Shake Shack Vs KFC: Which Serves A Healthier Classic Chicken Sandwich?

When you're out grabbing an indulgent bite at your beloved fast food chain, chances are you're not thinking about eating healthy — and if you were on a very strict diet, you probably wouldn't be ordering a fried chicken sandwich in the first place. Assuming you're having one of those days where nothing but a classic fast food chicken sandwich will do, it's a smart idea to seek out relevant nutritional information. And when it comes to choosing the healthier chicken sandwich option between KFC and Shake Shack, KFC's Classic Chicken Sandwich appears to be the way to go. 

Before digging in further, it's important to clarify a few things. Both KFC and Shake Shack make very good fried chicken sandwiches, ranking in the top five when we put 19 fast food chicken sandwiches through a taste test. Also, not all fast food is unhealthy. In fact, restaurants like Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, and Subway are all on our list of healthy fast food chains. 

There are a couple of important factors that make KFC's sandwich healthier. While KFC's sandwich has 90 calories more per serving than the Chick'n Shack (650 versus 560), this alone can't be a measure of what's good or bad for you. The Chick'n Shack has significantly more cholesterol — 115 milligrams compared to 90 milligrams in KFC's sandwich. Not just that, Shake Shack's sandwich also has double the amount of saturated fat. According to the American Heart Association, too much saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels and lead to higher risk of heart disease. It recommends consuming no more than 13 grams or less of saturated fat a day. Shake Shack's sandwich has 9 grams of saturated fat per serving, compared to KFC's sandwich, which has 4.5 grams per serving.

The other big factor that makes fast food relatively unhealthy is high sodium content. Shake Shack's sandwich fares better on this front, but only marginally. KFC's sandwich has 1260 mg of sodium compared to Shake Shack's, which has 1220 mg. We're going to call this one a tie, because in both cases, the sodium levels cross the 50% Dietary Value (DV) mark. This means they contain more than half the daily sodium requirement for an average person. This is a lot, considering foods labeled "low sodium" and "reduced sodium" (there is a difference between the two) clock in at under 5% and 25% DV respectively.

Now, a fried chicken sandwich is not unhealthy in and of itself. Even if you're watching what you eat, it's possible to indulge in this fast food favorite once in a while (cheat days exist for a reason). Also, you do get some positive nutrition value from it as well, like proteins and dietary fibers. In these factors, both KFC and Shake Shack's sandwiches are practically level. KFC's sandwich has 6 grams of protein compared to Shake Shack's 8 grams, while both have just 1 gram of dietary fiber each. If you're on a low-carb diet, then this next point of comparison might be of relevance: Shake Shack's sandwich has only 38 grams of carbohydrates compared to KFC's 49 grams.

The bottom line, however, is that if you're watching what you eat and craving a fried chicken sandwich at the same time, it might be better to make your own at home. Use this air fryer fried chicken recipe, which takes all of 40 minutes. And for an extra dash of good health, use mayonnaise from one of these healthy mayo brands when you're assembling your sandwich.