Chicken nuggets earn the first point with 29 fewer calories than an equally sized serving of fish sticks. They’ve also got a slight edge on carbs: Chicken nuggets have 18 g and fish sticks pack 24. But when it comes to fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber, and sugar, the two are essentially identical. Neither food has more than 2 g of sugar—but thanks to refined breading, neither one has much fiber, either. The redeeming quality here is protein: Each product delivers about 17 g of protein in a serving. Fish sticks sneak in their first point with sodium—they’ve got about 150 fewer mg than chicken nuggets. MORE: Take-Out Makeover: Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings As you might expect, neither option delivers a megadose of vitamins and minerals—but they’re not completely devoid. There’s another tie when it comes to phosphorus, a mineral that aids in the formation of bones and teeth. Both foods give you almost a third of your daily value. Chicken nuggets pack a surprising 50% of your daily value for niacin, 73% for vitamin D, and 12% for vitamin K, picking up 3 points over fish sticks. But fish sticks stomp chicken nuggets with 51% of your daily value for vitamin E and 7% for folate (nuggets provide just 8% and 1%, respectively). The Winner If you stick with the numbers, chicken nuggets come out on top. But our experts are still wary. “This is a situation where I would wait to find a better alternative,” says Gina Consalvo, RD, a Pennsylvania-based nutritionist. “Both chicken nuggets and fish sticks will be made with highly processed protein sources, breaded with refined starches, and fried in unhealthy fats. They’re also packed with artificial ingredients and additives to help with texture, taste, and shelf life.” Womp womp. MORE: The Super Filling Fish Dinner You Need to Try Tonight A few manufacturers are making cleaner versions of both products (try Applegate for chicken nuggets and Matlaw’s for fish sticks), but this is one food item you’re still better off DIYing, says Toby Amidor, MS, RD, nutrition expert and author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen. This 100 Days of Real Food recipe is a good place to start.
