Quick Answer
There are approximately 720 calories in 4 chicken strips from Dairy Queen. Each chicken strip contains about 180 calories.
Calories in Dairy Queen Chicken Strips
Dairy Queen chicken strips are a popular menu item at the fast food restaurant chain. They are breaded and fried white meat chicken breast strips that can be ordered in different sizes.
According to the Dairy Queen website nutrition information, the calorie counts for their chicken strips are:
| 2 chicken strips | 360 calories |
| 3 chicken strips | 540 calories |
| 4 chicken strips | 720 calories |
So each individual chicken strip from Dairy Queen contains approximately 180 calories.
This means that 4 chicken strips would contain about 720 calories.
Other Nutrition Facts
In addition to calories, some other nutrition facts for Dairy Queen chicken strips are:
– Total Fat: 36g
– Saturated Fat: 6g
– Trans Fat: 0g
– Cholesterol: 55mg
– Sodium: 870mg
– Total Carbohydrates: 38g
– Dietary Fiber: 2g
– Protein: 27g
As you can see, chicken strips are high in calories, fat, and sodium. The protein content is decent at 27g for 4 strips.
How Chicken Strips Are Prepared at Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen prepares their chicken strips by first cutting chicken breast meat into strips. These strips are then coated in a seasoned breading mixture.
The chicken strips are then deep fried in oil until they are fully cooked and the breading becomes crispy. This frying method adds a significant amount of calories and fat.
The frying oil used at Dairy Queen for chicken strips and other fried menu items is a special hydrogenated shortening oil blend designed for high temperature frying.
Other Menu Options at Dairy Queen
If you are looking for lower calorie options at Dairy Queen, some recommended menu items include:
– Grilled Chicken Sandwich – 320 calories
– BBQ Chicken Salad – 270 calories
– Yogurt Parfait – 140-260 calories
– Soft Serve Cone (child size) – 170 calories
– Chili Cheese Dog – 460 calories
– Side Salad – 80 calories
Dairy Queen also offers low fat milk, bottled water, and other beverages that are calorie-free if you want to skip the higher calorie menu items.
Ways to Make Your Dairy Queen Order Healthier
When ordering chicken strips or other foods at Dairy Queen, there are some customizations you can make to reduce the calorie count:
– Order a smaller size option or kids meal
– Opt for grilled chicken instead of fried
– Skip the creamy sauces and dressings
– Choose diet soda instead of regular
– Ask for a side salad instead of fries
– Share your meal with a friend
You can also balance out higher calorie items by pairing them with lower calorie options like a yogurt parfait, side salad, or chili. Moderation is key when dining at fast food chains.
Nutrition Considerations for Fried Chicken Strips
Chicken strips from Dairy Queen and other fast food chains are high in calories for a few reasons:
Breading
The breading and batter coating adds extra carbohydrates, calories, fat, and sodium. For example, four breaded chicken strips can have about 120 calories more than four grilled chicken strips.
Frying
The deep frying method significantly increases the calorie content. When chicken is breaded and deep fried, it absorbs a large amount of oil, which boosts the calories.
Portion Sizes
Chicken strips tend to be served in large portion sizes. Four strips is quite a lot of fried chicken to consume in one meal. Opting for a smaller 2-strip portion can save you 360 calories.
Lack of Nutrients
While fried chicken strips are high in protein, they lack other nutrients found in whole pieces of chicken or grilled chicken like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The high sodium content is also concerning.
High in Fat
In addition to calories, fried chicken strips are very high in fat, especially saturated fat. Four strips contains 36g of total fat, including 6g of saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 13g or less per day.
Healthier Cooking Methods for Chicken
To reduce the calorie content of chicken strips at home, consider baking them instead of frying. Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips.
Breading the chicken strips with whole wheat breadcrumbs, coating with egg whites instead of whole eggs, and baking in the oven will result in a healthier finished product.
Other healthy cooking methods for chicken include:
– Grilling
– Roasting
– Sauteing or stir frying in a nonstick pan using minimal oil
– Poaching in broth
– Slow cooker chicken recipes
By ditching the batter and fried coating, you’ll save significant calories, fat, and sodium in your chicken recipes.
Calories Needed Per Day
So how many calories should you be eating per day? The amount of calories needed varies based on age, gender, activity level, and health goals:
– Sedentary adult women: 1,600 – 2,000 calories
– Sedentary adult men: 2,000 – 2,600 calories
– Active women: 2,000 – 2,400 calories
– Active men: 2,400 – 3,000 calories
To lose weight, a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day is often recommended. To maintain weight, the number of calories consumed should balance out with the number of calories burned.
720 calories is a substantial portion of the average adult’s calorie needs for the entire day. Consuming fried chicken strips in moderation is key.
Conclusion
In summary, 4 chicken strips from Dairy Queen contain about 720 calories. This is based on the 180 calories per chicken strip provided in Dairy Queen’s nutrition information.
Fried chicken strips are high in calories, fat, and sodium. Preparing chicken strips at home with healthier baking methods can reduce the calorie content significantly.
When dining at fast food chains, being mindful of portion sizes, choices of side dishes, and customizing orders to be less caloric can help control your daily calorie intake. Consider the number of calories needed per day based on your lifestyle and health goals.
