The paleo people out there know that eating out at any restaurant can be difficult – and eating out at a fast food restaurant can sometimes seem impossible.
It’s true that there certainly weren’t any fried chicken or cheeseburgers available back in the Paleolithic Era, but once in a while you may want to treat yourself to a quick and tasty meal on the go while doing your best to stick to the paleo diet.
So if KFC is your fast food restaurant of choice, what can you order there? While the chain offers a handful of gluten-free and vegan menu options, we’re just going to break it to you now: the paleo-friendly items are few and far between. Here are your options.
Paleo-friendly food and drinks available on the KFC menu
The first thing to preface is that because of the nature of the paleo diet – which recommends avoiding things like processed foods, oils, and other ingredients – you’ll be hard-pressed to find any fast food that fits the bill. Unfortunately this is especially the case at KFC, where even the more paleo-friendly menu items typically contain these unwanted ingredients.
Because grains, legumes, and most dairy products are to be avoided on the paleo diet, that rules out most of KFC’s menu, from the fried chicken and sandwiches to sides like corn and mashed potatoes. And because processed oils and refined sugar are also big no-nos, that means that none of KFC’s condiments or dressings are paleo-friendly, and neither is their coleslaw or most of their beverages.
While KFC does offer grilled chicken at some select locations, unfortunately even this would-be paleo-friendly dish is seasoned in wheat flour, which means that even if you live near a location that still sells it, it doesn’t make the cut.
You won’t be able to enjoy any biscuits, fries, or mac & cheese at KFC, but if you’re looking for something on the go there are essentially two items that will best fit into the guidelines of the paleo diet: applesauce or a side salad.
Here’s the complete list of paleo-friendly food and drinks at KFC.
| Paleo-Friendly Food | Notes |
| House Side Salad | No dressing or croutons |
| Musselman’s Applesauce | |
| Paleo-Friendly Beverages | |
| Unsweetened Iced Tea |
While most grilled chicken is typically a paleo-friendly food, KFC uses a seasoning recipe for their grilled chicken that includes wheat flour. This inclusion of grains along with several other not-so-paleo-friendly ingredients means that KFC’s grilled chicken is not a good choice for those on a paleo diet.
No, any type of fried food is typically not considered paleo-friendly because most fried food includes some kind of grain-based breading or dredging, and also tends to use highly processed oils for frying. However, if you’re able to make your own fried foods without the use of flour and with a paleo-approved oil, then it’s possible to create a paleo-friendly version of fried food.
Yes – while most of KFC’s side dishes contain either grains, legumes, dairy, or sugar, there are currently two side items on the menu that qualify as paleo-friendly: a side house salad (with no dressing or croutons) and the applesauce on the kids’ menu.
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