The 6 Healthiest PDQ Menu Items—And 4 To Skip

There's a block in my hometown coined "the chicken strip," where there are at least four fast-food fried chicken restaurants within a one-mile radius, and PDQ is one of them. PDQ reminds me a bit of Starbucks, where there's what seems like one on every corner. When there are so many spots to choose from, PDQ is hands down one of the fast-food chicken champs. The chicken is consistently fresh, crisp, juicy, and delicious. But what is the PDQ menu like? And are there ways to find nutritious offerings when you're in a pinch?

While PDQ is known for tasty chicken, they're usually not the place you go for a healthy meal. Don't let that stop you, though; there's always a chance to find something nutritious on a fast-food menu.

For example, at PDQ, you can order a side of parmesan broccoli instead of fries, which provides a dose of fiber and vitamins. And then there's the salads. Even the crispy chicken is a better-for-you choice than your average fried chicken sandwich with 380 calories, 30 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber. Plus, you can always opt for grilled tenders or nuggets instead of fried which is easily the most health-conscious choice on the menu.

Whether you're looking for a lighter meal or just want to indulge your fried chicken cravings, the menu at PDQ has got you covered. And, as a dietitian, I'm always looking for restaurants that offer both.

How We Chose The Healthiest PDQ Orders

• Packed With protein: Since chicken is a protein source, it wouldn't be easy to find a meal item that's not rich in this macronutrient (aside from the sides, desserts, and sauces). In fact, all of the entree items contain anywhere from 20 to upwards of 50 grams of protein per serving. Even a 2-count chicken tender provides 20 grams of protein—perfectly sufficient as part of a balanced meal. The more, the merrier, in my book, as protein has so many nutritional benefits. A dietary intake at or above the RDA of 0.8 g/kg is associated with greater muscle mass, reduced body fat, greater feelings of fullness and satiety after a meal, and reduced appetite.
• High in fiber: Fiber is hard to come by on a fast-food menu, and PDQ is no exception. Dietary fiber is the nondigestible portion of carbohydrates and is found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Including high-fiber foods with a meal helps promote feelings of fullness and satiety so you're less likely to overeat. A diet rich in fiber is also associated with improved gut health, cardiovascular health, and obesity risk factors. The daily recommended intake of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Aiming for about 8 grams of fiber at meals and 3-5 grams at snacks will help you reach your daily fiber goals.
• Low levels of saturated fat: It's no secret that fast-food menu items often come with a large dose of dietary fat—both the good and bad kind. We definitely need fat in our diet because they're essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, helping reduce inflammation, and assisting in other cellular functions. However, research suggests swapping saturated fats for mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids is associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease as compared to a diet high in saturated fat. The USDA recommends less than 10% of your daily calorie intake from saturated fat. For someone following a 2000-calorie diet, that's about 22 grams of saturated fat max per day.

Read on for the 9 of the most nutritious orders at PDQ and 4 menu items to avoid. Then, check out these 14 Best & Worst Fast-Food Chicken Sandwiches.

Tenders

Grilled Chicken Tenders

PDQ's Grilled Chicken Tenders are an obvious choice on the nutrition front. They're available in 2, 3, 4, and 5-count orders and are all equally nutritious. Which one you choose boils down to how many grams of protein you're looking to fill your plate with. One 2-count order of grilled chicken tenders provides 20 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fat. That's a sufficient serving of protein for any given meal. If you divide these numbers in half, that means one chicken tender has about 10 grams of protein—so if you're aiming for 30 grams or more of protein for your meal, pick a larger order count.

 8 Best & Worst Fast-Food Chicken Tenders

Recommended Sauce: Buffalo Bleu

Not many people are eating their tenders sans sauce. I'm not one to judge if you do. But when it comes to the healthiest items on PDQ's menu, you can easily smash the calories by making a poor sauce choice. For that reason, the most nutritious choice of sauce to include with your tenders (whether grilled or fried) is PDQ's Buffalo Bleu Sauce. Even though there's a slightly lower calorie option (aka Honey Mustard), Buffalo Bleu is a more balanced choice. With 8 grams of total fat and only 2 grams of saturated fat, you're getting a hefty dose of good fats that improve the satiety of a meal.

Recommended Side: Broccoli Parmesan

The healthiest side item at PDQ is the Broccoli Parmesan. It consists of cooked broccoli sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Broccoli alone is a nutritious and fiber-rich option, but the addition of parmesan cheese means you're getting 6 grams of healthy fats and a boost in protein.

