One Of The Healthiest Fast Food Chicken Nuggets Comes From A Fan-Favorite Spot

Let's be honest: No one orders fast food chicken nuggets with health in mind. Nuggets are what they are — simple small chunks of chicken that are battered and deep-fried. There's no other way to say it, but they just aren't a healthy food option.

That said, some are more unhealthy than others. This has a lot to do with the number of nuggets in one order and the type of breading and oil, all of which factors into the total amount of calories, grams of fat, sodium levels, and so on. So with that in mind, which fast food nuggets are the "healthiest?" Or maybe another way of saying it is, which ones are the least unhealthy?

That's exactly what we set out to find when we ranked eight chain chicken nuggets from unhealthiest to healthiest. The hands-down winner was the beloved chicken sandwich chain, none other than Chick-fil-A, which has nearly 500 locations in Texas alone. Its five-piece nuggets meal comes with only 160 calories and 7 grams of fat. That's not bad at all.

Other factors that make Chick-fil-A's nuggets a better option than competitors also include the higher amount of protein (17 grams) in one order. The nuggets also come from chicken breast, which naturally contains less fat than dark meat. However, while the calories and amount of fat in a Chick-fil-A nugget order are fine, things take a turn when you consider sodium. One order contains 760 milligrams of sodium, which is about a third of the amount that the American Heart Association recommends per day. That's no small amount of salt. 

That being said, when you compare Chick-fil-A to other competitors, it's really not even close. Whataburger only offers a nine-piece nugget option that comes in at 540 calories, 27 grams of fat, and a whopping 1,170 grams of sodium. Sonic and Jack in the Box aren't much better in terms of heart-healthy chicken nuggets, either. And, outside of Chick-fil-A, the second best option is the McDonald's four-piece chicken nugget, which pack 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 340 milligrams of sodium, and 9 grams of protein. Or another decent option is the four-piece chicken nugget meal from Wendy's with 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 360 milligrams of sodium.

Again, this is all about perspective. No one is thinking fried chicken nuggets are great for a heart-healthy diet. But if you're in the mood, and you need that nugget fix, you do have decent options in the fast food world — and Chick-fil-A will certainly help you get your fried chicken fix without blowing up your diet.