Lighter Options On the Chick-Fil-A Menu

Along with the Original Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Nuggets, and Chick-Fil-A Waffle Potato Fries, the menu also includes lighter options like fresh salads packed with plant-based whole foods that are seriously delicious.

Chick-Fil-A is the South’s favorite go-to restaurant when it comes to, well…chicken. (Please don’t tell KFC fans, okay?) Their original chicken sandwiches are made with “A boneless breast of chicken seasoned to perfection, hand-breaded, pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil and served on a toasted, buttered bun with dill pickle chips.” What’s not to love?

Despite how delicious it is, there are very few plant-based ingredients in the sandwich. (I count only the pickles, but we could argue that the bun is made with wheat, which is a plant.)

According to the USDA guidelines , older children, teen girls, active women, and most men should be consuming at least 3 servings of fruit and 4 servings of vegetables per day.

The best way to do that at Chick Fil A is to order one of their salads, their Superfood Side, or a fruit cup. So let’s take a look at some lighter foods on the Chick-Fil-A menu that can help us meet those dietary guidelines.

Chick Fil A Spicy Southwest Salad

Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Southwest Salad lives up to its name. It has a bit of a kick to it, so if you don’t like spicy foods then you will want to stay away from this one. Despite what you might see on the menu board inside Chick-fil-A, Chick-fil-A salads can be enjoyed in 6 different ways, more when you factor in the different salad dressings.

At the base of each Spicy Southwest Salad is a fresh bed of mixed greens, topped with grape tomatoes, a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and a zesty combination of poblano chiles, red bell peppers, roasted corn and black beans. Each salad is served with Seasoned Tortilla Strips, Chili Lime Pepitas, and Creamy Salsa dressing.

The various options include:

• Spicy Southwest Salad without chicken – 590 calories, 47 g fat, 27 g carbs, 14 g protein, 840 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
• Spicy Southwest Salad with Chick-n-Strips^™ – 730 calories, 49 g fat, 32 g carbs, 38 g protein, 1610 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
• Spicy Southwest Salad with Grilled Filet (cold) – 690 calories, 49 g fat, 29 g carbs, 35 g protein, 1220 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
• Spicy Southwest Salad with Grilled Nuggets – 720 calories, 50 g fat, 29 g carbs, 39 g protein, 1280 mg sodium, 8 g fiber
• Spicy Southwest Salad with Nuggets – 840 calories, 58 g fat, 38 g carbs, 41 g protein, 2060 mg sodium, 7 g fiber
• Spicy Southwest Salad with Spicy Grilled Filet (warm) – 690 calories, 49 g fat, 29 g carbs, 35 g protein, 1220 mg sodium, 7 g fiber

Need to cut back on calories? You can omit the toppings to reduce the calorie count. According to the Chick-fil-A website, the nutrition information posted above includes the extras that make the salad so tasty, such as the seasoned tortilla strips (70 calories), chili lime pepitas (80 calories), and a packet of Creamy Salsa Dressing (290 calories).

The other salad dressings available include Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing (310 calories), Garden Herb Ranch Dressing (280 calories), Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette  Dressing (230 calories), Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (80 calories), Fat-Free Honey Mustard Dressing (90 calories), and Light Italian Dressing (25 calories). Please note that the calories are PER PACKET. If you use two packets on each salad, the calories, fat, and carbs start to add up.

Chick-fil-A Cobb Salad

The Cobb Salad is made with a bed of mixed greens that has been topped with a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, crumbled bacon, roasted corn, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and grape tomatoes.

Each option is typically served with charred tomato, crispy red bell peppers (80 calories), and either Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing or Fat-Free Honey Mustard dressing, though the customer is always welcome to order other dressings if desired.

The flagship salad comes topped with warm Chick-Fil-A® Nuggets that have been sliced and are served hot on the salad. This version has 850 calories, 61g fat, 34g carbs, and 42g protein. From what I can tell, the nutrition information includes the packet of crispy red bell peppers and 1 packet of Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing. The other Cobb Salad options are:

• Cobb Salad without chicken – 600 calories, 49 g fat, 23 g carbs, 16 g protein, 1010 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Cobb Salad with Chick-n-Strips^™  – 910 calories, 63 g fat, 40 g carbs, 45 g protein, 1880 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
• Cobb Salad with Nuggets – 850 calories, 61 g fat, 34 g carbs, 42 g protein, 2220 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Cobb Salad with Grilled Filet (cold) – 710 calories, 52 g fat, 25 g carbs, 36 g protein, 1780 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
• Cobb Salad with Grilled Nuggets – 730 calories, 52 g fat, 24 g carbs, 41 g protein, 1450 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
• Cobb Salad with Spicy Grilled Filet (cold) – 710 calories, 52 g fat, 25 g carbs, 36 g protein, 1780 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

Chick-fil-A Market Salad

The Market Salad is the healthiest salad option on the Chick-fil-A menu. A bed of mixed greens is topped with crumbled blue cheese and a mix of red and green apples, strawberries, and blueberries. Each salad is served with Harvest Nut Granola (70 calories), Roasted Almonds (60 calories), and Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing (230 calories). The Market Salad options are:

• Market Salad without chicken – 440 calories, 29 g fat, 40 g carbs, 7 g protein, 640 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Market Salad with Chick-n-Strips^™  – 750 calories, 43 g fat, 57 g carbs, 36 g protein, 1510 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Market Salad with Grilled Filet (cold) – 540 calories, 31 g fat, 41 g carbs, 28 g protein, 1010 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Market Salad with Grilled Nuggets – 570 calories, 32 g fat, 41 g carbs, 32 g protein, 1080 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
• Market Salad with Nuggets – 690 calories, 40 g fat, 351 g carbs, 34 g protein, n1850 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
• Market Salad with Spicy Grilled Filet (cold) – 540 calories, 31 g fat, 42 g carbs, 26 g protein, 1360 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

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Let’s take a look at other options on the Chick-fil-A menu.

The Chick-fil-A Superfood Side

Hitting the Chick-fil-A menu in 2020, the Kale Crunch Side replaced the Superfood Salad and is now considered a “classic side.” Made with a blend of curly kale and green cabbage and is tossed with a vinaigrette made with apple cider and Dijon mustard. The salad is then topped with salted, crunchy roasted almonds (60 calories).

The Kale Crunch Side is available in one size and has 170 calories, 12 g fat, 13 g carbs, and 4 g protein.

Chick-fil-A Fruit Cups

One of the best ways to get some of your daily fruit needs is to indulge in one of Chick-fil-A’s fruit cups which are available in small, medium, and large. Each cup is a fruit mix made with mandarin orange segments, fresh strawberries, red and green apple pieces, and blueberries.

• Small cups have 50 calories and 13 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein.
• Medium cups have 60 calories, 15 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein.
• Large cups have 100 calories, 24 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of protein.

I believe that this is one of the best and healthiest options on the Chick-fil-A menu. Other than a little calcium ascorbate which helps to promote color retention and maintain texture, a little bit of sugar, and citric acid, the bowl is all plant-based.

If this post has made you hungry and your next task is to find a “Chick Fil A near me,” then click here to go to the Chick-fil-A website. At the top, click on FIND LOCATION. For more Chick-fil-A menu nutrition information, go to https://www.chick-fil-a.com/nutrition-allergens.

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If you like salads as much as I do, be sure to check out my posts about Wendy’s salads and Zaxby’s salads.

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What’s your favorite item on the Chick-fil-A menu?

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