The first Church's Chicken was opened in San Antonio, Texas in 1952 by incubator salesman George W. Church, Sr. In the time since, it has grown into one of the most recognizable names in fast food, famous for fried chicken, biscuits and homemade sides. Nutritional content of menu items varies widely depending on the chicken part and accompanying sides.
Calories
Of the main dishes, the Original Leg has the lowest calorie content at 110 per piece. The highest-calorie entree is the Shrimp and Fries Basket, at 750 calories. When you add sides, the calorie count climbs. A jalapeno pepper is only 5 calories, but an eight-piece Jalapeno Cheese Bombers delivers 480 calories. A large Okra is 718 calories, and a large fries contains 595 calories. The handmade biscuits contain 190 calories each.
Fat
Because Church's uses partially-hydrogenated soybean oil, their fried foods contain trans fats which are known for raising cholesterol levels. Single pieces of fried chicken range from 6 g of fat for an Original Leg to 35 g of fat for a Spicy Thigh. The Double Chicken and Cheese Sandwich has the highest fat content at 38 g. Not all of the sides are fat-laden -- the Regular Mashed Potatoes and Gravy has only 2 g of fat, the Corn-on-the-Cob has 3 g and the Cajun Rice has 7 g. The Large Macaroni and Cheese delivers 27 g of fat, and the Large Okra, 45 g of fat.
Carbohydrates
The rule of thumb is the more bread, the more carbs. This applies to both sandwiches and foods that are breaded and fried. The Original Leg and Breast each only contain 3 g of carbs per piece, but the Double Chicken and Cheese Sandwich contains 63 g of carbs. The highest carb content is the Shrimp and Fries Basket, at 86 g. The sides are also carb-laden, except for the Jalapeno Peppers at only 1 g each. The Large Mashed Potatoes and Gravy has 32 g of carbs, and the Large Okra has 74 g.
Protein
The protein rule is similar -- the more meat, the more protein. All of the chicken pieces have high amounts of protein, ranging from 10 g for an Original Leg to 20 g for a Spicy Thigh. The Nuggets have only 9 g of protein, indicating that they may contain filler. Sides are generally low in protein, with the exception of a Large Macaroni and Cheese which has 18 g.
Sodium/Cholesterol
Entrees at Church's Chicken range from 280 mg of sodium in an Original Leg to 2,620 mg in the Boneless Wings with Buffalo Sauce. The lowest-sodium choice is the Corn-on-the-Cob, at only 15 mg. The Large Macaroni and Cheese, at 2,115 mg, has one of the highest sodium contents.
Cholesterol content of Nuggets is 21 mg and the Spicy Thigh has 135 mg. Okra and French Fries contain none at all, according to Church's Chicken's published nutritional information. The Jalapeno Cheese Bombers contain 60 mg of cholesterol in the large serving.
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