Chick-fil-A is making its central New York debut this month in Cicero. But have no fear: Whether it’s a staple from home or your first time hearing of the chain, you can still maintain a healthy figure while downing those chicken nuggets.

To compete with full service restaurants and organic cafes, fast-food chains are serving healthier food options by revamping menus and making alterations to classic recipes. Starting Feb. 22 at the Chick-fil-A opening on Brewerton Road, students can snag protein-packed menu items after a workout, including the egg white grill, grilled market salad and the grilled chicken sandwich.

For breakfast, you can find the individually packaged egg white grill, which is tasty, low-carb and low-calorie. It’s also easy to customize the sandwich by picking your preferred bread and cheese options. Remember, only you know how to make your favorite healthy Chick-fil-A sandwich.

If you have a gluten restriction but are looking for lunch, opt for the gluten-free grilled chicken nuggets or a burger with a lettuce wrap rather than a bun. If you need fries in your life, you can also munch knowing they’re cooked with different batches of oil to avoid cross-contamination.

A healthy, specialized lunch option can also be found in the Spicy Southwest Salad, which is chock-full of roasted corn, black beans and pumpkin seeds. You can also pair it with the chili-lime vinaigrette for a low-calorie dressing.

And don’t forget: A little juicy bit of news is that Chick-fil-A has a tradition for new stores that dates back to 2003. The first 100 customers at the grand opening in Cicero get to participate in the First 100 Campout, which grants them free Chick-fil-A for a year.

So whatever your dietary preferences are, grab some friends and head to Cicero later this month to “eat mor chikin.”

Taylor Lucero is an information management and technology major who is hoping to pursue a career in cybersecurity. His other passions include tasting food, sipping coffee, hugging dogs and taking the occasional power nap. He can be reached at tlucero@syr.edu.

Published on February 6, 2018 at 11:23 pm