Is firehouse or Chick-fil-A healthier?: A Nutritional Deep Dive

October 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2024 analysis, both Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A feature multiple menu items on lists of the healthiest fast-food sandwiches available. So, which restaurant takes the crown when determining: 'Is firehouse or Chick-fil-A healthier?'? The answer isn't simple and depends heavily on your menu choices and how you customize your order.

Quick Summary

This nutritional guide compares Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A, highlighting menu options and overall approaches to healthy eating. The analysis covers key factors like cooking methods, ingredients, portion sizes, and customization to determine which chain offers more balanced and diet-friendly choices.

Key Points

Grilled vs. Fried: Chick-fil-A's widespread use of grilled chicken makes it generally easier to find leaner, lower-calorie options than the standard offerings at Firehouse Subs.
Sodium is a Significant Concern: Both fast-food chains feature menu items with dangerously high sodium levels, especially in larger sizes and with certain sauces and toppings.
Customization is Key for Health: At Firehouse Subs, controlling your meal's nutritional profile relies heavily on customizing ingredients, such as opting for small sizes, wheat bread, and extra vegetables.
Chick-fil-A Offers Ready-Made Healthy Meals: Chick-fil-A's menu includes several pre-designed healthy options, including salads and grilled nuggets, simplifying the process for consumers.
Sauces and Toppings Add Up: Calorie and fat counts can quickly increase at both restaurants by adding high-fat sauces, bacon, and cheese, so choose these additions sparingly.

Navigating fast-food menus for healthy options can be a challenge, but with the right information, it's possible to make choices that align with your nutritional goals. While both Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A offer items that can be part of a balanced diet, their core offerings and preparation methods reveal significant differences. This article breaks down the nutritional pros and cons of each chain, helping you decide which is the better choice for your next quick meal.

The Chick-fil-A Advantage: Grilled Over Fried

Chick-fil-A has built a reputation for offering some surprisingly nutritious fast-food choices, largely due to its focus on grilled chicken. The key difference lies in the preparation method. A marinated, boneless chicken breast that is grilled, rather than fried, provides a significant reduction in calories, fat, and sodium. This makes items like their Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Grilled Chicken Nuggets stand out as lean, high-protein choices.

Healthier Chick-fil-A Choices

For those seeking a lighter meal, Chick-fil-A offers several excellent options:

Grilled Chicken Sandwich: At around 380 calories and 28g of protein, this is a lean, satisfying choice.
Grilled Chicken Nuggets: The 8-count provides 130 calories and 25g of protein, a fantastic high-protein, low-calorie option.
Market Salad: This salad, topped with grilled chicken, is packed with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Just be mindful of the high-sugar dressings, and choose a lighter option like the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Kale Crunch Side: A great low-calorie, low-sodium, and high-fiber side dish.

Nutritional Traps at Chick-fil-A

Even at a chain known for better options, traps exist. Fried items, sauces, and certain milkshakes can significantly increase the calorie and sugar content.

Spicy Deluxe Sandwich: At 550 calories, it far exceeds its grilled counterpart.
Sauces: The signature Chick-fil-A Sauce adds 140 calories and 13g of fat per packet. Multiple sauces can add hundreds of unnecessary calories.
Milkshakes: A large Cookies & Cream Milkshake can contain over 700 calories, a meal in itself.

Firehouse Subs: The Power of Customization

Firehouse Subs specializes in large, hot sandwiches, which can be calorie and sodium bombs. However, the true strength of eating healthy at Firehouse lies in its customization. By building your own sub and making mindful choices, you can control the nutritional outcome.

Healthier Firehouse Subs Choices

Small Turkey Breast Sub on Wheat: Choosing a small sub size and opting for lean turkey on wheat bread significantly reduces calories and sodium. Loading up on fresh vegetables can also boost the nutritional value.
Firehouse Chopped Salad: Similar to Chick-fil-A, this salad provides a path to a lighter meal. Opt for lean protein and choose a low-calorie dressing.
Soups: Hearty soups like Chicken Noodle can provide a filling and comforting meal, though sodium content can be a concern.

Nutritional Traps at Firehouse Subs

Firehouse's signature menu items are often high in calories and sodium, a direct result of their generous portions and ingredient choices.

Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket (Large): A large version of this sub contains over 1,100 calories and well over 3,000mg of sodium, exceeding the daily recommended limit for many.
Club on a Sub (Medium): Even a medium size can pack a high amount of fat and sodium, with 40g of fat and 2000mg of sodium.
Heavy Proteins and Cheeses: Extra portions of high-fat meats like salami or bacon, combined with multiple slices of cheese, quickly escalate the calorie and saturated fat count.

Nutritional Comparison: Firehouse vs. Chick-fil-A

To illustrate the difference, here's a comparison of representative items from each chain, based on nutritional data.


Menu Item	Calories	Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Protein (g)
Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich	380	11	2	755	28
Chick-fil-A Spicy Deluxe Sandwich	550	25	8	1810	33
Firehouse Subs Engineer (Small on Wheat)	350	18	4	1150	19
Firehouse Subs Smokehouse Brisket (Large)	1140	55	13	3080	62

This table clearly demonstrates that while both have better and worse options, the potential for high sodium and calories at Firehouse is significantly higher with their standard menu items.

Making the Healthiest Choice

Ultimately, the 'healthier' option depends on your diligence. Chick-fil-A generally makes it easier to find healthier, leaner choices, with grilled chicken being a standout. For Firehouse, the onus is on the customer to build a healthy meal from scratch. The primary factors to consider are:

Sodium: Fast food is notoriously high in sodium. Both restaurants have items that can contain a large portion of your daily recommended intake. Choosing smaller portions, skipping cheese and bacon, and being mindful of dressings is crucial.
Cooking Method: Grilled chicken at Chick-fil-A is consistently a healthier option than the calorie-dense, fried or heavily processed meats found in many Firehouse subs.
Customization: Firehouse allows for extensive customization, which is a powerful tool for health-conscious diners. Opting for wheat bread, extra vegetables, and controlling sauces are key. At Chick-fil-A, customizing means choosing grilled over fried, and selecting healthier sides and sauces.

For most people looking for a quick and straightforward healthy meal, Chick-fil-A's grilled options present an easy, reliable choice. However, if you are willing to spend the time to customize and make careful selections, you can create a balanced and satisfying meal at Firehouse Subs as well.

Conclusion

While both Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A offer menu items that can be integrated into a healthy diet, Chick-fil-A has a slight edge as the healthier overall choice. Its standard grilled options and clearer low-calorie choices make it a more accessible choice for the health-conscious fast-food eater. However, this doesn't mean Firehouse Subs should be written off. With careful customization and portion control, it's absolutely possible to assemble a nutritionally sound meal. The ultimate lesson is that smart decisions are required at any fast-food restaurant, and checking nutritional information beforehand is always the best strategy.

For more detailed nutritional information on Chick-fil-A's full menu, you can explore their official nutrition guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken sandwich is widely regarded as a healthier fast-food choice. With 380 calories and 28g of protein, it's a lean and satisfying option, though it's still best to be mindful of its sodium content.

The healthiest option at Firehouse Subs is generally a customized meal. For example, a small sub with lean turkey breast on wheat bread, loaded with fresh vegetables, and without excessive cheese or mayo, is a top pick.

To reduce sodium at Firehouse Subs, order a small sub, opt for wheat bread instead of white, choose lean proteins like turkey breast, and ask for extra vegetables while skipping high-sodium ingredients like certain cheeses, bacon, and heavy sauces.

Salads at Chick-fil-A, like the Market Salad, can be a healthy choice, but they can also contain a significant number of calories and sugar depending on the dressing and toppings. It is best to choose a lighter dressing and request grilled chicken.

Yes, you can eat at Firehouse Subs on a low-carb diet by customizing your order. You can ask for a sub served as a salad, choose lean proteins, and avoid starchy vegetables and high-sugar sauces. Always check their nutritional info.

Both chains offer high-protein options, but Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken items, like the Grilled Chicken Sandwich and Grilled Chicken Nuggets, are excellent sources of lean protein. You can also build a high-protein sub or salad at Firehouse Subs by doubling up on lean meat.

Hidden calories at both chains often come from sauces, dressings, and larger portion sizes. At Chick-fil-A, creamy sauces and milkshakes add significant calories. At Firehouse, the large subs and extra cheese and bacon can dramatically increase the overall caloric intake.