The Healthiest Choices at Kentucky Fried Chicken

Forget about fried items and have these tasty meals.

With the word "fried" smack in the middle of the name, we were surprised to find some decent AND healthy meals at this roadside food shop. The trick is to order wisely. Skip the obvious: chicken wings, breaded and fried chicken, chicken strips and popcorn chicken (both are fried), pot pie, anything labeled "crispy" (which means deep fried), and most desserts (except the one we've mentioned on the next page). Don't be alarmed—there's plenty left on KFC's menu to choose from! Choose sandwiches and salads with roasted, skinless chicken breast, salads without dressing or croutons (add fat-free and light dressing instead) and enjoy delicious, satisfying side dishes to boot. Check out what we found:

• Roasted BLT Salad without Dressing, with Hidden Valley Golden Italian Light Dressing & Lil' Bucket Strawberry Short Cake
  Similar to the Roasted Caesar Salad, cubed, seasoned and roasted chicken is tossed on a bed of chopped Romaine lettuce with diced tomatoes. The difference is bacon - just enough to add flavor, but not enough to put your diet in jeopardy. The light dressing adds great flavor without calories and fat. Room for dessert? A parfait-like cup of shortcake, topped with strawberry topping and whipped cream. Not bad for 210 calories and 7 grams of fat. Choose this over the Crispy BLT Salad with Hidden Valley The Original Ranch dressing and dodge 120 calories and 24 grams of fat. PLUS, you can enjoy dessert!
  Calories 410
  Fat 13g
  Saturated Fat 7g
  Carbohydrates 41g
  Fiber 5g
  


• Honey BBQ KFC Snacker, Mashed Potatoes without Gravy
  A small-looking sandwich in our supersize world, but you get all white meat chicken in a sweet-n-savory barbecue sauce on a wonderfully soft roll. On the side, enjoy buttery home-style mashed potatoes. If you're tempted to get gravy, add 30 calories and 1 gram of fat. The best part? This meal boasts the lowest sodium of all our picks. Opt for this over three pieces of Chicken Strips and avoid 140 calories and 16 grams of fat. That's WITH mashed potatoes on the side!
  Calories 320
  Fat 7g
  Saturated Fat 5g
  Carbohydrates 38g
  Fiber 6g
  


• Roasted Caesar Salad without Dressing & Croutons, using Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Fat Free Dressing, 3" Corn on the Cob
  This is a healthy, satisfying salad that boasts a hefty amount of cubed, seasoned and roasted chicken breast, diced tomatoes and shredded Parmesan cheese over chopped Romaine lettuce. Add the creamy, fat-free Ranch dressing and a side of golden sweet cob corn for a mouthwatering and filling meal. The sodium is high considering your daily maximum should not exceed 2400 mg., so watch your intake at other meals. Order this instead of the Crispy Caesar Salad with Creamy Parmesan Caesar Dressing and Parmesan Garlic Croutons and dodge 355 calories and 38.5 grams of fat.
  Calories 315
  Fat 9.5g
  Saturated Fat 5g
  Carbohydrates 27g
  Fiber 63g
  


• Tender Roast Sandwich without Sauce, Baked Beans
  A seasoned, roasted chicken breast topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomato and nestled on a super-soft bun. If you MUST have sauce, ask for fat-free Ranch dressing and add just 35 calories and zero fat grams per serving. Get the baked beans on the side - they're slow cooked in a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce. Order this instead of the Crispy Twister Sandwich and skip 30 calories and 22.5 grams of fat (plus, you'll enjoy more food!).
  Calories 520
  Fat 5.5g
  Saturated Fat 1.5g
  Carbohydrates 73g
  Fiber 9g
  


• Chicken Breast without Skin or Breading, Seasoned Rice, Green Beans
  Sounds humdrum but it's not—the chicken is seasoned and roasted to moist perfection. The flavorful rice is lightly seasoned and the green beans are nicely paired with smoky bacon and onions (just not enough bacon to send fat grams soaring). What does soar is the sodium so modify your intake at other meals. Select this over the regular Chicken Breast with Potato Wedges and avoid 280 calories and 26 grams of fat.
  Calories 340
  Fat 4.5g
  Saturated Fat 0g
  Carbohydrates 40g
  Fiber 4g
  

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