That doesn't mean that other top fast food chains don't make great chicken sandwiches either. Popeyes' chicken sandwich does taste great —it is made up of a chicken breast fillet that is marinated in a blend of Louisiana seasonings, then hand-battered and breaded in a buttermilk coating. Unfortunately, to compensate for that sweet taste you're used to in the bun, Wendy's adds sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup to this sandwich bread. There's a chicken patty, lettuce, and a bun. Most of us know that cooking your own food is best. We like the ciabatta, but have used other breads and rolls, whatever I might have handy. McDonald's McChicken. For some of us, eating out is unavoidable. Mayo or ranch adds 110 calories, so your best choices are Sweet Onion (40 calories), Honey Mustard (30 Calories), or Mustard (10 Calories). Here's the nutritional lowdown on America's favorite chicken sandwiches. More: Food and Cooking kfc chick fil a shake shack fried chicken. ... Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Newsletter Sign Up. We know that fast food meals are famously high in sodium, but what about the “healthy” grilled chicken options? 1. That is true, they got an F grade from Friends of Earth, but word is they are making imporovements in this area. It's traditionally stood out in a field of fried chicken sandwich wannabes, with a perfectly balanced blend of spicy peppered breaded chicken that will wake up your … So when eating here, pile the veggies on. Choosing their “Club” option adds 120 calories and 9 grams of fat. If you just want to eat healthy, pay attention to the saturated fat and sodium. A drop of 80 calories from Burger King's Tendercrisp (and 2.5 fewer grams of saturated fat) helps the crispy chicken sandwich roller skate into seventh place. Subway and Chick-fil-A were also the lowest-fat offerings, with Subway again taking … One sandwich was both better and cheaper. Kudos to you, J in the B! KFC Chicken Littles. I would think that more bread=more calories. Frechman believes you can eat "pretty much" all foods in moderation, which is great news for anyone looking to eat these sandwiches, many of which are high in sodium and fat. Eating healthy is tough. This is their lowest Calorie Charbroiled Chicken Sandwich. Subway chicken classic: guilty. But here's the rub: if you're looking to lose weight, she recommends you look closely at the calorie count. The 18 Healthiest Fast Foods You Can Eat. The accompanying slaw swaps out mayo for healthier avocado. The two sandwiches have an equal numbr of calories, but the pigtail'd brand's bird has 4g fewer of fat. You can use any type of bread or roll for this sandwich. except that Subway uses the nastiest, antibiotic laden, cheapest quality meats in the world. Everyone knows Arby's has the meats, but almost no one has memorized that its chicken sandwich has 50 fewer calories than Jack in the Box's, mostly because that'd be a weird thing to memorize. BK's standard-issue chicken sandwich -- not to be confused with the torpedo-shaped original chicken sandwich -- contains 12g carbs and 140mg of sodium fewer than Carl's Jr., making the King's bird offering slightly more nutritious, but seriously skimping in the Kate Upton department. Subway also offers whole grain bread options and unlimited veggies. Which Fast-Food Fried Chicken Sandwich Is the Healthiest? and 75 mg cholesterol), Fat: 7 g ( 1.5 g sat. Overdoing it on sodium could increase the risk of high blood pressure and stress the kidneys. If you heed her advice and order two, well, it's about as healthy as every other sandwich on the list. This is the reason the sandwich is higher in fat even though no mayo is present. All of their burgers are sold with bottomless fries, which makes this a very dangerous place to eat for the calorie conscious…. 30 g protein. Cilantro-Lime Chicken Sandwiches. “This salad contains a variety of food groups, like fruit from the apples, vegetables from the lettuce, healthy fat from the pecans, protein from the grilled chicken, and dairy from the blue cheese. Follow him to a high-carb lifestyle: @LeeBreslouer. The chicken sandwich at Hardee's fast-food brother-in-arms has the same amount of cholesterol as Popeyes, and a few more calories (680, compared to 660 for Olive Oyl's favorite chicken sandwich), but 760 fewer milligrams of sodium. Most fast-food fried chicken sandwiches look pretty much the same. 1. This salad is … The fact that a customer can go to Subway and ask for as many veggies as they can possibly put on the sandwich for no extra cost, makes them by far the healthiest choice. 