The Best and Worst Menu Items at Bojangles'

Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits is a great place to indulge in decadent Southern staples—in fact, those decadent favorites are right there in the name of this beloved chain. But because the menu is full of high-calorie and high-sodium foods, a Bojangles' meal may be a challenging one if you are looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

To help you decipher the menu with care, we spoke to an expert dietitian about the best and worst chicken dishes, sides, and sandwich options here. Below are some of the things to order next time you're in the mood for some Southern food at Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits.

Best Menu Items from Bojangles'

If you are looking for a fiber– and protein-rich meal that is under 500 calories, registered dietitian Summer Yule, MS, RDN recommends ordering a 1-Breast Chicken Dinner with a choice of two "Fixin's," as Bojangles' calls its side dishes. She recommends selecting the Bojangles' Cajun Pintos and the Green Beans, as they are low in fat and contain some necessary fiber.

"For those that would like a slightly larger meal, the 2-Piece Dinner (Breast & Wing) with a choice of 2 Fixin's (again, I'd go with the pinto beans and green beans) would be a good option to select," Yule suggests. The chicken wing adds a little extra protein and energy to the meal, she adds.

"The Garden Salad is a great choice for those looking for a lighter salad option, as it clocks in at 160 calories and 220 milligrams of sodium (which is great for a restaurant meal)," Yule says. However, she advises that the nutritional information for salads on the menu does not include croutons or dressing, where most of the calories and sodium actually come from.

Yule says that the Grilled Chicken Salad is another good salad choice to select at Bojangles', as it contains 290 calories and 730 milligrams of sodium. However, she says it's very important to be cautious of the salad dressings you choose—it's important to select low-fat dressings, such as the fat-free Italian listed on the menu.

The Chicken Supremes Salad may be higher in sodium than Yule's other top choices for salads, but she notes that it still keeps its calorie count at a respectable 450. "Plus, you get five grams of fiber from the vegetables and 30 grams of protein from the chicken," she adds.

If you are looking for a good side to order at Bojangles', Yule recommends an individual serving of the green beans, as it contains a mere 40 calories, no fat, and only eight grams of carbohydrates.

"An individual serving of the Bojangles' Cajun Pintos has 120 calories, five grams of protein, and six grams of fiber," Yule says. This is a great choice to get some extra protein and fiber into your meal in order to make you feel more full, she adds.

While an individual serving of grits may not be the best option for those on a low-carb diet (it packs 19 grams of carbohydrates), Yule says it isn't a horrible side choice, as it contains no sodium, little fat, and only 80 calories.

"The individual serving of the Mashed Potatoes 'N Gravy has only 120 calories, which is about half of the calories of the small seasoned fries," Yule explains. The potatoes provide some potassium and vitamin C as well, she adds.

Because these bites aren't coated and fried, they are a surprisingly light option to order at Bojangles'. Yule points out that they have only 125 calories, zero grams of saturated fat, and 650 milligrams of sodium. However, that all changes if you add a biscuit.

Yule notes that the Bojangles' Chicken Breast is one of the better chicken options available at this restaurant. It has only five grams of saturated fat and 690 milligrams of sodium, and it provides 30 grams of protein—which is great for making you feel full after the meal.

"The Chicken Leg sits at 100 calories, contains under three grams of saturated fat, and is one of the lowest sodium chicken options on the Bojangles' menu," Yule says.

Much like the Chicken Leg option, Yule says that the Chicken Wing is a decent meal choice at Bojangles', as it contains 100 calories and less than three grams of saturated fat. However, she notes that the wing menu item is lower in protein than the leg portion.

"The Grilled Chicken Sandwich is my top sandwich pick because it is the one with the lowest amount of sodium and saturated fat," says Yule.

The Worst Menu Items at Bojangles'

"The Homestyle Tenders have more than half the daily limit for sodium recommended by the Dietary Guidelines, plus nine grams of saturated fat, making it the least healthful of the chicken choices listed on the menu," Yule says.

Yule recommends that diners avoid this sandwich, as it has 1,500 milligrams of sodium (the highest of all the sandwiches), 740 calories (again, the highest of the sandwiches), and about 10 grams of saturated fat.

Although the Cajun Filet Sandwich is a slightly lighter option than the club version, Yule still says it's an item to avoid, as it contains 1,164 milligrams of sodium.

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Yule points out that the bowl meals on the Bojangles' menu tend to be calorie and sodium bombs—the Jambalaya Bowl is the worst of the bunch. "This item contains 1,260 calories and 4,778 milligrams of sodium," she says. That is more than twice the Dietary Guideline recommendation of 2,300 milligrams of sodium for the day, she adds.

"The Bo-Tato Breakfast Bowl (With Biscuit) is another bowl that I would choose to skip," Yule says. Not only does it have 1,212 calories and 3,256 milligrams of sodium, but it also contains 35 grams of saturated fat, she adds.

"The Chicken Rice Bowl (With Biscuit) has 4,370 milligrams of sodium and 1,130 calories," Yule notes. People on a 2,000 calorie diet will be meeting over half of their energy needs for the day with just this one meal, she says.

Yule put the Cinnamon Biscuit on her Worst list because it has the most calories and sodium of all of the sweets listed on the menu. Plus, it has 11 grams of saturated fat and 14 grams of sugar.

"The Bo-Berry Biscuit is another sweets option that is loaded with sugar (18 grams) and saturated fat (11 grams)," Yule notes.

Yule advises being cautious of ordering any biscuits at Bojangles', even though that's what the chain is famous for. They add sodium and calories to any sandwich (a plain biscuit alone has 930mg), just as they do with this Country Ham & Egg Biscuit. It contains 2,336 milligrams of sodium, which is more than the Dietary Guidelines recommendation for the day.

The Country Ham Biscuit is a close second in the salty biscuit category, according to Yule, as it sits at 2,222 milligrams of sodium.

Yule explains that the Steak Biscuit has 15 grams of saturated fat, one gram of trans fat, 1,547 grams of sodium, and only half the protein of the chicken breast option in the Best category.

The Cheddar Bo Biscuit also has 15 grams of saturated fat and half the protein of the chicken breast, Yule says. She notes that it is loaded with sodium (1,205 milligrams) as well.

The Sausage & Egg Biscuit has 14 grams of saturated fat, 1,325 milligrams of sodium, and is one of the highest calorie biscuit options on the menu, according to Yule.

Yule points out that none of the biscuit meals on the Bojangles' menu contain fruits or vegetables, and all contain quite a bit of sodium and saturated fat. The Cajun Filet Biscuit is no exception, as she notes that it contains 1,540 milligrams of sodium and 11 grams of saturated fat.