The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich That's One Of The Unhealthiest Fast Food Items
Fried chicken is not exactly a healthy food, but the crunchy, greasy decadence can definitely be worth all the extra calories and more that it brings to the table. This is especially true of fast food chicken sandwiches, a highly competitive category where brands attempt to stand out with powerful flavors. The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich is one such example, proving wildly popular because — or in spite — of its unhealthy nutritional facts.
The Popeyes chicken sandwich comes in multiple varieties, but the least healthy option is the 830-calorie Classic Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich, with an eye-popping 53 grams of fat (including 19 grams of saturated fat and 1.5 grams of trans fat) and 1,875 mg of sodium.
While everyone's dietary needs differ, according to the FDA's daily recommended values for adults, the Popeyes Classic Bacon & Cheese Chicken Sandwich offers 68% of daily fats, 95% of daily saturated fats, and 82% of daily sodium — and all of this before any sides come into play.
Why are Popeyes chicken sandwiches so unhealthy?
Other versions of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich are not quite as unhealthy as the Bacon & Cheese one. For instance, the first iteration, the Classic Chicken Sandwich, has 700 calories, 42 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, and 1,440 mg of sodium. These are still high numbers, but significantly less than Popeyes' most calorific contender.
However, all of Popeyes' sandwiches pack in the calories, fat, and salt compared to other fast food offerings. A Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, by comparison, contains just 420 calories. It is also high in fat, at 18 grams, and sodium, at 1,460 mg, but only has 3.5 grams of saturated fat.
What places Popeyes among the unhealthiest chicken sandwiches? Beyond the eggy, fatty brioche bun, Popeyes' breading is also on the thicker end of the fast food fried chicken spectrum. A thick breading adds more calories in its own right, and then absorbs even more calories and fat from the cooking oil as it fries. Dining at Popeyes is generally a high-calorie affair, but the delicious flavor makes it worth the indulgence.