Church’s Chicken is a fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken. It is known for its delicious chicken tenders, fried chicken, sides, and biscuits. Church’s Chicken biscuits are a popular menu item, but many people wonder how many calories are in them. This article will provide a detailed look at the calorie count and nutrition facts for a Church’s Chicken biscuit.
An Overview of Church’s Chicken Biscuits
Church’s Chicken offers a few different types of biscuits on their menu. The basic buttermilk biscuit contains 160 calories. They also offer a Bacon Cheddar Biscuit with 350 calories and a Honey Butter Biscuit with 260 calories. The calorie count can vary slightly depending on the store’s preparation.
Some key things to know about Church’s Chicken biscuits:
– They are made fresh in-store every day. The basic biscuit contains just 5 simple ingredients – flour, buttermilk, shortening, baking powder, and salt.
– They are hand-rolled and baked until perfectly golden brown. This gives them a soft, fluffy texture.
– Customers can order them plain or with additions like bacon, cheese, and honey butter. These extra toppings will increase the calorie count.
– A standard biscuit is around 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall. The typical weight is about 2-3 ounces.
– In addition to biscuits, Church’s Chicken also offers cornbread muffins, jalapeño cheese biscuits, and fruit pies for side options.
Nutrition Facts for a Plain Church’s Chicken Biscuit
Here are the basic nutrition facts for a regular buttermilk biscuit from Church’s Chicken without any extra toppings:
| Serving Size | 1 biscuit (71g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 160 |
| Fat | 6g |
| Sodium | 490mg |
| Carbohydrates | 23g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Protein | 3g |
As you can see, a single plain Church’s Chicken biscuit contains 160 calories, which is quite reasonable for a quick service biscuit. It also provides 3g of protein and 6g of fat.
The main drawback is the high sodium content, with 490mg per biscuit. That accounts for about 21% of the daily recommended sodium intake. However, most quick service biscuits are high in sodium, so Church’s Chicken biscuits are not abnormal in that regard.
Calories in Church’s Chicken Bacon Cheddar Biscuit
Church’s Chicken has a popular variation on their classic biscuit called the Bacon Cheddar Biscuit. As you may have guessed, this version contains crispy bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese baked right in.
Here are the nutrition facts for a Bacon Cheddar Biscuit:
| Serving Size | 1 biscuit (120g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 350 |
| Fat | 18g |
| Sodium | 980mg |
| Carbohydrates | 33g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Protein | 10g |
The Bacon Cheddar Biscuit contains significantly more calories and fat than the plain version. In total, it has 350 calories, 18g of fat, and 980mg of sodium.
The extra 120 calories come from the addition of the bacon, cheese, and likely some additional oil or butter in the recipe. So this indulgent biscuit option is much higher in calories, fat, and sodium than the original.
Calories in Church’s Chicken Honey Butter Biscuit
Another popular biscuit variety at Church’s Chicken is the Honey Butter Biscuit. Sweet honey butter is spread over a freshly baked biscuit for a tasty sweet and savory combo.
Here are the nutrition facts for this menu item:
| Serving Size | 1 biscuit (105g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 260 |
| Fat | 9g |
| Sodium | 580mg |
| Carbohydrates | 39g |
| Sugar | 8g |
| Protein | 3g |
The Honey Butter Biscuit contains 260 calories, 9g of fat, and 580mg of sodium. The addition of sweet honey butter adds extra sugar and carbohydrates. There are 8g of sugar in this biscuit.
So while still lower in calories than the Bacon Cheddar version, the Honey Butter Biscuit packs more calories, fat, and sodium than a plain Church’s Chicken biscuit.
Comparing Church’s Chicken Biscuits to Other Fast Food Restaurants
To get more context, let’s compare the nutrition facts of Church’s Chicken biscuits to biscuits from a few other popular fast food chains. Here is a quick overview:
McDonald’s – Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Biscuit (340 calories)
Bojangles – Bojangles Buttermilk Biscuit (230 calories)
KFC – KFC Buttermilk Biscuit (210 calories)
Hardee’s – Made from Scratch Buttermilk Biscuit (310 calories)
Chick-fil-A – Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit (350 calories)
As you can see, a plain Church’s Chicken Buttermilk biscuit is very comparable and even a bit lower in calories than other major chains. It fits right in the range of 160-350 calories per standard sized fast food biscuit.
The Bacon Cheddar and Honey Butter variations from Church’s are on the higher end for calories, but most restaurants have similar indulgent biscuit options that boost the calorie counts. Overall, Church’s Chicken biscuits are very normal in their nutritional values.
Tips for Enjoying Church’s Chicken Biscuits More Healthfully
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you want to enjoy Church’s Chicken biscuits while maintaining balanced nutrition:
– Stick to the plain biscuit to minimize calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. Avoid loading up on high-calorie toppings and spreads.
– Order a half or quarter piece if available. This allows you to indulge while controlling portions.
– Skip high-calorie sides like fried chicken tenders and enjoy the biscuit with a healthier side salad.
– Split the biscuit and share it with a friend. Half a biscuit is only around 80 calories.
– Opt for water or unsweetened tea over sugary sodas to cut empty calories and sugar.
– Come before 11am if possible. Some locations offer “Honey Butter Biscuits for 77 cents” deal in the mornings.
– Apply light butter spread rather than heavy margarine. Go easy on high-sodium jelly packets.
– Balance it out by getting more exercise that day and making healthy meal choices. One biscuit won’t ruin your diet!
Conclusion
Church’s Chicken biscuits can make a tasty, convenient meal when you’re short on time. A plain Church’s Chicken buttermilk biscuit contains 160 calories, 6g fat, 490mg sodium, and 23g carbs. The Bacon Cheddar and Honey Butter variations are higher in calories. Overall, Church’s Chicken biscuits have similar nutrition stats to other major fast food chains. Focus on the classic biscuit and manage portions, toppings, and sides to keep it as healthy as possible while still enjoying this southern classic.