 The #1 Unhealthiest Side Dish at 11 Popular Restaurant Chains

Salads

Mediterranean Salad

The Mediterranean salad is a balanced bowl of mixed greens, red cabbage, carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, olives, feta, and hummus, then topped with PDQ's juicy grilled chicken. This meal contains the most fiber on the menu by far, at 7 grams, and is packed with protein and healthy fats. The only downside is the massive levels of sodium, likely due to the pepperoncini, olives, and feta. At 1,680 milligrams, that's 70% of your daily sodium needs.

 The Best & Worst Fast-Food Salads

Grilled PDQ Salad

At first glance, the Grilled PDQ Salad is better for you than the Mediterranean salad, but it's important to note that this meal's nutrition facts do not include the salad dressing. When you add those numbers in, the health status of the salad will change. Regardless, the Grilled PDQ Salad consists of mixed greens, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and shredded jack and cheddar cheese and is topped with grilled chicken breast. With these ingredients and nutritional values, it's a healthy choice off the PDQ menu.

 11 Popular Fast-Food Salads—Ranked by Sugar Content

Recommended Dressing: Lemon Chile Vinaigrette

Since salad dressing choices can make or break a healthy option, I thought it fitting to help you identify the healthiest one on the menu—the Lemon Chile Vinaigrette. This dressing has 14 grams of healthy fats and only 4 grams of sugar. The Blueberry Vinaigrette comes in at a close second with 17 grams of healthy fats and 8 grams of sugar.

Here's a tip: since all of the dressings on the menu have 4-tablespoon servings—far more than what's needed to flavor-up your salad—you can easily cut calories by asking for the dressing on the side and using less than the entire container.

 13 Healthiest Salad Dressings To Buy

Sandwiches

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is a balanced and nutritious meal if you order it plain without the PDQ sauce. This sandwich has 290 calories, only 1.5 grams of saturated fat, and 24 grams of protein. The only thing it's missing is a sufficient serving of fiber. If you order it with the PDQ sauce as it's listed on the menu (grilled chicken breast with PDQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato), you're looking at an additional 150 calories and 2.5 grams of saturated fat.

 8 Healthiest Fast-Food Chicken Sandwiches

Shakes & Desserts

Vanilla Shake

If you've got a hankering for a creamy shake, the Vanilla Shake is the least offensive when it comes to nutrition. Once you begin adding toppings and ingredients, the calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar increase rapidly. The one thing PDQ's shakes have going for them is they all contain at least 9 grams of healthy unsaturated fats and 7-19 grams of protein.

 The 9 Worst Fast-Food Milkshakes of All Time

Cranapple Oatmeal Cookie

The freshly baked Cranapple Oatmeal Cookie packed with dried cranberries and apples is the best choice if you're looking for something sweet. One cookie has 340 calories, 13 grams of fat (7 grams of saturated fat), 2 grams of fiber, 30 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Any amount of protein and fiber in a cookie is a good thing—both of which will help stimulate the vagus nerve so you feel full faster and eat less overall.

The Unhealthiest Menu Options at PDQ To Skip

Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich

Surprisingly, the tenders and sandwiches at PDQ aren't as unhealthy as you'd imagine. While the Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich is packed with 35 grams of filling protein, it's also high in sugar, total carbohydrates, and total fat (13 grams of saturated). Plus, you're getting more than half of your daily sodium needs with this sandwich. The Buffy Bleu sandwich is a better choice, with 440 calories, 18 grams of fat (3 grams of saturated fat), 39 grams of carbs, and 29 grams of protein.

Oreo Shake

The shakes are undoubtedly the most unhealthy items on the menu and the more toppings you add, the more the calories, fat, sodium, and sugar increase, too. The Oreo Shake is not the worst option but still pretty calorie-rich coming in at 960. It gets worse with 49 grams of fat, 25 grams of saturated fat, 115 grams of carbs, and 74 grams of sugar. Even if you went with the smaller 14-ounce option you're still looking at 17 grams of saturated fat and 47 grams of sugar.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Chocolate Shake

The nutrition facts are so high for PDQ's 20-ounce Chocolate Shake that it almost seems like a mistake. But sadly, there's no mistake here. The chocolate shake has for many people an entire day's worth of calories, fat, and carbohydrates. The sugar goes through the roof, yet somehow, it has 9 grams of fiber and 18 grams of protein. I don't know whether to laugh or cry with this one.

Reese's Shake

Speaking of unbelievable, the 20-ounce Reese's Shake comes in at a close 2nd to chocolate as the most unhealthiest PDQ menu item. Again, this shake is almost an entire day's worth of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sugar. It has 19 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, but it also has 50% of your daily sodium needs. Skip this one altogether or remember to bring your own Reese's Pieces to add to a vanilla shake instead.