Fried chicken, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy sound like a wonderful "comfort food" dinner, don't they? Don't get too comfortable if you eat this meal though, because you will have to do some extra exercise to burn off all the calories. KFC is a popular restaurant that serves up tasty chicken meals, but how healthy is a fried chicken meal at KFC?
The Meal
Start with two pieces of Original Recipe chicken, one breast and one wing. Add a side of mashed potatoes and gravy plus another side of cole slaw. Top off the meal with a medium soda.
The Nutrition
The two pieces of fried chicken would add up to about 500 calories, which includes nearly 25 grams of fat and around 200 mg of cholesterol. This is almost half of the fat suggested for a whole day and it isn't healthy fat. On the plus side, chicken is a good source of protein and iron.
The cole slaw probably has about 200 calories from it's sweet dressing and around 10 grams of fat, but it should add some vitamin A and vitamin C to your day. The mashed potatoes and gravy add another 125 to 150 calories and just a few more fat grams. The medium soda adds about 175 calories, all from sugar, with no nutritional benefit.
Assessment
This meal just has way too many calories, with more than 1000 calories for only one meal. It has too much fat and a lot of sugar as well. Save this meal for an occasional treat, and don't be tempted to go for seconds.
A Healthier Version
KFC has a three piece oven baked chicken strip meal which is served with green beans and seasoned rice. The chicken should only have about 200 calories and a lot less fat. The green beans and rice would only add another 200 calories or so. Drink water instead of the soda. This meal would only have around 400 calories, some vitamin A from the green beans and still be a good source of iron. It may not be as tasty as the typical fried chicken meal, but it won't add all the extra calories and fat, so it is definitely a better choice.
