Chick-Fil-A's Lowest Calorie Menu Item May Surprise You

If you're part of Chick-fil-A's devoted following, chances are you make a stop at the fast food chain at least a couple of times per month, if not weekly (or maybe even more). Their perfect chicken sandwiches keep people coming back, inspiring the patience to wait in that long drive-thru line. While those who are looking to cut back on some calories might think fast food is off-limits, Chick-fil-A actually has a few menu items that allow the calorie-conscious to still eat there.

There are plenty of options available at the chicken chain that you can manage to work into a low-calorie diet. However, the Chick-fil-A salad menu really isn't the best place to turn. It's easy to believe that salads are a healthy option that won't set you back many calories, but if you actually add up everything that goes on top of fast food salads you might be in for a rude awakening. For example, the chain's Original Chicken Sandwich contains 440 calories, according to the Chick-fil-A menu, while their Market Salad is the lowest-calorie salad at 310 calories. By the time you add the optional toppings that are included with your order, like the granola, nuts, and dressing, it adds an additional 360 calories to the meal, making the salad a total of 670 calories.

The item on the Chick-fil-A menu with the lowest amount of calories is actually their chicken nuggets. No, not the fried nuggets some of you might be holding out in hope for. It's the naked Grilled Nuggets, which are grilled chicken bites that are surprisingly good even if they do look a little odd to those who grew up eating the fried kind. The chicken for these nuggets is marinated, and when paired with a sauce they are anything but bland (via Thrillist). According to Chick-fil-A's menu, these naked nuggets only have 130 calories and can even be dipped in their sauces while still keeping that number relatively low. At 25 calories, the Zesty Buffalo Sauce is your best option. The Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, and Honey Mustard Sauce all ring in between 45 and 50 calories; but stay away from the Chick-fil-A Sauce, Garden Herb Ranch Sauce, and the Polynesian Sauce, which are all over 100 calories.

To complete your meal, opt for the fruit cup (60 calories), Kale Crunch Side (120 calories), Chicken Noodle Soup (120 calories), or the Side Salad (160 calories). Each of these will keep your meal under 300 calories as long as you eat the nuggets plain. While it might be surprising that nuggets are the best option on the menu, at least you can eat Chick-fil-A without going overboard. And you won't be short on options either.