Fried chicken strips can be a tasty yet high-point food on the Weight Watchers program. The number of Weight Watchers SmartPoints for fried chicken strips depends on a few factors, including the brand, cooking method, and portion size. Generally speaking, a single fried chicken strip contains around 5-8 SmartPoints on the current Weight Watchers plans.
This article will provide a detailed breakdown of how many SmartPoints fried chicken strips contain from various restaurant chains and frozen brands. We’ll look at popular places like KFC, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, and Tyson frozen chicken strips. You’ll also learn some healthy lower-point swaps so you can still enjoy the crispy chicken flavor without overdoing your daily SmartPoints budget.
Weight Watchers SmartPoints System
Before diving into the points for specific chicken strips, it helps to understand how the Weight Watchers SmartPoints system works. WW uses a proprietary formula to calculate SmartPoints values for all foods and beverages. The formula takes into account calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. Foods that are higher in lean protein get rewarded with lower SmartPoints. The program emphasizes eating foods with higher protein and fiber to stay satisfied on fewer daily points.
Here are some key details on Weight Watchers SmartPoints:
– Most members are allotted a daily SmartPoints budget based on factors like their height, weight, age, and gender. The average daily target is around 30 SmartPoints.
– Members log all foods and drinks consumed to track their SmartPoints. Staying within your daily allotment is critical for reaching weight loss goals.
– You still must eat within a calorie deficit to lose weight on WW, but SmartPoints makes this easier by assigning higher points to calorie-dense foods low in nutrition.
– All fruits and non-starchy vegetables have 0 SmartPoints, so they can be eaten freely without tracking.
– Discretionary foods like fried chicken tend to be very high in SmartPoints since they provide a lot of calories for the portion size and offer little nutritional value.
Now that you understand how SmartPoints work, let’s look at how many points various fried chicken strips contain.
KFC Fried Chicken Strips
Kentucky Fried Chicken is known for their signature extra crispy chicken. Here are the SmartPoints values for their fried chicken strips:
3 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 15 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Honey BBQ sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Honey Mustard sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Ranch sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
4 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 17 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Honey BBQ sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Honey Mustard sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Ranch sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
A single KFC chicken strip (no breading) contains around 3-4 SmartPoints on its own. The breading and frying method significantly increases the points. Opting for lighter dipping sauces like Honey BBQ rather than creamy Ranch can slightly reduce the totals. Still, a 3-4 piece serving of KFC strips will cost you 15-17 SmartPoints.
Chick-fil-A Chicken Strips
The fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A also offers chicken strips on their menu. Here are the SmartPoints values:
4 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 14 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Barbeque sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Polynesian sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Honey Mustard sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Creamy Salsa sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Zesty Buffalo sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
8 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 20 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Barbeque sauce: Adds 2 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Polynesian sauce: Adds 2 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Honey Mustard sauce: Adds 2 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Creamy Salsa sauce: Adds 2 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Zesty Buffalo sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
The Chick-fil-A strips are very close in SmartPoints to KFC, ranging from 14-20 points per standard size serving. The Zesty Buffalo sauce is a good low-point dipping option. Or you can ask for strips grilled instead of fried to reduce the points.
Popeyes Fried Chicken Strips
Popeyes is another popular fast food fried chicken outlet. Check the SmartPoints for their chicken strips:
3 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 17 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Bayou Buffalo sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Buttermilk Ranch: Adds 1 SmartPoint
– 1 packet Mardi Gras Mustard sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
5 Piece Chicken Strips
– No sauce: 24 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Bayou Buffalo sauce: Adds 0 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Buttermilk Ranch: Adds 2 SmartPoints
– 1 packet Mardi Gras Mustard sauce: Adds 1 SmartPoint
Popeyes chicken tenders are very high in points, ranging from 17-24 for a standard order. The Bayou Buffalo sauce is the best low-point dipping option. Overall, be mindful of portions when dining at Popeyes. Even a 3 piece strip meal could use up most of your daily SmartPoints.
