If you’ve ever craved a fast-food chicken sandwich, you might be heading to Popeyes. To say that chicken is their specialty is an understatement! This Louisiana-based chain is known for its perfectly battered chicken breast sandwiches, spicy wings and rich side dishes. I’m a nutritionist and even I think Popeyes’ spicy chicken sandwich is one of the best I’ve ever had.
As delicious as Popeyes’ food may be, the chain doesn’t exactly offer a wealth of healthy options. If you’re making a stop at Popeyes, you may want to check out the menu ahead of time to see how their food fits with your nutritional goals. Or just check out my best and worst picks from the Popeyes menu and see what you can order below! Read on and to learn more, don’t miss the 8 Healthiest Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches, According to an RD.
The 5 Healthiest Popeyes Menu Items
Best: Plain red beans and rice
Per order: 250 calories, 16 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 610 mg sodium, 22 g carbs (6 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 8 g protein
Popeyes doesn’t offer much for vegetarians, but if you’re not a meat eater (or even if you are), check out their red bean and rice side dish. It’s one of the few menu items that is high in fiber (6 grams per regular side). You’ll also get 8 grams of plant-based protein and only 250 calories from this famous Southern dish.
Best: chicken wings
Per order: 210 calories, 14 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 610 mg sodium, 8 g carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 13 g protein
When dining in restaurants, simple is often best. Such is the case with Popeyes chicken wings, which contain only 210 calories each (and that’s if you pick them clean). You also get a surprising 13 grams of protein per wing. However, keep in mind that these chicken arms are quite high in sodium, 610 milligrams each.
Best: Popcorn Shrimp
Per order: 390 calories, 25 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 1,390 mg sodium, 28 g carbs (3 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 14 g protein
Choose the Popeyes shrimp appetizer that is good for your health. (At least, better than most Popeyes choices.) Without the sides of sauce, biscuit, and mashed potatoes that come in the 1/4-pound combo, a basket of popcorn shrimp comes in at a fairly modest 390 calories. Shrimp contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, so it’s smart to include them in your diet occasionally.
Best: Chicken Leg
Per order: 160 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 460 mg sodium, 5 g carbs (1 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 14 g protein
Although Popeyes’ chicken legs generally come in a high-calorie combo meal, you can request to order them separately. By doing this, you’ll shave off hundreds of calories and milligrams of sodium. Each battered leg contains only 160 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates. Create your own healthier combo meal by pairing some legs with better-for-you side dishes like coleslaw or red beans and rice.
Best: Unsweetened iced tea
Per order: 0 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 10 mg sodium, 0 g carbs (0 g fiber, 0 g sugar), 0 g protein
Skip the sugar from classic sweet tea and enjoy freshly brewed iced tea at Popeyes. Their unsweetened ice cream version washes down a spicy, fried meal with no sugar and no carbs. Since tea is known for its high antioxidant content, it is undoubtedly a better choice than soft drinks.
The 5 Unhealthiest Popeyes Menu Items
Worst: Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Per order: 700 calories, 42 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 1,634 mg sodium, 50 g carbs (2 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 28 g protein
Again, I personally love Popeyes’ Spicy Chicken Sandwich, so it pains me to say that this is one of the least healthy options on the chain’s menu. In addition to the 700 calories, this fiery chicken dish contains 14 grams of saturated fat, more than 100% of the American Heart Association’s recommended 13 grams per day. If you choose this one, make sure you make it an occasional treat and eat it mindfully so you can really enjoy it!
Worst: Large Homestyle Mac & Cheese
Per order: 850 calories, 33 g fat (36 g saturated fat), 1,540 mg sodium, 48 g carbs (1 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 33 g protein
It’s just a side dish, what could be so bad? Well, if you order the large homemade mac and cheese, you might get more than you bargained for in terms of calories, saturated fat, sodium and carbs. Although this noodle dish contains a whopping 33 grams of protein, the rest of the nutritional value leaves much to be desired.
Worst: Classic chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese
Per order: 830 calories, 53 g fat (19 g saturated fat), 1,875 mg sodium, 51 g carbs (2 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 36 g protein
Served between buttery brioche buns and topped with bacon, cheese and mayo, it’s no surprise that this fried chicken sandwich is far from healthy. It is one of the highest sodium and highest calorie items on the Popeyes menu.
Worst: Oreo Cheesecake Cup
Per order: 580 calories, 36 g fat (19 g saturated fat), 520 mg sodium, 56 g carbs (1 g fiber, 41 g sugar), 7 g protein
No one expects an Oreo cheesecake cup to be a good health choice, but this epic dessert at Popeyes contains even more calories than you might expect. Be sure to share this with a friend (or three) to offset the 580 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 19 grams of saturated fat.
Worst: chilled mango lemonade
Per order: 350 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 10 mg sodium, 90 g carbs (0 g fiber, 86 g sugar), 0 g protein
Step away from the lemonade! Popeyes Mango Lemonade is practically a meal, with 350 calories, 90 grams of carbs and 86 grams of sugar per serving. (For reference, that’s the equivalent of 21.5 teaspoons of sugar.) Sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and more. And if ever a drink was considered sugar-sweetened, it’s this one.
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