1. It's served with crisp barrel cured pickles and mayonnaise, all on a toasted buttery brioche bun. Never heard of Sonic or Red Robins, although we do have a Carls Junior (in Auckland). Frechman notes, "Most of the sandwiches contained about half of the recommended amounts of fat for a day.". Carls Jr. or Hardee’s has more calories than any of the others and almost double the sodium. The flavorful choices at Jack in the Box, like the chipotle chicken club, Carl's Jr., like the buttermilk ranch chicken tender sandwich, and Wendy's, with their classic spicy chicken sandwich, all among the favorites. Accept I normally eat a footlong. Wendy’s chicken sandwich does not come standard with mayo and offers a bigger portion of chicken than BK or Wendy’s. They basically give you, the customer, control over every aspect of the sandwich creation, you can even skip the bread and make it a big salad. and 80 mg cholesterol), Fat: 5 g (1.5 g sat. One chicken sandwich that you *do not* see on this list is the Chick-fil-A® Chicken Sandwich. The chicken sandwich masters out of Atlanta come with a relatively healthy chicken sandwich, albeit a basic one -- it only comes on a buttered bun with pickle chips. Let’s hope so. Hint: Skip the iceberg lettuce and go for a lot of baby spinach instead. Sodium. To help you make healthy choices, we spoke to Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian nutritionist, to help us look at 10 major fast-food joints' chicken masterpieces. Jr. Chicken Sandwich: Crispy white-meat chicken with shredded lettuce and mayo on a sesame seed bun. and 45 mg cholesterol), Fat: 9 g (1.5 g sat. Their California Grilled Chicken Burger is 745 Calories and their Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Burger is 640 Calories. Adding bacon and cheese = 160 more calories. In comparison, their Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich is 640 calories. ©2020 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. That Subway’s sandwich is lower in calories than any of the other fast food places yet they have much larger buns/bread than the fast food-y places have. 40 g carbohydrates (3 g fiber, 7 g sugar)] They do offer some more healthful, grilled options. 26 Fast-Food Lunches That Are Actually Healthy. how does chipotle get an A grade after the e.coli outbreak? 1: Be Cautious About Condiments. But which chain is serving up the best fast-food chicken sandwich… Caution! Starbucks swaps out fat-laden mayo for a tasty tarragon dressing and adds some tart cranberries and crunchy celery and lettuce for a sandwich with less than 1.5 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber and 32 grams of protein per sandwich. Coming from America's favorite ginger fast-food spokesperson not named Ronald, Wendy's chicken sandwich is close to the Arby's offering in a number of nutritional categories, except for fat. Just like many of the chicken sandwiches you will find on this list, Wendy’s variation is topped with the classic lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Adding bacon = 100 more calories and 65 mg cholesterol), Fat: 4.5 g (1.5 g sat. The trick is ordering it without mayo or creamy sauce, and making sure it’s served with a whole grain bun. While this chicken sandwich with a kick has about as many calories and as much saturated fat and protein as Sonic's, it has 130 fewer milligramss of sodium and 14 fewer grams of carbs. Unlike McDonald’s there aren’t options to add bacon or cheese. Given all of the factors involved like calories, options, and cost. Caution! Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is an international fast-food restaurant known for its signature deep-fried chicken. You can also pan fry the chicken if you can't get to a grill.—Debbie Speckmeyer, Lakewood, California I think Subway rises to the top. If you’re not feeling fried, Chick-Fil-A's Grilled Chicken Sandwich is the best alternative in the game. While most fast food grilled chicken can be left dry and overcooked, this sandwich defies the odds. Serving size: 1 sandwich (793.25g) Sodium: 1,670mg. Chubby Chicken Burger (A&W) A perfectly fine chicken burger marred somewhat by how the fattiness of the chicken makes the sandwich feel weird in your mouth. Burger King Tendercrisp chicken sandwich The “inventor” of the chicken sandwich uses marinated grilled chicken. “America’s favorite drive through” has just about one healthier choice and this is it. Calories: 410 Burger King’s sandwich also comes standard with mayo. Bummer for those who are trying to cut back on sugar. Seasoned with peppery spices and fried, the chicken breast is moderately juicy. Several fast food chains offer a grilled chicken sandwich. Panera: Strawberry Poppyseed Salad With Chicken. From it’s smoky taste, to juicy grilled lemon-herb boneless chicken breast, this healthier option doesn’t sacrifice taste. Naming the McChicken one of the … Just about every fast-food chain has a chicken sandwich now, but here are the healthiest and unhealthiest options, according to a registered dietitian. Wendy's Grilled Chicken Sandwich comes complete with smoky honey mustard, whereas other fast food joints serve theirs with mayo. I tried chicken sandwiches from eight major fast-food chains, including Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, and KFC. … Healthier Fast-Food Rule No. Their popular Spicy Chicken Sandwich provides a smaller portion of chicken but 140 more calories. No matter which beloved comedian is dressed up like