Is Chick-fil-A’s Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich Healthy?

Ahead of the seasons changing, Chick-fil-A announced their new fall menu selections. This includes a Cherry Berry & Sprite seasonal soda, waffle potato chips (in original and Chick-fil-A sauce flavors) and their highly anticipated Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwiches, available with regular, spicy and grilled chicken fillets. 

The new chicken sandwiches feature lettuce, sliced tomato, Cheddar cheese and applewood-smoked bacon inside of a pretzel bun. Each sandwich also comes with a side of Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce to lather on as you please.

Before you zoom over to your local Chick-fil-A to try out this comforting bite, there are some things to keep in mind. Besides its pretzel bun, the high-protein sandwich may seem simplistic, and the grilled option may seem like a healthy fix. So you have all the facts, we’ve rounded up the nutritional information for this new sandwich—and we had a dietitian weigh in on the grilled version and how healthy an option it is.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for one Grilled Pretzel Cheddar Club Sandwich:

• Calories: 545
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Dietary fiber: 2g
• Total sugars: 7g
• Protein: 36g
• Total fat: 24g
• Saturated fat: 8.5g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 1040mg

This grilled sandwich is loaded with protein, meaning that it’s sure to satisfy and keep you full for longer. And while it is lower in saturated fat and sodium than the regular and spicy versions of this sandwich, here’s what our senior nutrition editor and registered dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD wants you to keep in mind before ordering.

“While this sandwich is grilled and not fried, so it’s lower in fat than a fried sandwich would be, it still has 1,040 milligrams of sodium per sandwich. That’s nearly half the daily recommended intake for sodium. And sodium is a nutrient most Americans are eating too much of,” shares Ball. “If you enjoy the flavors, it could make sense to enjoy occasionally for a convenient bite on the go. However, it’s still a food that should be eaten in moderation. Even though it might be lower in saturated fat and sodium than their other offerings, it’s still quite high in both.”

We admit that these new pretzel bun sandwich offerings sound delicious, but like Ball explains, they’re best as an occasional meal. For a meal that’s more nutritious from the chain that you can eat more regularly, try our newsletter and notifications editor Sadie Schulte’s go-to pick: the Kale Crunch Salad with grilled nuggets and zesty buffalo sauce. Just make sure it’s not Sunday!