Are you on Optavia and wondering what you can eat at Chick-fil-A? Look no further becasue I can relate to your struggle.
Although most of the Chick fil A sandwiches, burritos, wraps, and even salads have by default over 500 calories, there are options to modify your meal and make it Optavia-friendly.
How do I know this?
I’ve scoured the Chick-fil-A menu to find delicious low-calorie meals that fit into the program’s guidelines.
Let me share my top 7 Optavia Chick fil A menu items and tips on how to navigate the menu to stay on track with your 5 and 1 plan.
What can I eat at Chick-fil-A on Optavia?
Going through Chick Fil A menu wasn’t easy as almost all of the meals are packed with calories, carbs, and fats that exceed Optavia dining out guidelines.
The Optavia guidelines for lean and green meals suggest keeping your meal within a recommended range in terms of calories and macros.
The table below provides a breakdown of calories, carbs, proteins, and fats that are recommended according to Optavia guidelines.
| Calories | 250-400 |
| Carbohydrates | 15-20 grams |
| Proteins | 25 grams (or more) |
| Fats | 10-20 grams |
As you can see, these guidelines are quite strict, providing little room for deviation.
You can easily view the calorie and nutrition information for all menu items at Chick-fil-A on their website, making it transparent and easily accessible.
Unlike some of the Optavia-friendly Taco Bell options, most of the menu items at Chick fil A don’t fit these guidelines.
There are no breakfast options at Chick-fil-A that are fully approved for Optavia, even when modified.
For example, Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffin has 310 calories, but it only has 16 grams of proteins (1).
On the contrary, Chick-fil-A Spicy Deluxe Sandwich has 33 grams of proteins, but 550 calories per serving (2).
So my advice?
The only way to make it work is to either choose the selected entrees or customize (when possible) your order to meet the Optavia diet rules.
Optavia Chick fil A menu
There are seven of the healthiest (and most delicious) items that will keep you on track with your Optavia weight loss goals.
And don’t worry, we won’t be discussing burritos, biscuits, kids’ meals, drinks, or desserts – just the good stuff.
So, get ready to learn about the Optavia-friendly Chick-fil-A menu options!
1. Grilled Chicken Sandwich
In my experience, the Chick-fil-A grilled chicken sandwich is the best option for the Optavia 5 and 1 diet.
Why?
It contains 380 calories, 12g of fat, and a whopping 28g of protein.
However, it’s important to note that this sandwich also has 43g of carbs, which may be too high for some on the Optavia program.
If you do choose to indulge in this sandwich, you can either treat it as a once-a-week treat or skip one Optavia fueling to make up for the extra carbs.
Personally, I opt for the former approach.
When I eat out, I know that I may not be able to stick to my plan perfectly, but indulging in a grilled chicken sandwich once in a while won’t hurt my progress too much.
So that’s exactly what I would do.
2. Market Salad
Do you want to know my hidden Optavia Chick-fil-A hack for customizing my Chick-fil-A Market Salad?
(It’s not really a secret, to be honest.)
Don’t mix it with the salad dressing.
The Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing contains 230 calories, 19g of fat, and 16g of carbs.
By doing so, the Market Salad will have 310 calories, 12g of fat, 25g of carbs, and 28g of protein, making it a compliant option for the Optavia program.
3. Spicy Southwest Salad
As for the spicy Southwest salad, you can definitely have it on the program but you’ll need to modify it by skipping the Creamy Salsa Dressing.
Instead, I recommend trying out some of the Optavia approved zero-calories dressings to keep your meal within guidelines.
The table below provides a comparison of the Chick-fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad with and without dressing in terms of calories and macros.
| With Dressing | Without Dressing | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 690 | 400 |
| Fat | 49g | 18g |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 27g |
| Protein | 33g | 33g |
As you can see, the table clearly highlights the impact that dressing can have on the nutritional value of a seemingly healthy salad option.
4. Grilled Nuggets
Yes, you can indulge in Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets on the Optavia diet, as they still fit within the guidelines of the diet, although they may not be as ideal as the Chick-n-Strips.
If you’re trying to decide how many nuggets to order, let me break down the nutrition for you.
- Eight pieces of nuggets will give you 250 calories, 11g of fat, 11g of carbs, and 27g of protein.
- On the other hand, if you go for 12 pieces, you’re looking at 380 calories, 17g of fat, 16g of carbs, and 40g of protein.
To help you make a decision, I’ve put together a handy little table comparing the two options:
| Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 pieces | 250 | 11g | 11g | 27g |
| 12 pieces | 380 | 17g | 16g | 40g |
Personally, I think either option is a good choice, depending on your hunger level and how many calories you have left in your daily budget.
If you’re feeling satisfied with your meal so far, 8 pieces should do the trick.
But if you’re really hungry and need a bit more protein, go for the 12-piece option.
5. Chick-fil-A Nuggets
The best low-carb option at Chick-fil-A is the Chick-fil-A Nuggets.
Each serving contains:
- 380 calories
- 17g of fat
- 16g of carbs
- 40g of protein
However, it’s important to avoid any salad dressings or side dips, as they can add unwanted calories and carbs to your meal.
I don’t recommend any side salads either.
Why?
Most of the salads (even the kale side salad) contain 120 kcal, putting you over the recommended 400 kcal.
Instead, stick to the Chick-fil-A Nuggets for a high-protein, low-carb option that’s compliant with the Optavia diet.
6. Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips
Another Chick-fil-A meal for Optavia 5 and 1 plan I can recommend are Chick-n-Strips.
They’re a pretty healthy option that fits in with the low-carb, high-protein approach of the diet.
If you stick with 3 pieces of the strips, you’ll be looking at 310 calories, 14g of fat, 6g of carbs, and 29g of protein. That’s a solid meal that still leaves some room for some greens on the side.
Personally, I like to live a little on the edge and go for 4 pieces of the strips, which bumps up the calories to 410, fat to 19g, carbs to 22g, and protein to 39g.
It’s a bit over the recommended limit for Optavia, but I find that the extra protein helps me with my weight loss goals.
7. Cobb Salad
If you’re following the Optavia program and want to eat the Cobb salad at Chick-fil-A, you’ll need to modify your order.
The default version of the Cobb salad comes with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, which contains 310 calories and 32g of fat.
However, by removing this dressing, you can bring your meal in line with Optavia guidelines and enjoy a compliant option.
The bottom line
The Chick-fil-A menu provides plenty of options for the Optavia diet, but you need to remember about modification.
So if you’re in the mood for a bite from Chick-fil-A but want to stay true to the Optavia program, there are plenty of ways to do it.
If you love any of these items as much as we do, please let us know below!