the Colonel lately, the nutritional facts on... 2. The quick tomato topping on these hearty and healthy chicken sandwiches will remind you of pizza. Suggest a correction. Because once you start getting into the Cadillacs -- your cordon bleus and your bacon-ranches -- this gets crazy complicated. The Healthiest Fast-Food Sandwiches in America. i get diarrhea everytime i eat from there. No one calls it that, right? And thankfully, unlike snowflakes, you've never had to wipe chicken sandwiches off your car in the winter. Choosing the grilled chicken option for a sandwich is usually the best choice, but not all fast food grilled chicken sandwiches are created equally. Compared to hamburger patties, the grilled chicken counterparts at most quick serve restaurants have about 50-60% fewer calories, 80-90% less fat, and more than 90% less saturated fat. Sonic’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich comes standard with light mayo, so opting for a mustard instead will cut out some of the fat and calories. To help you make healthier choices when eating fast food, I put together this handy guide that will show you the healthiest grilled chicken sandwich at 8 major fast food restaurants. 320 calories, 130 calories from fat, 15 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 680 milligrams sodium. Those that come standard with a bunch of sauces and cheese quickly add a lot of extra calories. No matter which beloved comedian is dressed up like the Colonel lately, the nutritional facts on the healthiest fast-food chicken sandwich are staying the same: fewest calories than any other sandwich (310), fewest grams of saturated fat (3), and fewest milligrams of sodium (590). McDonald’s serves their sandwich by default with mayo, which is included in the total calories. 1. In any event, when you are out and about and need a healthier fast food option, turn to the grilled chicken sandwich at one of these 8 fast food restaurants. Chicken salad is one of my favorites, but it isn’t always a healthy option – until now. Dark Chocolate: The Best and Worst Brands, as many veggies as they can possibly put on the sandwich, https://healthyeater.com/healthiest-fast-food-restaurants, 10+ Delicious and Clever Ways to Eat More Vegetables, 5 Good Reasons Why Spinach is Good for You, What Are The Best Snack Bars? So when you see a sandwich has 40g of fat, that's 10 pats of butter, or the average amount of butter a Wisconsinite puts on their toast in the morning. No wonder Ronald looks like he's in good shape. On the plus side, it has the fewest grams of fat (18g) and calories (440) of all the chicken sandwiches before it in the ranking. (***This move has not been approved by the dietitian.). Popeyes Bonafide Chicken Thigh: Hunnes explains that this is a close second because it only contains 10 more calories and 60 more milligrams of sodium. Adding cheese and dressings quickly adds on the calories. Red Robin has several grilled chicken burgers but this is by far the healthiest and comes without any dressing, BUT the bun is grilled with margarine…. The best recipes, kitchen tips and genius food facts. Rank: 4. Chick-fil-A are a fast-food chain that specialize in chicken sandwiches. The 29 Healthiest Fast Food Orders You Can Get at Every Chain. and 65 mg cholesterol), Fat: 16 g (2.5 g sat. Another classic fast food chicken sandwich is the Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich. But like snowflakes, no two chicken sandwiches are the same, at least not in the nutritional department. Caution! 320 calories. Don’t be tempted by their milkshakes: Their Peanut Butter Fudge Shake = 760 calories. Arby ' s – Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Let’s start by looking at the numbers… the developers behind your favorite fast food menus cater to healthy diners by keeping chicken filets low in calories and fat. Looking at the protein amount, it looks like they are serving a smaller portion of chicken than many of the others. Even though fast-food joints are generally nutritional minefields, plenty of spots offer some balanced and satisfying menu items for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 8. This salad features a wide assortment of vegetables that are high in fiber, including kale, butternut squash and ... 2. One important thing to keep in mind: while this is priced about the same as a McChicken, the sandwich is pretty small (probably because it's a chicken tender on a bun). I think their bread is pretty fluffy and “airy” too, which probably helps a bit. Yes, I heard a similar rumor….good for them (and us) if they do. Take a look at the nutritional information below.. . If you’re looking for a healthier chicken sandwich option, this is definitely the way to go! 4” Apple Harvest Chicken Sandwich: 400 calories, 16 grams fat, 3 grams saturated, 3 grams fiber, 16 grams protein Admittedly, it can be hard to find a fast food meal that doesn't deliver at least half of the FDA's daily recommendation of 2,000 calories, 65 grams of fat and 2,4oo milligrams of sodium.