Chick-fil-A is one of today’s most popular fast food restaurants and has been a fan favorite for years. However, some people believe that if they’re trying to lose weight, they can’t eat it at all. However, that’s not necessarily the case.
Chick-fil-A, while it has its fair share of greasy, high-calorie foods and sandwiches, also offers a wide variety of menu items that are lower in calories and higher in protein, providing those who are trying to eat less junk or lose a few pounds some great options. Plus, sometimes you simply need a meal in a pinch, and if you’re on the road, Chick-fil-A can be an easy place to stop.
Luckily, a registered dietitian, Ilana Muhlstein, MS, RD, otherwise known on TikTok as ‘Nutrition Babe,’ made a video about one of her favorite weight-loss-friendly orders from the famous chicken restaurant, and it’s a great one to choose when you’re in a pinch but don’t want to get off track. Read more about it below!
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Ilana Muhlstein Shares Her Go-To Chick-fil-A Chicken Nugget Order
In her video, Ilana targets those who are obsessed with Chick-fil-A's signature sauce. After all, it's tangy, sweet, salty, and combines all sorts of addictive flavor combinations. It's almost like if honey mustard and barbecue sauce had a baby - what's not to love? However, the famous dipping sauce, which people tend to spread on their sandwiches or slather their chicken nuggets in, is actually rather high in calories.
In fact, you could replace just one packet of Chick-fil-A sauce with an entire menu item for the same amount of calories. As she holds up a packet of the signature sauce, the dietitian asks her viewers, "Did you know that this entire Chick-fil-A sauce has more calories than a whole order of grilled nuggets?"
It might sound shocking, but it's true. According to Ilana's caption, just one serving packet of Chick-fil-A sauce contains a whopping 140 calories. At the same time, an order of grilled chicken nuggets has 130 calories with an impressive 25 grams of protein.
"If you love the Chick-fil-A sauce, just make sure you're sticking with the grilled [nuggets] instead of the fried to keep things nice and balanced," she explains. "If you want a better sauce pick, I'd say the Zesty Buffalo might be your best shot."
Ilana Includes A Dessert Option As Part Of Her Chick-fil-A Order
One of the things Ilana focuses on most when building a weight-loss-friendly order at Chick-fil-A is the calories, editing out higher-calorie items like fried chicken sandwiches and sides with lower-calorie options, so that you can still indulge a bit, without overdoing it in one day and keeping up a calorie deficit.
After all, one of the most well-known methods for weight loss is to eat in a consistent, healthy calorie deficit. After ordering the grilled nuggets and buffalo sauce, there's one more item you could order if you're someone who likes to end their meal with a sweet treat. It would replace the fast food chain's famous waffle fries, but if you need a dessert, you might find it worth it.
"If you could believe it, you could actually have about two-and-a-half of these [vanilla] ice cream cones for the same calories as their waffle fries," says Ilana.
In her caption, she wrote, "I would totally rather eat the ice cream!"
Therefore, if you want a cool dessert to beat the summer heat or love ending your meal with something sweet, you could get the ice cream cone instead of fries to switch things up. While it'll be high in sugar, at only 180 calories, it's a slightly lighter option than a big side of oily fries, which can be up to 420 calories.
