How Many Calories Are in a Chicken Strip? (Nutrition Facts)

I’m a huge chicken strip lover. During the decade I’ve been on a carnivore diet, the number of fried chicken tenders I’ve eaten can probably be measured in hundreds of lbs.

But I wanted to check how healthy they are. So I talked with a nutritionist friend and researched the chicken strips’ nutrition info.

Here’s what you should know.

Quick Summary

How Many Calories Do Chicken Strips Have?

One chicken strip of 1.4 oz has about 125 calories [1]. A serving of 4 chicken strips (about 150g) has about 450 calories [2]. This is about 27% of total daily values.

Fried chicken strips usually have breading, which gives the meat a small amount of dietary fiber (1.3g) and sugar (0.4g).

However, their calories and nutrition facts will differ depending on how many chicken strips you consume, how it’s prepared, and what’s the brand.

“You can eat chicken strips with blue cheese, ranch, or sauces to get some creaminess with the crispy flavor.”

- Ethan Chlebowski, Food-science Enthusiast

For example, one serving of boneless skinless chicken tenders has only 27 calories. Boneless skinless chicken tenders have about 8% fat and 80% protein [3].

How Much Protein Is in Chicken Strips?

There is about 7g of protein in one chicken strip . A serving of 4 chicken strips has 28g of protein [4].

Chicken strips are rich in protein, especially fried ones. Protein is great for muscle building, so if you’re looking to increase your muscle mass, chicken tenders could be your best friend.

However, we should be careful with protein intake. If you eat 2000 calories a day, you should have a maximum of 50g of protein or 0.08 protein per kg of body weight [5].

The biggest issue with protein is that our body can’t store it, so the extra protein is turned into energy or fat.

Overall, be careful with protein intake, as the last thing you want to do is create more fat instead of muscles.

Also, the recommended amount of protein per meal is 20 to 25g, and a big serving of chicken strips exceeds this amount.

How Much Fat Do Chicken Strips Have?

One chicken strip has 7.5g of fat, out of which there’s 1.500g of saturated fat. A 150g serving of chicken strips has 24.8g of fat, out of which there’s 4.4g of saturated fat.

Chicken breasts are low in fat, but fried chicken tenders have a high-fat content because we use oil for cooking them.

According to the USDA, one serving of fast food boneless skinless chicken tenders has 25.8g of total fat.

Out of this, 4.58g is fatty acids and saturated fat, 8.89g is monounsaturated fat, and 10.6g is polyunsaturated fat [6]. Once again, these numbers will depend on the brand of chicken strips.

How Many Vitamins and Minerals Do Chicken Strips Have?

150g of chicken strips have moderate amounts of vitamins. Chicken strips are rich in selenium, Vitamin B6, niacin, and phosphorus.

Here’s chicken strips’ daily values calorie breakdown, including how much sodium, potassium, and vitamins chicken strips have per serving size:

• Sodium 1184mg: 49% of the daily value
• Potassium 480mg: 14% daily value
• Cholesterol 68mg: 23% of the daily value

The nutrition of chicken tenders translates to a low amount of Vitamin A, calcium, and iron.

Chicken Strip Benefits

Chicken breast is generally considered a healthy food, but if you opt for chicken tenders, you’ll have to watch your diet.

About 30g of total chicken tenders’ net carbs are calories from fat, which can have health drawbacks.

Still, chicken tenders aren’t all bad. They are high in sodium and have other benefits:

• Builds muscle mass — Protein is crucial for building muscle mass, and chicken is rich in amino acids that repair torn tissues in muscles. That means you can keep your muscles and build new ones in a strength training program.
• Strengthens bones — Protein works together with calcium to protect and strengthen bones. Chicken tenders have enough proteins per serving size to keep your bones healthy.
• Heals wounds — Chicken tenders have enough protein and amino acids per serving size to aid wound healing, especially for the elderly and diabetic patients.
• Aids weight loss — Chicken tenders will help you feel full, which reduces cravings and overeating, so you may even experience weight loss.
• Improves protein deficiency — Even though protein in chicken strips comes with a lot of fat, it can provide enough nutrients to people with protein deficiency.

Related Articles:

• Calories in a Pork Chop
• Calories in a NY Strip Steak
• Calories in a Piece of Bacon
• Calories in a Bratwurst Sausage

Chicken Strip Downside

Consuming chicken, particularly chicken strips, can potentially trigger allergic reactions ranging from mild to severe, although the exact prevalence of poultry allergies remains uncertain.

Those with poultry allergies may also experience allergies to fish, shrimp, turkey, and pork, making it advisable to explore alternative proteins [7]. Assessing the daily diet can help address any potential adverse effects.

FAQs

References:

1. https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/braums/chicken-strips
2. https://www.nutritionix.com/food/chicken-tender
3. https://nutrifox.com/nutrition/boneless-skinless-chicken-tenders
4. https://www.nutritionix.com/food/chicken-tender
5. https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/07/how-much-protein-is-simply-too-much/
6. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173321/nutrients
7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40521-022-00309-2