What to Eat at Bojangles: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Southern food enthusiasts flock to the Bojangles restaurant chain for Cajun-seasoned fried chicken, flaky buttermilk biscuits, and popular sides like green beans, coleslaw, and grits, to name a few.

The predominant menu category is breakfast, which is available all day. The breakfast combo meals come with buttermilk biscuits topped with your choice of proteins (such as country ham, a Southern staple) and a side of Bo-Tato Rounds?, the Bojangles version of a hash brown.

What Experts Say

"Serving up Southern staples like fried chicken, pimento cheese, and southern gravy biscuits, Bojangles offers Cajun-style Southern comfort food that does not skimp on richness or flavor. Choose what sounds good to you while keeping in mind that being overly hungry, for any reason, will likely lead to choosing richer foods and larger portions. If you’re a regular here, try to mix it up by choosing the green beans or Cajun pintos, or just be intentional about including fruits, vegetables, and other fiber-rich options in your other meals."
—Ayana Habtemariam, MSW, RDN, LDN

Navigating the Menu

Many Bojangles menu items are fried and high in sodium, and the popular biscuit meals contain high-fat proteins and come with a side of fried potatoes. The signature bone-in chicken meals and chicken sandwiches also have high-fat/high-sodium sides.

To limit fat and sodium, ordering a salad with grilled chicken as a main is the best option. If you want to make a meal of the sides (known as “fixins” at Bojangles), the green beans, dirty rice, and Cajun pintos (for protein) provide the best combination.

Because of the number of fried foods and preservatives, Bojangles is best for enjoying in moderation on special occasions. Checking the menu in advance can help you make the best choice for you.

Most Nutritious Option

The most nutritious option at Bojangles is the garden salad, which is packed with lots of fresh vegetables. Choose Ken’s Fat-Free Italian Dressing with 15 calories, no fat, and five grams of carbohydrates. Adding grilled chicken to the garden salad will bump up your calorie count from 120 to 270 and add five grams of fat, but it will also give you a healthy 24 grams of protein.

Chicken Sandwiches

You can order grilled or Cajun-seasoned chicken sandwiches at Bojangles. All sandwiches come topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a toasted sesame bun. Bo's chicken sandwich is the least healthy option; however, it has only 100 more calories than the more nutritious grilled chicken sandwich.

? Grilled Chicken Sandwich

The grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo has 570 calories, 33g fat, 6g saturated fat, 36g carbohydrates, 29g protein, and 1,350mg sodium. You can order the sandwich in a combo and choose your “fixin” and drink. The most nutritious combo options are green beans and bottled water.

? Bo’s Chicken Sandwich

Bo's chicken sandwich with pickles and mayo contains 670 calories, 36g fat, 8g saturated fat, 95g carbohydrates, 31g protein, and 1,720mg sodium. With only two chicken sandwich options available, choose the one that best satisfies your taste buds and make sure to order a veggie-forward side to keep the entire meal as nutritious as possible.

Signature Bone-In Chicken Meals

The signature bone-in chicken at Bojangles is available in four different meal combinations. Each meal includes two homestyle "fixins" of your choice.

? 3 Wings

The 3-wing chicken meal comes out to 450 calories, 24g fat, 10.5g saturated fat, 24g carbohydrates, 30g protein, and 900mg sodium. Choose green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy as your sides to create the most nutritious meal.

? Leg & 2 Thighs

The most calorie-loaded chicken meal is the 3-piece leg and 2-thigh combo. In total, you'll consume 1,050 calories, 59g fat, 20.5g saturated fat, 52g carbohydrates, 72g protein, and 2,310mg sodium (just from the chicken; these totals don't include sides). If you enjoy the mix-and-match chicken piece meal, consider ordering the 2-piece leg & thigh meal, which will eliminate nearly 430 calories from your meal.

Biscuit Sandwiches

You can order an individual biscuit sandwich (not a combo) with any mix of protein toppings: eggs, cheese, ham, Cajun filet, or sausage. American cheese will add the fewest calories, bumping your calorie intake by only 40.

? Egg & Cheese Biscuit

The egg and cheese biscuit is the only meatless biscuit option on the menu, and it comes out to 430 calories, 25g fat, 10g saturated fat, 39g carbohydrates, 13g protein, and 1,150mg sodium.

