Boise’s Healthiest Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches

The chicken sandwich war just keeps going!  All of these protein-and-carb-laced delights are capable of helping us have a moment and experience some things, but which one is the healthiest?

If there is one good thing that came from 2020, it's the pedestal that holds the chicken sandwich.  On some social media feeds, spicy chicken sandwich photos became more popular than pictures of margaritas and toilet paper, and the sandwiches ended up with their own huge followings.  Restaurants responded and the chicken sandwich war carried over into 2021, and here we are with good options from several Treasure Valley restaurants.

Eat This, Not That said the healthiest chicken sandwich in America is at Chick-fil-A.  It's a protein-packed, low-calorie option that comes on a multigrain bun, and for that, it's one of the best bets in the fast-food world.  (Just not on Sundays.)  It has 320 calories, and enough protein to power you through a packed afternoon of in-person meetings.

The Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich is a close second, Dairy Queen ranks third, and Sonic's grilled chicken sandwich ranks 4th, according to Eat This, Not That.

Here's a quick example of what a huge difference the breading makes. It's tasty, but is it worth it?  McDonald's says its breaded Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich has 530 calories, while the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich has 380 calories.  Skipping the breading helps avoid oil and sodium, and because of that, it's a more heart-healthy option that won't bust the diet.

That delicious Popeye's Chicken Sandwich that gets much of the credit for helping the chicken sandwich war take off, but it may not be the healthiest choice, especially if your big focus in life is avoiding sodium.  The Popeye's Chicken Sandwich has 1,443 milligrams of sodium, according to Eat This, Not That.

The American Heart Association says the ideal amount of sodium per day would be 1,500 milligrams, so if you can eat one chicken sandwich and nothing else salty all day, you might be okay.

Food for thought!