The Real Reason Chick-Fil-A Is Healthier Than Other Fast Food Chains - Mashed (2024)

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Fast-food restaurants and healthy eating seem to be mutually exclusive, but of course not every fast-food restaurant is equally bad for you. These things exist on a sliding scale, and there are indeed some fast-food restaurant options that are better for you than others. One such restaurant, which is on the healthier side of the scale, is Chick-fil-A (via Healthy Eater). The first thing that makes Chick-fil-A a better option than others is that they focus on chicken, a healthier protein than the red meat used to make burgers, the main menu item at many fast-food chains.

A serving of chicken contains less fat, cholesterol, and fewer calories than a serving of beef, making this a good place to start (via Taste Inc). In addition, Chick-fil-A doesn't use any hydrogenated oils when they are preparing their food, so there is no worry about eating unhealthy trans fats in most of their food (via Healthy Eater).

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The main attraction at Chick-fil-A is the chicken sandwich, for which the brand was made famous. While the classic version is fried, the restaurant also offers a chargrilled version, which is served on a multi-grain bun. When stacked up against other grilled chicken sandwiches offered by fast-food restaurants, it comes out on top. Consider that the chargrilled chicken sandwich has just 5 grams of fat (1.5 of which are saturated), compared to 16 grams of fat (2.5 of which are saturated) in the Burger King Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich, and 17 grams of fat in the Sonic Grilled Chicken Sandwich.

And while Chick-fil-A's options are generally healthier than other fast-food restaurants, on top of this, they also provide specific options for health-conscious eaters. For example, they have a wide array of salads, soup, and fruit cups which can be substituted for fries (via Chick-Fil-A). Main course salads are also an option.