Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets | The Best Blog Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Are baked nuggets healthier? ›

However, oven-baked chicken nuggets made of white meat chicken breast in place of fried chicken nuggets can be quite healthful. So when cooking at home or buying store bought items, it's important to read the ingredient list and food label and then prepare foods in the healthiest ways possible.

Salmon, fish sticks, eggs, turkey lunch meat, yogurt, or mozzarella string cheese. Beans and grains. Soy products like soy milk or tofu. (You can even try soy "chicken" nuggets).

Chicken nuggets are a childhood classic that no kid will turn down. But adults like them equally well, so you can serve them to the whole family. Healthier version. Making chicken nuggets in the air fryer cuts down on fat and calories compared to store-bought, deep-fried, or fast-food versions.

One of the top restaurant chains serving a 6 pack of chicken nuggets was found to contain a quarter of your daily recommended dietary intake. Nuggets are fried in hydrogenated oil and contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and preservatives. This makes them an unhealthy choice, especially if you eat them often.

A meal of 20 chicken nuggets is not too much food for you, but it is high in sodium and lacking in nutrition, other than protein. As long as you don't eat this for lunch every day, it is fine. Your young, growing body needs other nutrients found in vegetables, fruit and dairy products.

Try to find brands that have at least 12 grams of protein per serving. Look for light breading if possible. Sometimes nuggets are mostly breading with very little meat which makes them higher in carbs and lower in protein. Consider the amount of fat but especially saturated fat.

THE SENTENCE: Though they're supposedly made of good-for-you lean white meat chicken, McDonald's McNuggets are far from healthy and nutritious. So, if your options are all about deciding whether to nosh on a McNugget or not, your best bet is to fly the coop.

Six-piece Chicken McNuggets

With 250 calories per serving, the six-piece Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's can be a good option if you're trying to lose or maintain weight. These chicken nuggets contain 14 grams of protein and can be paired with your choice of condiment or dipping sauce.

A closer look at Chick-fil-A's nutrition facts reveals that a serving of eight grilled nuggets contains just 140 calories and is a good source of protein at 23 grams, certainly making it one of the healthier options at a fast food restaurant (as long as you resist the temptation to add a side of fries).

"Chick-fil-A's Grilled Nuggets are one of the best fast-food options out there," shares Marisela Gomez Raffo, RDN, LDN. "High in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates, they are grilled instead of fried, which reduces the overall amount of fat compared to most other fast food chicken nuggets," she adds.

Are fish sticks or chicken nuggets healthier? ›

Chicken nuggets earn the first point with 29 fewer calories than an equally sized serving of fish sticks. They've also got a slight edge on carbs: Chicken nuggets have 18 g and fish sticks pack 24. But when it comes to fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber, and sugar, the two are essentially identical.

Because cooking in the oven and air frying utilize similar heating techniques (i.e., hot air), food will generally end up with the same nutrient profile regardless of the appliance you choose.

Verdict: The oven and air-fryer methods hands down tied for the win, and they were worth the extra cooking time. While the oven produced a tad juicier nugget, the air fryer created a slightly crispier one, which felt like an even trade off for me and made them equally delicious.

And because they also use little to no oil compared to other traditional cooking methods, they're also seen as a healthy alternative. But now, shoppers have been ditching their air fryers in favour of a different gadget that's said to be even cheaper - and even healthier - when it comes to preparing meals.

The Verdict: Most varieties of processed chicken nuggets should be eaten sparingly. Besides offering little nutritional value, there contain an overwhelmingly high amount of preservatives.

Chick-fil-A^® Nuggets

Bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken breast, seasoned to perfection, freshly breaded and pressure cooked in 100% refined peanut oil.

Grilled Chicken is better for the body because it loses its fat during the cooking process. The fat will drip off the meat during the cooking process. This cooking method also provides iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc to the consumer. Frying chicken will cause it to lose these essential vitamins.

"If you want nuggets, do your waistline a favor and get the grilled nuggets instead," the Twins suggest. "One serving is only 130 calories and has 25 satisfying grams of protein with only 3 grams of fat.