12 Healthy Options at Chick Fil A That Taste Amazing

Helping you find healthy options at Chick Fil A so you can enjoy an easy dinner or lunch with your family without sacrificing your healthy living goals!

Disclaimer: I recognize that fast food even “upscale” fast food is what it is—my point is NOT to laud fast food as the healthiest choice, but to help you discover some of the healthiest fast food options out there. This is also not a forum for commentary of Chick Fil A’s religious or political views–we just talking about the food! Also, some links included on this page are affiliate links meaning I may receive compensation for sharing things I love at no extra cost to you. For more info see policies.

Some of my oldest and most popular articles are about how to eat healthy at fast dining spots like Qdoba, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Steak n Shake! I decided to add a few more posts in this series with some of our current favorite fast dining places as well, and I KNEW we ALL needed to know some healthy options at Chick Fil A!

How to Find Healthy Options at Chick Fil A

My family LOVES Chick Fil A — it is probably my favorite fast food or upscale fast food spot! I love the food! I love the quick service! I love that they bring my tray of food to my table! I love that lemonade and those delightful chicken nuggets! I love the play place where my kids can burn out their energy! (Just use that hand sanitizer when you’re done!)

I know some may really love their Christian principles and for some that’s not their cup of {sweet} tea, but there is no denying the food is delicious! But….it can still be a definite healthy eating disruptor!

If you like Chick Fil A you may enjoy…

• Some cow costume gear so you can get free “chikin” on cow day, tentatively slated for Tuesday, July 14th in 2020.
• Not healthy, but this Chick Fil A copycat sauce and make your own Chick Fil A night (especially useful if like some people, aka me, you live an hour away from the nearest Chick Fil A!)
• This book on corporate culture by Chick Fil A recruiter and trainer Dee Ann Turner.

In many states calorie counts are now listed on the menu so it has gotten easier to identify healthier choices when you’re out and about.

You can also check the Chick Fil A nutrition facts for a full list of what is in each menu item! The “best” choice may vary, by your particular diet, food sensitivities, and unique body makeup, but there definitely are choices for everyone trying to eat healthy at Chick Fil A!!

The Pros of Healthy Eating at Chick Fil A

• Chick Fil A serves “whole breast meat chicken without added fillers or hormones”. (source) As of 2019 all of their chicken is antibiotic free as well.
• Chick Fil A has made a 10 year commitment to transitioning to cage free eggs.
• “We’re constantly working toward cleaner ingredients. Here’s our latest milestones: – Removal of high-fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes and colors from Chick-fil-A dressings and sauces- Removing high-fructose corn syrup from our buns- Reduction of sodium by 8% across 25 menu items, and up to 50% on others” (source)
• I think all of this is great news for consumers to have higher quality food choices available at the fast food level!
• There are LOTS of healthy options at Chick Fil A making it a great fast food place to eat when you’re trying to eat healthier.

The Cons of Healthy Eating at Chick Fil A

• I think that with so many healthy choices it’s easy to assume that EVERYTHING is healthy or beneficial.
• Calories are still calories, bread is still bread, sugar is still sugar. 😉 I’m HAPPY it’s cane sugar, but it still spikes my blood sugar levels the same as high fructose corn syrup–ya know?!

RELATED: THE BEST GRILLED CHICKEN MARINADE

Healthy Options at Chick Fil A

What is the healthiest meal at Chick Fil A? Well it depends a bit on your goals, but here are some great healthy options at Chick Fil A.

For the calorie counter:

1. The grilled market salad is full of fresh fruit, nuts, crumbled blue cheese and grilled chicken. It’s a delicious choice and very low calorie thanks at 330 calories, 13 grams of fat, 29 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbs.
2. Grilled nuggets are another low calorie choice–the 12 piece is just 170 calories!
3. A grilled chicken sandwich is also a low calorie choice at 330 calories.
4. The fruit cup is the lowest calorie side, coming in at just 60 calories.
5. The lowest calorie dipping sauce is the zesty buffalo sauce at 25 calories and the barbecue sauce at 45 calories.
6. The sugar free lemonade is low calorie and sooo good too!

RELATED: HEALTHY EATING AT BUFFALO WILD WINGS

For the keto dieter:

I’m not a keto expert but here are my top keto diet picks at Chick-fil-A.

1. 12 count grilled chicken nuggets (2 grams of carbs) paired with garden herb ranch dressing or zesty buffalo sauce.
2. The side salad, because it has the lowest amount of carbs at 13 grams.
3. A bunless grilled chicken club (or two depending on how hungry you are) is another good idea for the keto dieter!

For the paleo dieter:

1. Bunless grilled chicken sandwich (add bacon) is a good choice and those grilled chicken nuggets are coming in clutch!
2. Any salad minus dairy and adding grilled chicken or cod can be a great healthy choice at Chick Fil A.
3. The superfood salad or side salad or fruit salad are all clean eating side options.
4. The “cleanest” dip is the zesty buffalo sauce.

RELATED: 10 CHICK FIL A BREAKFASTS UNDER 400 CALORIES

Definitely Avoid at Chick Fil A

• The hashbrown scramble burrito is the highest calorie item on the menut at 700 calories. Probably not the best way to kick off your day!
• The highest calorie entree is the Deluxe sandwich with colby or pepper jack cheese.
• The highest calorie side is the new mac and cheese at 440 calories, 27 grams of fat (not the good kind) and 29 grams of carbs (also not the good kind). The classic waffle fries, are also higher in calories no surprise there! The medium waffle fries is 360 calories. Woof!
• The milkshakes, as could be expected are all very high in calories (all over 500)! A small diet frosted lemonade is 250 calories and a small frosted coffee is similar–perhaps a worthwhile treat or maybe something you want to pass on, depending on your goals.
• Of course, moderation is key when it comes to things like chicken nuggets and chicken strips and those tasty waffle fries. A 12 piece count isn’t really that bad at 390 calories, but the 30 count is 970 calories, just be sure that you’re eating mindfully as you enjoy! It’s easy as a mom to pop a couple 3-4 chicken nuggets and a few waffle fries without realizing it and feel like I was “good” by eating my salad, when in fact I’ve easily added 200+ calories to my meal with my snacking.

As you can see Chick Fil A is a pretty solid choice when it comes to healthy fast food options! The menu HAS some really good options and I appreciate their movement towards higher quality ingredients! *insert claps* Of course, there are pitfalls as with all fast food restaurants, but they are easily managed with a bit of planning and good ole self control!

Do you like Chick Fil A? What is your favorite healthy choice there?

I got a chance to share more about my healthy favs with the fun folks over at My Pleasure Podcast! Listen to my episode here!

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