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Chick-fil-A is one of the most buzzworthy fast-food restaurants with a prominent, cult-like following. Have you seen the lines at that place? People are committed to those crispy chicken sandwiches. Still, some menu items are less than desirable at CFA. From employee warnings to registered dieticians' insights, here are some things you'll probably want to forego next time you choose to "eat mor chikin."
Not everyone who orders a salad is concerned about calories, but if you are opting for a lettuce-based entree at Chick-fil-A because you want a healthier option, steer clear of the Cobb salad. The standard Cobb at CFA comes with crispy nuggets, roasted corn kernels, a shredded cheese blend, crumbled bacon, hard-boiled egg, and grape tomatoes.
Where things ramp up quickly is the dressing department. The salad includes avocado lime ranch dressing, which packs on an additional 310 calories, and 80 calories worth of crispy bell peppers, shooting the total calorie amount to 830. Coupled with the colossal calories, the fat content adds to making this salad the restaurant's unhealthiest menu item, according to registered dietician Yelena Wheeler, RDN, MPH.
You can cut the Cobb's calories back a bit by subbing the crispy nuggets out for grilled chicken, and there are plenty of dressing options that don't pack as much of a calorie-laden punch.
I ordered this by mistake once. I ignored the "cool" in the menu item's name and was entirely unaware this thing was a cold wrap made with chicken lunch meat. At a fast-food joint where crispy chicken reigns supreme, WHY is this on the menu? It's an abomination.
If you grab a side salad, pay attention to the dressing. It also comes with that 310-calorie avocado lime ranch dressing and 80 calories worth of crispy bell peppers. Suddenly your healthy side dish is more calories than a side of waffle fries. Yikes.
So, by now you've probably deduced that avocado lime ranch dressing at Chick-fil-A is an "I'll pass" if you're concerned about calories, right? We won't beat you over the head with this one.
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On a menu where you can get the real thing (waffle fries, duh), why on earth would you opt for the potato chip knock-off instead? One Chick-fil-A employee took to Reddit to lament that these bad boys are the least-coveted menu item of the lot, mentioning that their restaurant only sells a couple of bags each week.
The hash brown scramble burrito is widely regarded as one of Chick-fil-A's worst breakfast menu items and, considering the cool wrap situation, we're thinking CFA should leave the tortillas alone. This burrito is customizable by protein, but no matter which way you order it, it's void of flavor thanks to the unseasoned hash browns and unseasoned eggs.
There's nothing horribly awry with the tendies at Chick-fil-A, but the nuggets are just so much better. Stick to the nuggies.
Related: You Can Score a Huge Bag of That Delicious Chick-fil-A Ice for Less Than $2
Chick-fil-A employees banded together on Reddit on this one, with many mentioning how overpriced the applesauce is for the amount (and the quality) of what you get.
You're going to pay a pretty penny for a Chick-fil-A combo. Instead, there is a budget hack to try instead. Though it is a bit of a pain in the behind to order (and a bigger pain in the behind to the ones taking and making your order), it is cheaper.
If you're against condiments, the following does not concern you. But if you're someone who wants flavor added to your chicken sammie, remember: Chick-fil-A's sandwiches do not come with sauce. If you want sauce, you have to ask for it (and there are eight options to choose from).