Grocery Store Frozen Chicken Strips
Many grocery chains also sell ready-to-cook frozen chicken strips and nuggets. Here are SmartPoints for some popular frozen brands:
Tyson Breaded Chicken Breast Strips
– 1 strip (28g): 4 SmartPoints
– 3 strips (84g): 9 SmartPoints
– Full bag (227g): 18 SmartPoints
Perdue Chicken Breast Nuggets
– 3 nuggets (56g): 5 SmartPoints
– 6 nuggets (112g): 10 SmartPoints
– Full bag (339g): 23 SmartPoints
Foster Farms Breaded Chicken Breast Strips
– 1 strip (20g): 3 SmartPoints
– 3 strips (60g): 8 SmartPoints
– Full bag (170g): 16 SmartPoints
When preparing frozen breaded chicken at home, the SmartPoints can vary based on factors like oil, cooking method, and breading. In general, expect 3-5 SmartPoints per average size strip or nugget. Stick to a 1-2 serving portion to keep your meal SmartPoints reasonable.
Healthy Lower-Point Chicken Strip Swaps
Fried chicken strips don’t have to be off limits when you’re watching your daily SmartPoints. There are some easy substitutions to still enjoy the flavors and textures you crave:
Swap for Grilled Chicken
Choose grilled chicken strips or nuggets to slash the SmartPoints. A comparable portion of grilled chicken contains about half the points of fried chicken. Remove the skin after cooking to further reduce points.
Try Baked Chicken Strips
Coat chicken strips in breadcrumbs or panko and bake in the oven. Use cooking spray or oil mister to keep the breading crispy. Baked strips contain around 2-4 SmartPoints per serving versus 5-8 for fried.
Use Ground Chicken or Turkey
Make healthier chicken “strips” by shaping ground chicken or turkey into tenders. Cook in a non-stick pan with a bit of oil spray. Top it off with light breadcrumbs for crunch.
Coat with Cornflakes
Skip the high-fat breading and coat chicken in crunchy cornflake cereal before baking. Each serving of cornflake “breading” is only around 1 SmartPoint.
Dip in Greek Yogurt
Your favorite chicken strips don’t need heavy creamy sauces. Try dipping them in plain non-fat Greek yogurt with added herbs and spices. You’ll save on SmartPoints compared to ranch, honey mustard, etc.
Nutrition Information
To help understand the SmartPoints values, here are the nutrition facts per serving for some popular fried chicken strips:
KFC – 3 Chicken Strips
| Nutrition Facts | Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 230 |
| Fat | 12g |
| Carbs | 17g |
| Protein | 14g |
Chick-fil-A – 4 Piece Strips
| Nutrition Facts | Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 400 |
| Fat | 24g |
| Carbs | 26g |
| Protein | 20g |
Foster Farms Strips – 3 Strips
| Nutrition Facts | Per Serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 180 |
| Fat | 8g |
| Carbs | 13g |
| Protein | 14g |
As you can see, fried chicken is high in calories, fat, and carbs compared to other lean protein options. The coating and frying adds a significant amount of points. Checking nutrition labels can help guide your portion sizes.
SmartPoints for Healthy Homemade Chicken Strips
When making chicken strips at home, you can control the ingredients to create a healthier lower-point meal. Here is a recipe example with SmartPoints per serving:
Baked Chicken Strips
| Ingredients | SmartPoints |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cut into strips | 0 |
| Whole wheat breadcrumbs | 3 |
| Non-stick cooking spray | 0 |
| Fresh herbs for seasoning | 0 |
| Lemon slices | 0 |
SmartPoints per serving: Around 3-4 depending on portion size
As you can see, choosing healthy ingredients like wheat breadcrumbs and baking instead of frying can create much lower-point chicken strips to enjoy at home.
Conclusion
Fried chicken strips from restaurants contain around 15-20 SmartPoints for a standard 3-4 piece serving. Brands like KFC, Chick-fil-A, and Popeyes are fairly comparable. Frozen grocery store chicken strips range from 3-5 points per strip when prepared at home.
There are many ways to lighten up chicken strips like baking instead of frying, using cornflake coating, or dipping in Greek yogurt. If dining out, watch your portions and opt for grilled instead of fried when possible. homemade strips made with fresh ingredients are your best bet for keeping SmartPoints low while still enjoying the crispy texture you love.
Overall, fried chicken strips are one of the higher-point options due to high calories and fat from the coating and frying. But with the right swaps and proper portions, they can still fit into your daily SmartPoints budget in moderation when you’re craving that crunchy, juicy flavor.