Are Chick-fil-A's Salads Healthy?

Chick-fil-A has three salad options. However, like any other salad, whether or not the one you eat is on the healthy side depends on a few factors. Eating these salads independently from dressing is possible, but who likes to do that? The calories, sodium, and fat will go up depending on the type of dressing you put on the salad. In addition, cream-based salad dressings are typically higher in calories and fat. Now, let's look at the nutritional information for the salad and dressing choices. 

Chick-fil-A Dressings

Chick-fil-A Breakfast

Chick-fil-A also has a wide variety of breakfast items that are both delicious and filling. These options include, but are not limited to: 

What Makes Chick-fil-A Unhealthy?

It is hard to find a fast food restaurant where the foods are low in sodium. While Chick-fil-A offers low-sodium choices, many items on the menu are high in sodium.

The FDA recommends that adults do not eat more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily. This hasn't proven easy in the traditional American diet because an average American eats around 3,400 mg of sodium daily. 

If you eat a typical chicken sandwich with waffle fries at Chick-fil-A, then you are already at half of the daily recommended amount of sodium. Of course, this can climb in either direction, depending on the foods you eat from the menu. 

Too much sodium can have adverse effects on our overall health. It can play a factor in increased blood pressure, water retention, osteoporosis, and even increase the risk of heart failure. 

Chick-fil-A, however, does offer a few different side and entree items that are lower in sodium. 

Some items on the Chick-fil-A menu are higher in carbohydrates and calories. This is due to being highly processed, fried, or having a bun or breading. If you want something lower in calories and carbohydrates at this restaurant, choose the grilled chicken nuggets and a low-carb side such as applesauce or fruit cup. Going without the bun and fried chicken will keep the calories and carbs low. 

Is Chick-fil-A Healthy?

The question remains: is Chick-fil-A healthy? Chick-fil-A can be a slightly healthier alternative than many other fast food restaurants. 

When comparing the spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A and McDonald's side by side, Chick-fil-A is the better option in every area except sodium, though only by a little. 

On the other hand, compared to McDonald's most popular menu items, the Big Mac and fries, Chick-fil-A's chicken sandwich, and waffle fries, McDonald's comes out lower in calories, sodium, and carbohydrates. At the same time, Chick-fil-A is lower in fat, but not by much. This is only if the menu items are eaten as a pair: Big Mac with fries and chicken sandwich with waffle fries.

Chick-fil-A is very much like any other fast-food restaurant. It has high sodium and carbohydrate options, and many items are also high in calories. It does have a few benefits going for it, though. With the chicken-centric menu, customers receive the added protein benefit from the chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and salad. Additionally, Chick-fil-A allows customers to switch out the popular items for healthier choices like parfaits, apple sauce, or a light salad dressing. Fast food is something that should be enjoyed in moderation. Still, Chick-fil-A makes it easier for customers to stick to low-calorie or carbohydrate diets if needed, which is great for busy families and individuals alike! 

The image featured at the top of this post is ©P Maxwell Photography/Shutterstock.com.