? Cajun Chicken Filet Biscuit

The Cajun chicken filet biscuit features a battered and fried spicy chicken breast on top of a buttermilk biscuit. This sandwich provides 570 calories, 27g fat, 9g saturated fat, 57g carbohydrates, 23g protein, and 1,720mg sodium. This is the highest-calorie biscuit option; order the plain sausage biscuit instead if you'd like a meaty biscuit for fewer calories. The sausage biscuit has 470 calories, 28g fat, 11g saturated fat, 38g carbohydrates, 15g protein, 1,160mg sodium.

Salads

Bojangles offers three salad options on its nationwide menu: the garden salad, a grilled chicken salad, and a homestyle tenders salad. The garden salad is one of the only vegetarian options and is the most nutrient-dense item on the menu. For more protein, order a grilled chicken salad.

? Garden Salad

The garden salad has 120 calories, 9g fat, 5g saturated fat, 25g carbohydrates, 7g protein, and 180mg sodium. You can also ask for the garden salad with no cheese or croutons to keep the fat and carb content as low as possible.

You'll have your choice of four Ken's salad dressings: Buttermilk Ranch, Blue Cheese, Fat-Free Italian, and Honey Dijon. The Italian dressing has far fewer calories than the other options (15) but more sodium (700mg versus 280mg to 390mg for the other dressings).

? Homestyle Tenders Salad

The homestyle tenders salad—with three whole-breast, hand-breaded chicken breast tenderloins—contains 480 calories, 26g fat, 10g saturated fat, 32g carbohydrates, 30g protein, and 1,020mg sodium.

If you're looking for a salad with protein, consider ordering the grilled chicken salad. The light preparation for the chicken will save you 210 calories, 12g fat, and 28g carbohydrates.

Kid's Meals

The Bojangles kid's meals are served with water or milk, a side, and a biscuit. For the main entrée, kids have three choices: two homestyle tenders, macaroni and cheese, or a chicken leg.

? Chicken Leg Kids' Meal

The chicken leg kids' meal with green beans, water, and a biscuit has 520 calories, 29g fat, 11g saturated fat, 50g carbohydrates, 16g protein, and 1,650mg sodium.

The other chicken option, the 2-piece homestyle tenders kids' meal, has a fairly similar nutrition profile. The tenders meal with green beans, a biscuit, and water provides 570 calories, 27g fat, 10g saturated fat, 61g carbohydrates, 22g protein, and 1,850mg sodium.

? Mac ‘N Cheese Combo Meal

The mac 'n cheese kids' meal with water, green beans, and a biscuit has 610 calories, 33g fat, 14g saturated fat, 63g carbohydrates, 15g protein, and 2,120mg sodium. It is the only vegetarian kids' option but is higher in calories, fat, and sodium than the chicken entrees.

Fixins

You can choose to order "fixins" individually or with a combo meal as an alternative. Although menu items can vary by location, most Bojangles restaurants offer these side-dish options:

• Green beans

• Grits

• Mashed potatoes and gravy

• Bojangles Cajun Pintos?

• Dirty rice

• Coleslaw

• Bo-Tato Rounds

• Macaroni and cheese

• Seasoned fries
  

? Green Beans

An individual size of the green beans contains 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 5g carbohydrates, 2g protein, and 500mg sodium. Even the Picnic (large) size of green beans has only 70 calories. The green beans provide a serving of vegetables and are prepared with red peppers and a smoky broth.

? Macaroni and Cheese

An individual portion of the macaroni and cheese provides 280 calories, 18g fat, 8g saturated fat, 21g carbohydrates, 8g protein, and 830mg sodium.

Meanwhile, the largest size of macaroni and cheese has 870 calories, 54g fat, 23g saturated fat, 64g carbohydrates, 24g protein, and 2,550 mg sodium. If this is your fixin choice, stick to the individual size.

Beverages

Like other fast-casual restaurants, Bojangles offers soda, iced tea, milk, and lemonade. In general, water is your best bet when dining out, and the Bojangles bottled water provides 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 0mg sodium.

? Legendary Iced Tea, Unsweet

Of course, water is the most nutritious and hydrating option. However, if you'd like a little more flavor in your drink, the Legendary unsweetened iced tea provides 5 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 0mg sodium in a 16-ounce small cup.

? Mtn Dew Southern Shock

High in calories and sugar, Mtn Dew Southern Shock is the least nutritious beverage on Bojangles' menu. A small serving provides 230 calories, 0g fat, 63g carbohydrates, 0g protein, 80mg sodium, as well as 61g sugar. Order the large 32-ounce portion and you'll be consuming 450 calories and 123g sugar.

Sweets

Bojangles only has two dessert offerings, both biscuit-based. However, some locations have additional menu items, such as sweet potato pie.

