What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Too Much Chick-Fil-A
If you can't get Chick-fil-A's crispy chicken sandwiches or famous fries off your mind when it's time for a cheat meal, you're not alone. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), Chick-fil-A has earned top marks for customer satisfaction for the past six years, beating out dozens of other fast-food chains for the title. However, while the occasional fast food indulgence may have its place, if you're eating Chick-fil-A too frequently, there could be serious consequences for your health if you eat too much Chick-Fil-A at once.
Read on to discover what could happen if you're indulging at this popular chain too often, and for more fast food news, McDonald's Is Making These 8 Major Upgrades.
You may gain weight.
Eating any food in excess can lead to weight gain, but fast food like Chick-fil-A may pack those pounds on faster than a meal you'd cook at home.
"If you eat a lot of Chick-fil-A, you can experience weight gain. This is because the oil used to fry the chicken and fries is just as high in saturated fat as any other restaurant," says Trista Best, RD, a dietitian at Balance One Supplements. In fact, many of the chain's meals contain a surprising number of calories—just one Hash Brown Scramble Burrito packs 700 calories, more than one-third of the calories most people should eat in a day.
Your body may experience inflammation.
If you want to ease the chronic inflammation in your body—a condition that can lead to everything from diabetes to heart disease to premature death—you might want to moderate your Chick-fil-A intake.
"You will experience inflammation and pain if you eat too much Chick-fil-A," says Best. "This depends on what items you are consuming, but for those made with refined carbohydrates and inflammatory ingredients, this can occur."
Your blood pressure may rise.
If you want to get your blood pressure under control, you'll probably want to consider making Chick-fil-A a sometimes food rather than a daily treat.
Wendy Hoffman, RDN, MS, CDER, says that it's especially important to be mindful of the sauces with your Chick-fil-A order—you could consuming more salt in your diet than you bargained for.
"The barbecue sauce can add a day's worth of sodium with more than 1500 milligrams of sodium in an 8 oz. container," Hoffman cautions.
And if you want to get your blood pressure into a healthier range, check out the 20 Healthiest Foods That Lower Blood Pressure.
You may consume more sugar than you bargained for.
Even if you aren't ordering off of Chick-fil-A's dessert menu, you may be getting more sugar than you expected with your meal. According to the American Heart Association, women should consume no more than 25 grams of sugar a day, and men should consume no more than 36 grams. However, many of Chick-fil-A's savory dishes can get you to that number in no time.
A Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich packs 9 grams of sugar, and adding a side of Polynesian Dipping Sauce adds another 12 grams of sugar to your order. Add in a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup, which has 4 grams of sugar, and you could meet your RDA of sugar in a single meal.
If you want to make healthier choices the next time you get a fast food craving, check out our ranking of The Best and Worst Foods at Chick-fil-A.
