Yes, but which brand has the healthiest chicken sandwich: Wendy's, Popeye's or Chick-fil-A? (2024)

The #ChickenSandwichTwitter war of 2019 embodied some prime numberslate-stage capitalismin action.

On social media, there are accounts for a number of fast food brands trying to get you to buy their crappy chicken sandwichremember each other, and it works. Their “cool” marketing bullsh*t will definitely make you crave a chicken sandwich.

Let's face it: If you're like the majority of Americans, you already area walking diabetes bomb. So maybe it doesn't matter to you which fast food chicken sandwich is the healthiest, as long as you can drown it in mayonnaise (which admittedly sounds delicious).

But we don't care, because not all chicken sandwiches are created equal. The healthiest chicken sandwich is probably the best universal option, because it will keep all our fat capitalist punching bags alive long enough to buy more quick, good chicken sandwiches.

Obviously, most of us are too lazy to look up nutritional information on our own, so we've broken it down for you from worst to best:

3. Popeyes

Popeyes is dog*it. Nutritional information for Popeye's newest chicken sandwich isn't readily available online (althoughTake offAttach it to a giant690 calories), so that their slightly healthier kippo'boy will act as a stand-in.

To clarify, we're not going to sit here and tell you that all carbs or all fats are bad, because that's patently untrue. A healthy diet consists of a balance of all three macronutrients: fat, carbohydrates and protein (leaning toward protein if you want to build muscle). That said, the whole reason chicken is considered so healthy is because it's basically all protein, with no carbs and very little fat.

So for Popeye's to somehow fit 32 grams of fat into a pair of briefskipsandwiches are madness. Do they pump it with lard? Completely ugly.

2. Wendy's

Wendy's has the low-calorie chicken sandwich, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the healthiest. They give e.g. not the number of carbohydrates – which amounts to 32.6 grams. But the most disturbing thing about Wendy's chicken sandwich is how little protein it contains. 14 grams of protein in a chicken sandwich is ridiculously low, considering the protein is directly related to the amount of chicken (the healthiest part). Essentially, Wendy's doesn't give you full poop like Popeyes, but they don't seem to give you much chicken either.

1. Chicken fillet-A

Make no mistake; Chick-fil-A is not good for you. But compared to its competitors, Wendy's and Popeye's, Chick-fil-A technically offers the healthiest chicken sandwich (if by "healthiest" we mean least likely to cause a heart to go into cardiac arrest). Unlike Popeyes, the amount of fat isn't huge, and unlike Wendy's, the protein content is about where it should be. 40 grams of carbs is still significantly more than it has any right to be, which means a lot of breadcrumbs, but at least you're getting a good serving of protein as well.

So should you drive on to Chick-fil-A and take solace in the fact that, while you're still hastening your own untimely death, your favorite chicken sandwich is healthier than the competition?

Nee! Because, as it turns out,Chick-fil-A is (still) garbage.With its CEO, Dan Cathy, having ties to anti-LGBTQ+ groups and a history of controversy over the company's commitment to the biblical definition of the "family unit" (i.e. heteronormativity), the main ingredient of Chick's sandwiches is -fil-A clear. oppression.

However, Burger King recently threw shade at the chain and showed off their own Ch'King Deluxe Sandwich, pledging to donate 40 cents from every purchase to the Human Rights Campaign (up to $250,000). They too late threw their own challenger into the ring:

Looking at the nutrition facts, Burger King's Ch'King may be the worst sandwich for your health, but the best for your conscience, because we really can't have nice things.

Add that to the fact that heart disease ismain cause of deathfor American adults and we all lose the great chicken sandwich debate – um, enjoy your meal?

This article was originally published by the author in August 2019 and updated by the editors in June 2021.