Dietitian reveals how you can eat healthily at Chick-fil-A - and still indulge in your favorite foods

A dietician has broken down how you can plan a healthy meal off the Chick-fil-A menu, while still indulging in the wildly popular crispy chicken sandwich.

Taylor Grosso, who's also known as @simplyhealthyrd to her TikTok following of 335,000, promotes a 'balanced plates' approach to eating, combining what she terms the 'power four: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and color.' 

'The goal is not necessarily that we get all four of them at every single meal, but rather we're aiming for two to four of them around 80 per cent of our meals,' she continued.

The reason? Achieving a better balance of 'blood sugar levels.' 

TikTok nutritionist Taylor Grosso promotes a 'balanced plates' approach to eating, combining what she terms the 'power four: 'carbohydrates, protein, fat, and color'

In one Post, Taylor proposed several 'balanced' meals straight off of the Chick-fil-A menu

'When we have more balanced blood sugar levels, we have more energy, we're a little bit more satisfied, and it helps to support our metabolism,' she said. 

Achieving more even blood sugar levels requires 'pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat, and/or fiber.

'Because when we eat carbohydrates by themselves, it causes a blood sugar spike and usually a quick blood sugar fall. 

'This can leave you feeling groggy, a little bit tired, not really that focused, and a little bit less energized.

'What we're looking to do is pair our carbohydrates with protein, fat, and/or fiber, to help make sure that the carbs are giving us steady energy throughout the course of a longer period of time so that we stay more satisfied, we have a little bit more focus and feel more energized,' she stated.

After all, she reasoned, 'when we're eating fast food, we're often times on the go where we need that little boost of energy.'

She also emphasized that, when 'we're talking about building balance plates with fast food, it's not about restriction - it's about recognizing how food actually makes us feel… in different quantities and portions and types.'

Taylor went on to describe that Chick-fil-A has an 'amazing menu for a fast food restaurant, especially when it comes to increasing nutrient density.'

From the breakfast menu, Taylor endorsed the Egg White Grill sandwich 

To add 'color and fiber' to the breakfast, Taylor recommended the Chick-fil-A fruit cup, describing the chain's version as 'elite'

When it came to entrees, at the top of Taylor's list was the Grilled Chicken Sandwich or the Grilled Nuggets, further recommending the latter be paired with the Kale Crunch side salad

For a Chick-fil-A breakfast, Taylor recommended the Egg White Grill sandwich, which has 300 calories and includes egg whites, chicken and cheese in an English muffin.

'Covering all of our bases here, we've got some carbohydrates from the English muffin. We've got protein in the chicken, and then also the egg whites, and a little bit of fat coming from the cheese,' Taylor elaborated. 

For 'more nutrient density' and 'a little bit of color and fiber,' Taylor also recommended getting the fruit cup with it - adding that the fast food chain has 'by far… the best fruit cup,' adding it was 'elite.'

According to the online menu, it's 70 calories and comes with red and green apples, mandarin orange segments, fresh strawberry slices, and blueberries.

For entrees, Taylor described two 'nutrient dense classics' in the form of the grilled chicken nuggets or the grilled chicken sandwich, the former with 130 calories, and the latter with 390 calories.

'The grilled chicken sandwich is gonna provide us with just a little bit more nutrition, in the sense of it's not just straight up protein like the nugs are,' Taylor reasoned. 

'Don't get me wrong, the nugs are delicious, but they're probably not gonna keep you super full for a very long time.'

She emphasized that: 'Our body does also need carbohydrates in terms of energy, especially your brain. Your brain needs 130 grams per day.'

If one is craving the grilled chicken nuggets, then, she suggested complementing the dish with a kale crunch side salad, at 170 calories, 'for a little bit of fiber and color.' 

Even the chain's iconic crispy Chicken Sandwich can be part of a 'balanced' meal, per Taylor

For those going for the classic Chicken Sandwich, Taylor again recommended pairing it with the Kale Crunch side

'Let's be real, the waffle fries at Chick-fil-A, chef's kiss,' Taylor said

On top of that, she suggested adding in the kid-sized waffle fries for a 'little bit of carbohydrate.' 

'Let's be real, the waffle fries at Chick-fil-A, chef's kiss,' she added.

Taylor also had nutrition recommendations for those dead set on having the chain's trademark crispy Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, at 420 calories.

'I totally feel you. This thing is freaking delicious,' she conceded.

'Now we think about this, because it's crispy chicken, it is gonna have a little bit more carbohydrates. 

'This would be a great opportunity to do a side kale crunch salad, or a fruit cup to add in that color, and add in a little bit more nutrient density.

'Also a little bit of fiber, which is going to one, support your gut and two, help you stay full for a little bit longer,' she explained.

'Then last but not least, if you're looking for something that's crunchy but also sweet, but also savory at the same time, the Market Salad is such a nutrient dense option,' she advised.

Taylor also raved about the chain's Market Salad, a 550-calorie option with chicken as well as crumbled blue cheese, apples, strawberries, blueberries, granola and roasted almonds

The menu's 550-calorie Market Salad comes with chicken as well as crumbled blue cheese, apples, strawberries, blueberries, granola and roasted almonds.

'There's grilled chicken, for a little bit of protein. We've got a mixture of fruit in there for color. And then of course, it's salad. So we have a ton of nutrition packed in there too.

'Plus there's a little bit of nut in there for some fats, plus the fats in the salad dressing as well - which is going to help you absorb those fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K from the nutrient density that you're eating.'

For those who love 'those dang waffle fries' above all, Taylor recommended getting the fries alongside the Market Salad - 'another perfect balance opportunity,' she described.

'Here, you're eating what you want, but then you're adding what you need,' she said.

Taylor is hardly the only nutritionist peddling advice on social media. 

DailyMail.com has previously reported on dietician Maddie Saliba's five top tricks to losing and keeping off weight.

Elsewhere, nutritionist Olivia Hedlund, who endorses a diet of mostly protein and vegetables, discussed three common foods she always avoids.