In today's fast-paced world, fast food has become a ubiquitous part of our lives. While not traditionally associated with healthy eating, many fast-food chains have started offering healthier alternatives to cater to growing health awareness among consumers. Choosing wisely can allow you to enjoy a quick meal without completely derailing your health goals. This article explores healthier fast food chicken options, providing insights to help you make informed decisions.
Understanding the Landscape of Fast Food Chicken
Fast food restaurants may not always have the most nutritious options; however, to reflect growing health awareness among consumers in recent years, fast-food chains have added salads to their menus and reduced sodium and calorie content. Ultimately, healthy eating comes down to taking control of what you eat.
It’s important to understand that many fast food chicken products contain a "bit" of chicken followed by a slew of other ingredients, including white flour, starch, salt, oil, phosphates, and other preservatives.
Key Nutrients to Consider
When evaluating fast food chicken options, focus on these key nutrients:
- Protein: Aim for options high in protein, which helps you feel full and can support weight loss.
- Calories: Be mindful of the calorie count, especially if you're trying to lose or maintain weight.
- Trans Fat: Choose options with little to no trans fat, as it offers no nutritional value and can be detrimental to health.
- Net Carbs: Consider the net carb content (total carbs minus fiber), as limiting refined carbohydrates may aid weight loss.
Ranking Fast Food Chicken Options
While complete avoidance of fast food might be ideal, practicality often dictates otherwise. Here’s a ranked overview of fast-food fried chicken products, considering their health impact, from best to worst:
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- Church’s Chicken Original Leg: This option stands out for having the fewest calories and being the most naturally occurring product on the list. It's relatively less adulterated, with the main additions being flour and salt. One leg contains 150 calories and 400 milligrams of sodium.
- Popeyes Bonafide Chicken Thigh: A close second, the Popeyes Bonafide Chicken Thigh contains only 10 more calories and 60 more milligrams of sodium than Church’s Chicken Original Leg. While still covered in flour and salt, chicken thighs offer monounsaturated fats, considered healthy fats that can lower cholesterol.
- McDonald’s McChicken and Burger King’s Original Chicken Sandwich (tied): Because these are larger pieces of meat than, say, chicken nuggets, they contain less flour [carbs] per serving of chicken since there’s less surface area,” Hunnes explains. However, the bun [more carbs] makes up for that.
- Chick-Fil-A’s Chicken Sandwich: Hunnes emphasizes that the only vegetable on this sandwich is a highly-salted pickle.
- McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, Burger King’s Chicken Fries and KFC’s Extra Crispy Tenders (tied): These options are similar in terms of composition, consisting of a little chicken and a lot of flour and salt. Four chicken McNuggets contain 340 milligrams of sodium, an order of Chicken Fries contains 850 milligrams, and a single Extra Crispy Tender contains 310 milligrams.
- KFC’s Popcorn Nuggets: Similar to the previous category but higher in salt and flour per gram of meat.
- Wingstop’s Plain Jumbo Wings: Wings generally aren't healthy due to their low meat content, meaning they're mostly flour, salt, and sauce.
- Chick-Fil-A’s Chik-n-Minis: These are nuggets wrapped in even more white flour.
Healthier Chicken Sandwich Choices
When it comes to sandwiches, grilled chicken options generally fare better than fried. Here are some healthier fast food sandwich choices identified by Hers via Stacker Media:
- Sourdough Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich (Jack in the Box)
- New York Steamer Sandwich (Firehouse Subs)
- Cajun Chicken Sandwich (Firehouse Subs)
- Deluxe Sandwich (Chick-fil-A)
- Asiago Ranch Classic Chicken Club (Wendy’s)
- Chick-fil-A Sandwich (Chick-fil-A)
- Hero Sandwich (Firehouse Subs)
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A)
- Classic Chicken Sandwich (KFC)
- Engineer Sandwich (Firehouse Subs)
Unhealthier Sandwich Options to Be Mindful Of:
- Big Fish Sandwich (Burger King)
- Classic Smashed Jack (Jack in the Box)
- Original Chicken Sandwich (Burger King)
- Chicken Sandwich Classic (Popeyes)
- Crispy Grilled Cheese on Sourdough (Starbucks)
- Chicken Jr.
These sandwiches are high in protein and low in calories, trans fat, and net carbs. Protein was weighted with a 3x multiplier, while trans fat was weighted 2x. We then averaged each sandwich to determine the final rankings.
Tips for Healthier Fast Food Dining
Here are some strategies to optimize healthy decision-making when heading to a fast food restaurant:
- Focus on Protein: Choose protein-rich options to feel fuller for longer.
- Check for Trans Fat: Avoid trans fat by selecting items with zero grams.
- Swap Soda for Water: Opt for water instead of sugary drinks to aid weight loss.
- Consider Preparation Methods: Grilled chicken is generally healthier than fried.
- Be Mindful of Add-ons: Limit high-calorie sauces and dressings.
- Portion Control: Choose smaller portions to reduce calorie intake.
Regional Availability of Healthier Options
The availability of healthier fast food options can vary by location. For example, Jacksonville, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina, have a high concentration of Firehouse Subs locations, offering several healthy sandwich choices. Birmingham, Alabama, and San Antonio, Texas, have the highest concentration of Chick-fil-A locations.
The Unhealthiest Culprits
A study using the Department of Health's nutrient profiling method revealed some of the unhealthiest items in fast food chains. Five Guys has the unhealthiest cheeseburger, with a 50-point unhealthiness score. The McChicken (14 points) at McDonald’s is the healthiest of its type among the fast-food chains we surveyed. Of these, Popeyes Nuggets (30 points) and Arby’s Premium Nuggets (29 points) are the least healthy. French Fries have high salt and fat levels, which can tip an already unhealthy fast-food main into the danger zone. Fatburger’s Vanilla Shake (63 points) is the least healthy of all, carrying 890 calories, 30 grams (g) of saturated fat, and 86 grams of sugar.
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