Chick-fil-A offers a variety of chicken options on their menu. At first glance, one might consider the chicken options to be more heart-healthy than beef options at competing fast food restaurants. While this may be true for some menu selections, there are few, if any, chicken options at Chick-fil-A that could be considered heart-healthy choices.

According to Chick-fil-A’s website, their chicken sandwich provides 430 calories, 17g of fat, 39g of carbohydrate and 31g protein. The fat content includes 3.5g saturated fat, which is 18 percent of the daily value. Medline Plus notes that diets high in saturated fat may increase the risk of heart disease. The chicken sandwich also contains 1370mg of sodium, which is 57 percent of the daily value. Diets high in sodium may also contribute to heart disease risk and high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association.

Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich is similar in nutrition content to the regular chicken sandwich but may be slightly worse in terms of heart health. This is due to the sandwich containing slightly more saturated fat, 4g versus 3.5g, and much more sodium, 1730mg versus 1370mg. A spicy chicken sandwich contains 72 percent of the daily value of sodium.

The chargrilled chicken sandwich is a better choice in terms of fat content. Each sandwich contains 300 calories, 3.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 38g carbohydrate and 29g protein. The sandwich is still not a heart-healthy sandwich, as it contains 1120mg sodium, or 47 percent of the daily recommended value.

The chicken salad sandwich is nutritionally similar to the regular chicken sandwich but with slightly more calories. The sandwich contains 500 calories, 20g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 52g carbohydrate and 29g protein. Once again, this sandwich provides about half a day’s worth of sodium, at 1240mg or 52 percent of the recommended daily value.

Chick-fil-A’s Chick-n-Strips are another 500-calorie menu option. Each four-count portion contains 24g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 24g carbohydrate and 47g protein. They contain 1630mg sodium, which is 68 percent of the daily value. Although the strips are a terrific source of protein, their high saturated fat content and high sodium content make them another poor choice for heart health.

The chicken nuggets are nutritionally similar to the Chick-n-Strips, though they contain 100 fewer calories per 12-count serving. Each serving contains 400 calories, 17g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 18g carbohydrates and 42g protein. The sodium content is 1480mg, or 62 percent of the recommended daily value.