Hitting up Chick-fil-A, but you’re trying to eat healthy? No problem!
Thankfully, Chick-fil-A has plenty of good options (the fact that the entire menu is based around chicken, a lean protein, definitely helps).
As a Registered Dietitian, I perused the nutrition stats for the menu and rounded up five of my top picks.
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A quick note on sodium: I didn’t consider sodium when considering the healthier options. Not because sodium isn’t important, but because restaurant meals are notoriously high in sodium, so it would be virtually impossible to come up with menu items that fit the bill for calories, fat, carbs, and protein, all while being low in sodium.
Now let’s dive into the list!
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Chick-fil-A describes its Market Salad as “Sliced grilled chicken breast served on a fresh bed of mixed greens, topped with crumbled blue cheese and a mix of red and green apples, strawberries and blueberries.”
The salad comes with ‘Harvest Nut Granola’ and roasted almonds, as well as the ‘Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette.’
I don’t recommend the dressing, however, and here’s why…
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The Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette SOUNDS healthy, but vinaigrettes can be notorious for being high and sugar, and this isn’t any exception.
Per serving, this dressing has 230 calories and 14 grams of sugar (that’s the equivalent of 3 ½ teaspoons of table sugar!).
I have some other options to replace this higher-sugar dressing next.
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The nutrition stats below are for the salad WITH a full serving of the Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Nutrition stats (with Zesty Apple Cider dressing): 550 calories, 31 grams of fat (6 grams saturated), 42 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of protein
However, I suggest choosing one of these other options (*=my top recommendation):
- Using less than the full amount of the provided dressing (aim for half or so to cut back on sugar)
- Use the Light Italian dressing instead (25 calories and only 2 grams of sugar)*
- Use the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette instead (80 calories and 9 grams of sugar)
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If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, you can’t go wrong with the lean protein content of grilled chicken. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is served on a multigrain brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and Chick-fil-A’s Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce.
Nutrition stats: 390 calories, 11 grams of fat (2.5 grams saturated), 45 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of protein
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I LOVE the idea of chicken nuggets without the breading. Skipping the breading on chicken nuggets is great for those who need to eat gluten-free, are cutting down on fat, are on a low-carb diet, or have any other dietary restrictions or preferences.
Choosing the 8-count Grilled Nuggets over the regular Chick-fil-A Nuggets will:
- Reduce calories by 120
- Cut down on total fat by 8 grams
- Slash saturated fat by 2 grams
- Reduce carbs by 10 grams
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The best news is that you still get all of the filling protein with the Grilled Nuggets.
130 calories is on the low side for a meal, so if you need to increase the quantity, it’s no problem!
Nutrition stats (8 count): 130 calories, 3 grams of fat (0.5 grams saturated), 1 gram of carbohydrate, 25 grams of protein
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Sometimes, you just want some breaded chicken. If that’s the case, I’d point you to the 3-count Chick-N-Strips.
Even though they’re breaded, these chicken strips are still low enough in saturated fat that I feel food recommending them. (Saturated fat is the type that isn’t as healthy as unsaturated fat, especially if you eat a lot of it.)
Nutrition stats: 310 calories, 14 grams of fat (2.5 grams saturated), 16 grams of carbohydrates, 29 grams of protein
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If you’re hitting Chick-fil-A up for breakfast, the Egg White Grill is a solid choice. It seems to be Chick-fil-A’s version of the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, but with chicken.
What all is in the Egg White Grill, then? A smaller piece of grilled chicken (“with a hint of citrus”, per the description) served on a toasted English Muffin with egg whites and American cheese.
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The egg whites are where the protein is in an egg. While I’m not against eating whole eggs, using the whites only is good for those who need to limit their dietary cholesterol (the yolk is where the cholesterol is) or cut back on fat.
Nutrition stats: 300 calories, 8 grams of fat (4 grams saturated), 29 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of protein
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Let’s look at all of those Chick-fil-A options again in one place:
- Market Salad with Grilled Chicken (dressing swap recommended)
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Grilled Nuggets (8 count)
- Chick-n-Strips (3 count)
- Egg White Grill (breakfast)
Are you on any type of special diet? If so, do any of these meals check the boxes for your dietary needs? Let me know in the comments!
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