9 Unhealthy Menu Items to Skip From Chick-fil-A

If you’re in the mood for some delicious chicken and a side of waffle fries, there’s no better place to stop than Chick-fil-A. As one of the top fast-food restaurants in the country, Chick-fil-A has become synonymous with quality food and even better service.

The most recent data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in 2025 put Chick-fil-A at the top again. The chain scored higher than any other quick-service restaurant in areas such as accuracy of food order, variety of food on the menu, and food quality. However, despite there being many positive things about eating at Chick-fil-A, there are also some menu items you should avoid.

While you may not consider Chick-fil-A to be a healthy meal to begin with, it’s easy to end up with an extremely unhealthy and high-calorie meal by ordering some of the items on the menu. If you’re trying to prevent yourself from consuming all your daily calories in one meal, here are 9 menu items to skip at Chick-fil-A.

This post was updated in November 2025 to include updated nutritional information about some of Chick-fil-A's popular items.

When you order a meal at Chick-fil-A, you could order a lemonade or sweet tea as your drink — but the fact that you could also order one of their delicious milkshakes makes it hard to say no. Unfortunately, a Chick-fil-A milkshake is close to 600 calories and about 80-88 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor.

If you’re craving something sweet after your meal, you don’t have to skip the dessert entirely to choose a healthier option. Instead of opting for a milkshake that’s 500+ calories, choose the Chick-fil-A IceDream Cone instead. This dessert will still satisfy your sweet tooth, but it’s only 170 calories for the entire cone.

The original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is one of the tastiest entrees at Chick-fil-A. While it’s not the healthiest meal, the original Chick-fil-A sandwich ends up being 420 calories. The Spicy Deluxe Sandwich is even more calorically dense, with over 500 calories and 1800 mg of sodium.

Eating the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich will save you some calories, but if you’re looking for a healthier alternative, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich is only 390 calories with 765 mg of sodium. It also comes on a multi-grain bun and includes lettuce and tomato.

It may be surprising considering salads are generally considered healthy, but the Cobb Salad is one of the highest-calorie entrees at Chick-fil-A. If you order the Cobb Salad with Chick-fil-A chicken strips, the salad alone is 580 calories before adding dressing or extra toppings; with dressing, it can approach 900 calories.

You can make the Cobb Salad a healthier option by tweaking a few things. This salad typically comes with the Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, which contains 310 calories. You can lower the calories by leaving the dressing off or choosing a different dressing like the Light Italian Dressing, which only has 25 calories. You can also swap the Chick-fil-A nuggets for the grilled chicken.

The Spicy Southwest Salad is another item on the Chick-fil-A menu that is best to avoid. This salad has over 1,500 mg of sodium if you order it without altering any of the ingredients. Although it has fewer calories than the Cobb Salad, it's still high in calories and also has 10 grams of saturated fat.

If you enjoy the Southwest Salad, you can make it a healthier option by changing a few things with your order. You’ll end up with fewer calories and sodium if you skip the dressing on the salad. You can also add grilled chicken instead of the spicy grilled chicken that normally comes with it.

The Hash Brown Scramble Burrito with Nuggets is one of the many breakfast options at Chick-fil-A. This menu item includes Chick-fil-A nuggets, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and a blend of shredded cheeses, all wrapped in a flour tortilla. This item alone has 700 calories and 51 grams of carbs.

If you like the Hash Brown Scramble Burrito with Nuggets but can’t justify the 700 calories, try the Hash Brown Scramble Bowl instead. Even with the nuggets, this entree only has 470 calories and still has the crispy hash browns, eggs, and cheese.

There’s no doubt the Mac & Cheese side from Chick-fil-A is creamy, cheesy, and delicious. But since your entree is probably already filled with calories, it’s generally best to skip this side. A medium Mac & Cheese has 450 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 28 grams of carbs.

For a healthier side to go with your Chick-fil-A order, try the fruit cup instead. A medium fruit cup at Chick-fil-A only has 70 calories. This side includes a mix of apples, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. If you’re looking for something a little more filling, you can also try the Berry Parfait, which has 270 calories and 13 grams of protein.

It’s hard to imagine enjoying a delicious meal at Chick-fil-A without ordering a side of their crispy waffle fries. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a side of waffle fries, you may be tempted to go for a large. The large side of waffle fries at Chick-fil-A has 600 calories and 65 carbs with only 7 grams of protein. Although no order of fries is going to be healthy, you’re better off going for a small order, which is half the calories.

If you’re counting calories during your visit to Chick-fil-A, one of the healthier alternatives will be the Kale Crunch Side. This side is a blend of kale, green cabbage, and almonds with a savory Dijon mustard vinaigrette. The Kale Crunch Side only has 170 calories and 13 carbs.

The Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit is another popular breakfast item at Chick-fil-A, which is one of the most unhealthy things you can order. Although it may seem innocent enough, this menu item has 620 calories and is high in both fat and sodium.

If you’re craving Chick-fil-A in the morning, there are many healthier breakfast alternatives to choose from. One of the healthiest options will be the Egg White Grill, which is only 300 calories for the whole sandwich. This item includes grilled chicken, egg whites, and American cheese on a toasted English muffin.

Every Chick-fil-A fan knows the Chick-fil-A sauce is iconic. This sauce became so popular that they started selling it in grocery stores. However, one packet of Chick-fil-A sauce has 140 calories and 6 grams of sugar. If you dip your sandwich and your fries into the sauce, you may end up using more than one packet, adding anywhere from 200 to 600 calories to your meal.

Chick-fil-A sauce is one of the highest-calorie dipping sauces they have at Chick-fil-A. If you still want to dip your fries or nuggets in sauce, try the barbecue sauce, which only has 45 calories in a packet, or the Zesty Buffalo Sauce, which only has 25 calories. You can also save on calories by limiting yourself to one packet of sauce with your meal.