This Chick-fil-A order is going viral as a weight loss hack. But does it actually work?
While you’d generally want to avoid fast food when on a weight loss journey, for many people, eating out is inevitable.
Whether it’s because you didn’t have time to cook, forgot your lunch, or are out for a social gathering, at some point, fast food might be the only option available.
In those cases, these creators say Chick-fil-A is the answer.
What is the viral Chick-fil-A meal?
“To that woman on TikTok about the meal from Chick-fil-A that has like 500 calories and like 40 grams of protein: I owe you my firstborn child,” content creator Laura Grueso (@lauraggrueso) said in a viral video with more than 6.2 million views.
In the clip, she wasn’t able to show exactly what meal she was talking about since she ate it all up and had the empty Chick-fil-A bowl to show for it.
“I [expletive] this [expletive] up. This is the best thing I’ve had from a fast food place,” Grueso said.
“I don’t feel gross, I don’t feel greasy. It was so good. I’m gonna be eating this for like six weeks,” Grueso added, saying that this was her new “hyper fixation” meal.
The meal? It consists of:
- 3-piece chicken tenders
- 2 hot sauce packets
- 2 honey packets
- A kale crunch salad (to replace the fries)
TikToker Samantha Milton (@smallersam_pcos) created the concoction, which she says has about 530 calories and 40 grams of protein.
Milton shares a variety of fast food meals that people can eat to maintain a calorie deficit or consume fewer calories generally. According to her TikTok bio, she’s already down 250 pounds.
In her original video, Milton had her partner try the food, and he said it was so good that it could be a menu item.
Fast food for weight loss?
This isn’t the first time someone has integrated fast food meals into their weight loss plan.
The Daily Dot previously reported on a woman who said Wendy’s burgers and chicken nuggets were a regular part of her 246 lb weight loss.
A fitness expert shared that a large cup of Wendy’s chili is a “good option to pivot to if you’re ‘in a pinch’ and can’t have the ‘ideal’ healthy meal.”
One man went to the extreme, sharing that he planned to eat McDonald’s three times a day for 100 days to lose weight and improve his heart health, the Today Show reported. As of day 92, he’s allegedly down 57 pounds.
“The weight loss will eventually plateau, and he will need to add physical activity or make additional changes to his diet to keep losing weight,” registered dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth told Today. “And let’s remember that health isn’t just about the number on the scale. It’s also about cardiovascular health and other measures.”
So yes, you can lose weight by eating fast food as long as you’re in a deficit, but it should be added in moderation.
Viewers are eager to try the meal
“I’ve been following you for awhile and absolutely love your meal content! I’m down 35lbs since I started my journey 6 mos ago and a big part of that is due to your content! thanks so much!” a person shared.
“You couldn’t have shown it before eating it all?” another wrote.
“I had this but with the grilled nuggets! I’d much rather have the crispy tenders instead!” a commenter said.
@lauraggrueso new hyper fixation meal unlocked #miami #eating #chickfila ♬ original sound – lauraggrueso
The Daily Dot reached out to Milton for comment via email and TikTok direct message, to Grueso via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We also reached out to Chick-fil-A via email.
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