Milly Gaines
Fast food and the keto diet don't seem like the best match. But Chick-fil-A has a keto-friendly menu that can be easily modified for low-carb, high-fat eaters. Many items on the menu are keto-friendly or can be made so with a few adjustments. For example, ordering grilled chicken instead of breaded chicken and ditching the bun can make a meal keto-friendly. There are also keto-friendly sauces and dressings available to add some extra fat to your meal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Keto-friendly drinks | Unsweetened iced tea, Coke Zero, black coffee, diet soda, and diet lemonade |
| Keto-friendly sauces | Chick-fil-A sauce, zesty buffalo, garden herb ranch, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, creamy salsa, light Italian, avocado lime ranch |
| Keto-friendly breakfast options | Any breakfast sandwich without the English muffin or biscuit, Hash Brown Scramble Bowl with grilled chicken or sausage and without hash browns, Egg White Grill |
| Keto-friendly lunch and dinner options | Grilled chicken sandwich without the bun, Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken without dressing or crispy bell pepper toppings, Market Salad with Grilled Filet without dressing or toppings, Side Salad without crispy bell pepper toppings or dressing, Grilled Chicken Club without the bun |
| Keto-friendly sides | Lettuce wraps, keto chicken nuggets, keto onion rings, keto mozzarella sticks, green bean fries |
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What You'll Learn
Keto-friendly sauces and dressings
While following a keto diet, it is important to be mindful of not just low-carb options but also high-fat ones. This means that sauces and dressings, which are often packed with sugar and artificial ingredients, need to be chosen carefully. Luckily, there are several keto-friendly options available at Chick-fil-A and otherwise that can add flavour to your meals.
Chick-fil-A offers a variety of keto-conscious menu items and sauces. To keep it keto-friendly, you can ask for non-keto food items to be removed from your meal. For example, you can order any breakfast sandwich without the English muffin or biscuit. You can also order the Hash Brown Scramble Bowl without the hash browns, with either grilled chicken or sausage. The Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken can be ordered without the dressing and crispy bell pepper toppings, and the same goes for the Market Salad with Grilled Filet. The grilled chicken club sandwich can be ordered without the multigrain bun, and you can choose Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese to minimize carbs. The grilled chicken nuggets are keto-friendly and can be paired with keto-friendly sauces like Chick-fil-A sauce, zesty buffalo, garden herb ranch, avocado lime ranch, keto-friendly ketchup, mustard, or hot sauce.
If you are making your own keto-friendly sauces and dressings at home, there are several options to choose from. Mayonnaise is a great base for cold dips and dressings, and you can make it yourself or buy one made with avocado oil or light olive oil. Other dairy-free options include coconut cream, oil, and veggie-based sauces like satay sauce, pesto, sugar-free ketchup, guacamole, and chimichurri. You can also make a teriyaki sauce using brown swerve, soy sauce, and everything bagel seasoning or black sesame seeds. For a cheese sauce, you can use butter and almond flour as a roux, then add a pack of Philly lightest and cheddar, thinning with water to your desired consistency.
There are also several store-bought keto-friendly sauces available, such as G. Hughes sugar-free ketchup, Sweet Baby Ray's sugar-free BBQ sauce, Walden Farms honey mustard and thousand island, Primal Kitchen Caesar, Yo Mama Marinara Sauce, and Wegmans peanut sauce.
In general, when making your own keto-friendly sauces and dressings, it is recommended to use ingredients like olive oil, apple cider vinegar, light soy sauce, lemon juice, fresh garlic, cracked pepper, salt, chilli flakes, butter, and various dried Mediterranean herbs.
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Keto chicken nuggets
Eating keto at Chick-Fil-A is possible, but the options are limited. The grilled chicken nuggets are keto-friendly, with only one gram of total carbs, and even the 12-piece has just two grams of carbs. However, if you're looking to make your own keto chicken nuggets at home, there are several recipes available.
One recipe suggests using ground turkey and shredded Monterey Jack cheese in lieu of chicken and mozzarella. You can also experiment with the coating, using panko or corn starch. Another recipe uses canned chicken breasts, which are placed in a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess liquid. The chicken is then combined with all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, moulded into nugget shapes, and baked in the oven.
If you're looking for a more simple recipe, you can try using canned chicken, almond flour, mozzarella cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl, form them into nugget shapes, and bake them in the oven or cook them in an air fryer. You can also coat the nuggets with crushed pork rinds for added crunch and texture.
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Keto breakfast options
Eating keto at Chick-Fil-A is possible, but it may seem challenging due to the limited options available. However, many items on the menu can be modified to fit a keto diet. Here are some keto breakfast options at Chick-Fil-A:
- Hash Brown Scramble Bowl: Simply ask for no hash browns, and you can add sausage or fried nuggets.
- Egg White Grill: Order it without the English muffin to reduce the carb content.
- Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit: This breakfast sandwich can be made keto-friendly by removing the biscuit.
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich: Opt for a lettuce wrap instead of the bun to reduce carbs.
- Grilled Chicken Nuggets: These are keto-friendly on their own, with only one gram of total carbs.
- Cobb Salad: Order it without the crispy bell peppers and choose a keto-friendly dressing, such as avocado lime ranch or garden herb ranch.
Now, let's explore some keto breakfast options beyond Chick-Fil-A:
- Egg-based dishes: Try scrambled eggs with parmesan, omelettes, or egg cups with ham and cheese.
- Waffles and Pancakes: Enjoy almond flour keto waffles or coconut flour keto pancakes.
- Smoothies and Shakes: Blend a coconut berry keto smoothie or a chocolate keto protein shake.
- Meat and Cheese: Go for deli meat like turkey or ham with cheese and a low-carb tortilla.
- Yogurt: Prepare homemade keto yogurt or enjoy it with nut granola.
- Avocado Toast: Spread avocado on homemade cheese and almond flour bagels, paired with bacon or turkey sausages.
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Keto drink options
While on a keto diet, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Water, whether plain or sparkling, is a great no-carb option to quench your thirst. You can also add a sprinkle of salt to your water if you are experiencing keto flu or a headache. Tea and coffee are also excellent choices, as long as they are not sweetened with sugar. Instead, you can add heavy cream and a keto-friendly sweetener such as stevia, erythritol, swerve, or allulose.
If you are looking for some variety, there are several other keto-friendly drink options to consider. Pure distilled alcohol is a good choice, as it contains zero carbs. Dry wines and champagnes/sparkling wines are also keto-friendly, although they may have some carbs. Low-carb beers are also available, such as Michelob Ultra, Rolling Rock Green Light, and Miller Light, which have around 3 grams of carbs. Hard seltzers, or alcoholic sparkling water, are another option with natural flavors and a bit of sugar, typically containing between 2 and 6 grams of carbs per can.
When it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, diet soda may be an option for some people, but sugar-sweetened beverages should be avoided. Instead, try unsweetened iced tea, or make your own kombucha at home by combining tea, a small amount of sugar, and a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Be sure to choose a low-carb, low-sugar option for your kombucha, as some brands can have up to 10 grams of carbs per serving. Bone broth is another keto-friendly option that may help maintain a healthy gut and support your immune system. Most non-dairy milk is also keto-friendly, as long as it does not contain sweeteners or additives.
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Keto salads
While eating keto at Chick-Fil-A might seem challenging, it's not impossible. The key is to opt for grilled chicken and avoid breading, buns, and fries. You can still enjoy their classic sandwiches by substituting the bun with a lettuce wrap, and they also offer keto-friendly sauces and dressings.
Now, let's talk about keto salads. Salads are a great way to enjoy a keto-friendly meal, as they can be rich in protein, nutrition, flavour, and healthy fats. Here are some ideas for keto salads:
Cobb Salad
This salad can be made keto-friendly by using grilled chicken instead of fried and avoiding crispy bell pepper toppings. You can also choose a keto-friendly dressing, such as avocado lime ranch or garden herb ranch, to add some healthy fats.
Market Salad
The market salad can be made keto-friendly by using grilled chicken or shrimp and avoiding any toppings and dressings that may have hidden carbs.
Side Salad
A simple side salad can be a great keto option with just 2g net carbs. Be sure to avoid any crispy toppings and opt for a keto-friendly dressing.
Mediterranean Salad
This salad is packed with cucumber, tomatoes, riced cauliflower, and feta cheese. The lemon dressing and kalamata olives add a nice tangy flavour. You can also add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a more substantial meal.
Shrimp and Avocado Salad
This salad combines hot shrimp, avocado, and cucumber, topped with a ginger and garlic dressing. It's a perfect keto option as it's low in carbs and high in healthy fats.
Taco Salad
For a Mexican twist, try a taco salad without the tortillas. You can add grilled chicken or shrimp, lettuce, and your favourite keto-friendly toppings and dressings.
Remember, when eating keto at Chick-Fil-A or making your own keto salads, it's important to be mindful of both low-carb and high-fat options to stay in ketosis.
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Frequently asked questions
You can order a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit without the biscuit, or a Hash Brown Scramble Bowl without the hash browns.
Yes, you can order unsweetened iced tea, Coke Zero, or black coffee.
Yes, Chick-fil-A has a variety of keto-friendly sauces, including their signature Chick-fil-A sauce, zesty buffalo, garden herb ranch, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce.
Yes, grilled chicken nuggets are keto-friendly, with only 1 gram of carbs per nugget.
You can order the Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken without the dressing or crispy bell pepper toppings, or the Market Salad with Grilled Filet and without the dressing or toppings.
