Healthy Fast Food Guide | Chick-fil-A | Detailed

Overview

Chick-fil-A has options that may surprise you as to just how healthy they are. The variations in how some of the dishes are cooked make a massive difference in the healthfulness of the meal.

Recommendations

Option #1 — Grilled Nuggets + Superfood Side Salad

Grilled Nuggets (12 pieces) — a fantastic alternative to the regular Chick-fil-A nuggets, since the chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process and reduce butter intake

Skip the sauce entirely for the most healthy option, but if you need flavor, I would recommend the Zesty Buffalo Sauce or the Honey Roasted BBQ.

Zesty Buffalo Sauce has the least amount of fat and no sugar reigning supreme in nutrition among other sauces. Honey Roasted BBQ has double the fat of Zesty Buffalo with a small amount of sugar, so it’s still healthy, but ranks behind by a small margin.

Superfood Side Salad

Add the Superfood Side Salad to for healthy, nutrient-filled carbohydrates along with good fats from the walnuts, almonds, and pecans. Make sure to request the vinaigrette on the side so you control how much is used (if any). This salad will keep you full without making you feel guilty since it includes:

1. Kale — strengthens the immune system, assists with blood clotting and fights cancer
2. Broccolini — good for immunity, digestion, and skin
3. Dried Sour Cherries — anti-inflammatory, promotes better sleep and strengthens bones
4. Roasted Walnuts, Almonds, & Pecans — controls blood sugar, improves cholesterol, and reduces inflammation

Option #2 — Grilled Chicken Sandwich

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process and reduce butter intake.
2. Lettuce Wrap — request a lettuce wrap to replace the empty calories from the bun with more a more nutrient-rich, low carbohydrate vegetable.
3. Tomato — improves heart health, fights cancer, and improves skin health.
4. Honey Roasted BBQ — request sauce on the side so you’re in control of how much is used (if any). Honey Roasted BBQ has double the fat of Zesty Buffalo with a small amount of sugar, so it’s still healthy, but ranks behind by a small margin.

Option #3 — Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap

A variation of the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, but comes with the drawbacks of higher sodium and cholesterol content.

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process and reduce butter intake.
2. Green Leaf Lettuce — high in nutrients, antioxidants, and assists with blood clotting.
3. Shredded Red Cabbage — reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and contains many nutrients.
4. Carrots — regulates blood cholesterol, improves eye health, and lowers blood pressure.
5. Shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheeses — good protein and improves bone and teeth health, but has the drawback of high saturated fat & sodium. I would skip this because the wrap already has good protein, and the calcium to benefit bone and teeth health likely doesn’t offset the high saturated fat and sodium.
6. Flax Bread — lowers cholesterol, assists digestion, and supports cells.
7. Generally, dressing is high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars. Ask for the dressing to be on the side so you’re in control of how much is used (if any).

Option #4 — Grilled Market Salad

This salad is a solid choice. The sugar comes from fruit so it is not considered empty calories.

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process and reduce butter intake.
2. Mixed Greens — high in antioxidants, low in cholesterol, and high in fiber which is good for digestion.
3. Apples — aids in digestion, stimulates metabolism with probiotics and boosts the immune system.
4. Strawberries — helps prevent cancer, improve eye function, and ranks highly for antioxidants.
5. Blueberries — strengthens bones, lowers bad cholesterol, and is one of the best sources of antioxidants.
6. Harvest Nut Granola — improves digestion, reduces bad cholesterol, and boosts energy levels.
7. Nuts — improves cholesterol, prevents arrhythmia (erratic heart rhythms), and reduces blood clotting.
8. Skip the crumbled blue cheese as the added saturated fat and sodium does not outweigh the health benefits.
9. Ask for dressing on the side so you’re in control of how much you use (if any).

Option #5 — Egg White Grill

This option is high in cholesterol and sodium without many nutrients compared to the other options. This would be my last recommendation if you don’t like the others since the ingredient list is quite long and it includes ingredients that we’d typically want to avoid (e.g. sugar, modified corn starch, etc.)

1. Grilled Chicken — this chicken is grilled instead of fried, which means you’ll have less intake of bad fats, avoid losing nutrients in the cooking process and reduce butter intake.
2. Egg Whites — high in lean protein without bad cholesterol and fat from the yolk of the egg.
3. American Cheese — decent protein and improves bone and teeth health, but high in saturated fat and sodium.
4. Multigrain English Muffin — higher in fiber, vitamins & minerals, and manganese; whole wheat is better bread, but multigrain is better than white bread.

More Useful Tools

Quick Guide — for when you’re on the go and/or need to know what the suggestions are without all the detail

Detailed Notes — consolidated notes for each fast-food establishment