Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) is a popular destination known for its lively atmosphere and extensive menu, particularly its signature wings and bar food. While the restaurant's reputation leans towards indulgent, high-fat fare, it's entirely possible to make informed choices that align with your health goals. The key lies in understanding the nutritional content of the menu items, practicing portion control, and making smart substitutions.
Understanding the Buffalo Wild Wings Menu
The BWW menu is broad, featuring wings, tenders, bar food, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, sides, salads, desserts, and even a children's menu. Some locations also offer a breakfast menu. With such a wide array of options, it's essential to be aware of the nutritional information provided for each item. This information can guide you in making choices that are lower in sodium, saturated fat, and calories.
Strategies for Healthier Ordering
- Prioritize grilled options: When available, opt for grilled chicken or other grilled proteins over fried alternatives.
- Request sauces on the side: This allows you to control the amount of sauce you consume, significantly reducing calorie, sodium, and sugar intake.
- Share dishes: Many BWW menu items are large and intended for sharing. Splitting an order with a friend or family member can help you manage portion sizes and reduce your overall intake.
- Load up on vegetables: Add a side salad or vegetable slaw to your meal to increase your fiber and nutrient intake.
- Be mindful of toppings and dressings: Toppings and dressings can quickly add extra calories, fat, and sodium to your meal. Choose lighter options or ask for them on the side.
Healthy Choices at Buffalo Wild Wings
Wings
Chicken wings are the star of the show at Buffalo Wild Wings. They come in traditional and boneless varieties and can be customized with over 20 sauces and dry seasonings.
- Traditional Wings (Plain): The most straightforward option, plain traditional wings without any added sauce or rub, are the lowest in sodium. A small order of six contains 430 calories, 24 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of carbohydrate, 53 grams of protein, and only 160 milligrams of salt.
- Lemon Pepper Traditional Wings: A six-piece order contains 610 calories, 43g of fat, 11g of saturated fat, 2g of carbs, 53g of protein, and 850mg of salt.
- Sauce Selection: If you're looking to add flavor, choose a sauce or dry seasoning with fewer calories and sodium. The Desert Heat seasoning, for example, has only 5 calories and 250mg of sodium per serving.
Tenders
Like the wings, tenders can be ordered naked or hand-breaded.
- Naked Tenders: The 3-piece small order of naked chicken tenders is the most nutrient-dense option. This order provides 160 calories, 1 g of fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 0 g of carbs, 37 g of protein, and 1,140 mcg of sodium. However, note that these are pre-seasoned with salt and pepper, resulting in a higher sodium content.
Bar Food
This section of the menu is generally high in calories and sodium, as the items are designed for sharing.
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- Street Tacos: Despite being a healthier combination of ingredients, street tacos still contain more than 2000mg of salt. To reduce salt and saturated fat, order them cheese-free. Each taco has 630 calories, 39 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of protein, and 2,140 milligrams of salt. This recipe is packed with fresh vegetables and protein-rich pulled chicken and pico de gallo to make it flavorful and spicy.
Burgers
This category includes both classic cheeseburgers and specialty burgers, where high-calorie toppings, sauces, and high-fat meat portions can quickly add up.
- Southwestern Black Bean Burger: This vegetarian option is the healthiest of the burger choices, with 740 calories, 42 g of fat, 11 g of saturated fat, 74 g of carbohydrate, 31 g of protein, and 1,780 mg of salt. Leaving out the cheese and dressing will lower these numbers even further. The patty alone has 200 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 31 grams of carbohydrate, 18 grams of protein, and 540 milligrams of sodium.
Sandwiches & Wraps
The sandwiches and wraps typically feature chicken or beef.
- Grilled Chicken Buffalitos: A serving of grilled chicken Buffalitos contains 500 calories, 22g fat, 12g saturated fat, 44g carbohydrate, 34g protein, and 1,320mg sodium. These tacos with pulled chicken come with your choice of sauces and homemade pico de gallo. The smoky adobo sauce offers the fewest calories, at 35 calories per serving.
Sides
The sides menu includes fried foods like French fries and onion rings, as well as vegetable-based options like salad and veggie slaw.
- Veggie Slaw: Vegetable slaw has 100 calories, 8g of fat, 1g of saturated fat, 4g of carbohydrates, 1g of protein, and 320mg of salt per serving. This side dish, which includes two different kinds of cabbage, carrots, and white wine vinaigrette, is low in calories and fat.
Salads
Salads can be a great way to incorporate vegetables into your meal.
*Choose vinaigrettes or light dressings to help you reduce your calorie intake.
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- If you want a low-sodium version of the Chopped Cobb Salad, skip the dressing and ask for oil and, if available, lemon or vinegar. Excluding garlic bread and croutons, which are standard ingredients in salads, reduces sodium and carbs, if that is a concern for you.
Items to Avoid or Limit
- Fried foods: Items like French fries, onion rings, and cheese curds are high in calories, unhealthy fats, and sodium.
- High-sodium sauces and dressings: Many of BWW's signature sauces and dressings are loaded with sodium. Be mindful of portion sizes and consider asking for them on the side.
- Large portion sizes: Be aware of the portion sizes of the menu items and consider sharing dishes to avoid overeating.
- The House Sampler: The house sampler has 2,540 calories, 150 grams of fat, 58 grams of saturated fat, 210 grams of carbohydrates, 89 grams of protein, and 6,870 milligrams of sodium.
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