? Bo-Berry Biscuit

The Bo-Berry Biscuit is a fruity sweet treat: a biscuit topped with blueberries and a sugary glaze. It provides 370 calories, 17g fat, 8g saturated fat, 49g carbohydrates, 5g protein, and 720mg sodium.

? Cinnamon Biscuit

The cinnamon biscuit topped with icing has 490 calories, 27g fat, 8g saturated fat, 57g carbohydrates, 6g protein, and 910mg sodium.

Some locations also offer cinnamon twists, which are 380 calories per serving and a healthier option than the cinnamon biscuits.

Extras

Bojangles' small menu of extras contains four different dipping sauce options that allow you to customize the flavor of your biscuits and chicken. Choose from BBQ sauce, Bo's special sauce, honey mustard sauce, and ranch sauce.

? BBQ Sauce

A 2-ounce serving of the Bojangles BBQ sauce is the most nutritious option in this category. It provides a total of 100 calories, 0g fat, 25g carbohydrates, 0g protein, and 450mg sodium. Choose this one if you want to add more flavor to your meal without adding a lot of calories.

? Honey Mustard

Honey mustard is the highest-calorie extra and has 280 calories, 25g fat, 4g saturated fat, 13g carbohydrates, 1g protein, and 410mg sodium.

The other two options—Bo's special sauce and ranch sauce—each have 270 calories, so try to limit the amount of sauce added to your dish.

Diet-Specific Options

Although this is a fast-food chain, you can still find a nutritious option at Bojangles and stick to a gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian, or vegan diet. However, your choices may be limited.

Gluten-Free

There are only a few gluten-free items on its menu, but Bojangles does offer some dishes for diners who need to avoid wheat and gluten.

• Garden salad

• Grilled chicken salad

• Bo-Tato Rounds

• Bojangles Cajun Pintos

• Coleslaw

• Grits

• Seasoned fries

For a nutritious meal, order the garden salad—it's also the most nutritious item on the entire menu. Add grilled chicken or a side of pinto beans for protein.

Low-Carb

A low-carb meal at Bojangles is doable if you skip the biscuits and mix and match from the "fixins" and chicken menu.

• Garden salad

• Grilled chicken salad

• Chicken leg

• Chicken wing

• Green beans

Order the chicken wing (8g carbohydrates) with an individual side of green beans (5g carbohydrates) for a healthy low-carb meal.

Low-Fat

With a number of seasoned chicken items on the menu, you can order signature bone-in chicken, a few sides (including mashed potatoes and gravy), and salad without high amounts of fat.

• Garden salad

• Chicken leg

• Chicken wing

• Mashed potatoes and gravy

• Grits

Order the chicken wing (8g fat) and grits (0g fat) for a meal that comes to only 8g fat.

Low-Sodium

For a heart-healthy diet, the following items are low sodium:

• Garden salad

• Green beans

• Chicken wing

• Chicken leg

• Grits

For only 55mg sodium, order the chicken wing (30mg sodium) and garden salad (20mg sodium).

Vegetarian

Despite being heavy on chicken and biscuits, Bojangles does have several vegetarian-friendly options, including:

• Egg and cheese biscuit

• Pimento cheese biscuit

• Garden salad

• Coleslaw

• Green beans

For a vegetarian breakfast that's available all day, order the egg and cheese biscuit. As a bonus, it's also the most nutritious biscuit option on the menu.

Vegan

You can order off the fixins menu for the only vegan options available at Bojangles.

• Grits

• Cajun Pintos

• Green beans

• Garden salad (omit cheese or croutons)

Luckily, the nutritious garden salad can be made vegan—just order it without croutons or cheese. Add green beans to your order to make for a more filling meal that's still vegan.

Food Allergies and Safety

According to the Bojangles nutrition information, “some products contain allergens including but not limited to milk, eggs, wheat, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish” (although nothing on the menu lists fish or shellfish as an ingredient). To protect yourself from potential allergens, talk to a manager before placing your order. To avoid cross-contamination, staff might be able to make your meal on a separate counter or using separate equipment.

A Word From Verywell

As a beloved Southern-style restaurant, Bojangles focuses on providing down-home comfort food to please Cajun-loving palates. However, these items come with heavy amounts of seasoning containing sodium and saturated fat.

If you choose seasoned chicken, a leg, breast, or wing has the least amount of fat, and if you pair the protein with green beans and a diet soda, or better yet, water, you can maintain a heart-healthy diet while still enjoying your favorite flavors.

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Read the original article on Verywell Fitness.