Chicken wings are a popular appetizer and snack food. Many grocery stores, including Publix, sell prepared chicken wings that customers can buy and eat. A common question for health-conscious shoppers is how many calories are in a single chicken wing purchased from Publix. Knowing the calorie content can help people make informed choices about their diet. In this article, we will provide calorie estimates for Publix chicken wings and discuss factors that affect the calories per wing.
Calorie Estimates for Publix Chicken Wings
Publix sells prepared chicken wings in various flavors and cooking styles. Here are some average calorie estimates per wing:
- Plain fried chicken wing: around 100 calories
- Buffalo style chicken wing with sauce: around 130 calories
- BBQ chicken wing: around 115 calories
- Garlic Parmesan chicken wing: around 110 calories
As you can see, calorie counts can vary based on factors like cooking method and sauces or seasonings added to the wings. Plain fried tend to be lowest in calories while sauced Buffalo style wings contain the most.
Factors Affecting Calories per Wing
There are several factors that influence the calorie content in chicken wings from Publix:
Cooking method
Fried chicken wings contain more calories than baked or grilled wings due to absorbing oil or fat during cooking. Deep frying adds the most calories.
Breading or coating
Some wings may have a coating of breadcrumbs or flour before cooking, adding extra calories. Plain wings with no breading will be lower in calories.
Sauces and seasonings
Saucy wings flavored with Buffalo or BBQ sauce tend to be higher in calories than plain or dry seasoned wings. The more calorie-dense the sauce, the more calories added.
Wing size
Larger chicken wings naturally contain more calories than smaller wings. Portion size makes a difference.
Additions and sides
Serving wings with high calorie additions like ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, and fried side dishes will increase the overall calorie count.
Nutritional Information for Publix Chicken Wings
Here are the full nutritional values for some popular Publix chicken wing flavors:
| Publix Chicken Wings (per wing) | Calories | Fat (g) | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fried chicken wing | 100 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| BBQ chicken wing | 115 | 8 | 2 | 8 |
| Buffalo chicken wing | 130 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| Garlic parmesan chicken wing | 110 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
As shown, the plain fried wings have the least calories while Buffalo style contains the most per wing. The sauce and seasonings impact the calorie content.
Tips for Healthy Chicken Wing Consumption
Here are some tips to enjoy Publix chicken wings in a balanced, healthy way:
- Stick to plain or lightly seasoned wings instead of saucy versions
- Eat baked or grilled wings instead of fried
- Remove skin or breading to reduce calories
- Watch your portion size and stick to 1-2 wings
- Avoid high-calorie dipping sauces
- Balance wings with lower calorie side dishes like salad
Conclusion
A single chicken wing from Publix contains about 100-130 calories depending on the flavor and preparation method. Buffalo style wings are highest in calories while plain fried are lowest. Controlling portion sizes and choosing lower calorie cooking methods and sauces can help keep chicken wing calories in check. Refer to nutrition labels and online resources to make informed choices when buying prepared wings from Publix.