19 Unhealthiest Frozen Chicken Products You Can Buy At Aldi
If you haven't paid attention to the nutrition labels or ingredients in many frozen Aldi chicken products, you may not have realized just how unhealthy they can be. While Aldi does have some health-conscious brands, not every Aldi frozen chicken product is created equally, at least health-wise.
We dove deep into the ingredient lists of Aldi's frozen chicken products to see exactly which ones are cause for the most concern, using the nutrition and ingredients data collected by Fooducate, an online tool that helps guide healthy eating and grades products on a scale between A and F. The healthiest Aldi options tend to be the ones you'd expect: plain chicken without breading or sauce and most of the ones that look like they would be healthy, such as quinoa bowls. It's the other product labels that you should probably read more carefully before you buy. Lots of salt, sugar, and fat are just the start — many of these chicken products are highly processed. That means they're made with unhealthy, unnatural preservatives to help food stay fresh longer like phosphates or a variety of other unhealthy, unnatural ingredients aimed at boosting a food's flavor, texture, or appearance. Here's an overview of the best and worst aspects of each of Aldi's unhealthiest frozen chicken products.
Read more: The Most Delicious Aldi Finds Of All Time
1. Kirkwood Dino Nuggets
While you probably weren't already under the impression that Kirkwood Dino Nuggets are super healthy, you probably didn't want to see them on a list of unhealthy products. Their main problem is that they're highly processed. There are positives, though: They have no hormones or sugar and lots of vitamins, which is great.
Of particular concern with these Dino Nuggets is their preservatives, which include phosphates. Phosphates have been connected to lots of negative side effects involving kidney and heart health that may give you pause, according to Well+Good. With a Fooducate score of C, you can find healthier dino nuggets elsewhere.
2. Kirkwood Cordon Bleu Stuffed Chicken
Kirkwood Cordon Bleu Stuffed Chicken is a fun indulgence that comes in individually wrapped packages. The chicken is breaded and stuffed with ham and cheese, which means not only is it highly processed but it's also extremely salty. The ham and the cheese as well as some of the sodium-based chemicals add considerably to the salt content. It turns out that each package has 30% of the maximum amount of sodium recommended each day: 700 milligrams.
There are also several concerning ingredients in this product. It contains nitrites and phosphates, which both have a reputation for causing negative health effects. Plus, the additive methyl cellulose may prevent the body from absorbing as much nutrients as it should, per Echemi.com, a chemical products site. With a Fooducate score of C, you might do better making chicken cordon bleu from scratch.
3. Kirkwood Chicken Breast Nuggets
Kirkwood Chicken Breast Nuggets are shaped and breaded mini patties made from all white-meat chicken breast and rib meat. However, they're processed and salty. They contain no sugar, which is good news. A serving also has 23% of the recommended amount of protein you need daily.
At 590 milligrams per serving, the sodium content represents 23% of the recommended daily amount you should consume. Among the bigger concerns is the inclusion of phosphates, which have been associated with high blood pressure, kidney problems, and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, per Well+Good. This product gets a Fooducate score of C-, so it's on our lhe list of unhealthy frozen foods at Aldi.
4. Kirkwood Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
While unflavored chicken wings aren't that bad for you, once you start adding sauces, you have to check the nutrition label a little more closely. Kirkwood Honey BBQ Chicken Wings fall in this category since they have some ingredients that you may want to avoid.
The nutrition content of these wings shows they have 27% of the daily value of protein (13 grams) and 430 milligrams of sodium per serving. Even though they contain honey, they have only 2.5 grams of added sugars. However, it's the other ingredients that might have you backing away from these wings. For one, they contain phosphates. They also contain carrageenan, a controversial ingredient that may lead to digestive issues and disease, per Healthline. Overall, the wings have a Fooducate score of C, which is bad for wings but a high score among Aldi's frozen chicken wings.
5. Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Breast Patties
When you opt for frozen breaded chicken breasts, you're usually heading into unhealthier territory than with unbreaded chicken. Like the Chicken Breast Nuggets, Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Breast Patties do contain rib meat. These chicken patties have more going for them than most. They're a good source of protein, with one patty providing 21% of what you need for the day (10 grams). Plus, the cholesterol level isn't bad at just 25 milligrams (8% of the daily value). They also have 440 milligrams of sodium.
There's one ingredient you don't expect to see in chicken: turbinado sugar. Americans eat a shocking amount of sugar, often in processed foods. There's 1 gram of sugar per serving in these patties, but the product still gets a Fooducate score of C.
6. Fusia Asian Inspirations Chicken Egg Rolls
These Fusia Asian Inspiration Chicken Egg Rolls are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Plus, they have lots of vitamins. But when it comes to heathy eating, they don't score as well because of their sugar content and some of their ingredients.
Not only do these egg rolls contain sugar, but they also have high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup, bringing the added sugar content per egg roll to 5 grams -- 21% of the recommended daily value. They also contain phosphates as well as sodium benzoate, which has the potential to become carcinogenic when exposed to heat and light, according to Healthline. Plus, it's suspected in a wide range of health problems, including inflammation, obesity, and allergies. So, the Fooducate rating of a C for this product is pretty solid.
7. Fusia Asian Inspirations Chicken Fried Rice
While Fusia Asian Inspirations Chicken Fried Rice seems like it should be healthy, it is both highly processed and very salty. It has a low amount of cholesterol (5% of your recommended daily value) as well as 11 grams of protein (23% of the daily recommended amount) plus vitamins.
It's sweetened with evaporated cane juice, and you'll end up with 2 grams of sugar (1 gram of added sugar) in each serving. The 830 milligrams of sodium make up 35% of your daily recommended value. Its ingredients include caramel color, which has the potential to be carcinogenic, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Maltodextrin comes with a high glycemic index and may change gut flora, according to Healthline. Cellulose gum and xanthan gum can lead to lots of health problems in large quantities. With a Fooducate score of C, this fried rice is not a healthy option.
8. Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips
Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips are made with rib meat, which some think is a more tender choice for chicken strips. There are a lot of good nutritional stats for these chicken strips. They are low in cholesterol. And although they contain brown sugar, the amount is less than a gram per serving. They also have 27% of the daily recommended value for protein with 13 grams. In addition, the ingredient list has no additives or preservatives.
Where these chicken strips head into unhealthy territory is in the amount of sodium. A 3-ounce serving has 26% of the sodium that nutritional experts recommend you eat each day (600 milligrams). With all that sodium, they rank only a C on Fooducate.
9. Kirkwood Popcorn Chicken
Kirkwood Popcorn Chicken is a highly processed product with all kinds of questionable preservatives and additives. Plus, it's salty. While this popcorn chicken has turbinado sugar added to it, it's only half a gram for every 8-piece serving. It's also a pretty good source of protein since a serving has 29% of the daily recommended value (14 grams), according to the package.
When it comes to unhealthy ingredients, this product has added phosphates as well as carrageenan and maltodextrin, which we mentioned previously. Additionally, it contains disodium guanylate, a type of salt that adds to the 480 milligrams of sodium per serving. This ingredient may be a problem for those who have also have sensitivities to monosodium glutamate (MSG) or those with gout or kidney stones, according to Healthline. Because of incomplete data, this product does not have a Fooducate score, but it is comparable to the other unhealthy products on our list.
10. Kirkwood Honey Battered Breast Tenders
Chances are that you're not grabbing Kirkwood Honey Battered Breast Tenders thinking that they're healthy. Granted, the "honey" part might mislead you a little since honey is healthier than granulated sugar. However, these tenders are highly processed. About all these have going for them is the protein content. At 10 grams per serving, this product has 21% of the recommended daily value of protein.
The ingredient list is probably worse than you thought. Not only do these honey tenders contain honey, but they also contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup. There are 3 grams of sugar (2 grams of added sugar) in every 5-piece serving. Plus, it contains several types of phosphates. These aren't the unhealthiest tenders out there, but with a Fooducate score of C-, they're still a low-quality fuel for your body.
11. Fusia Asian Inspirations Chicken Pot Stickers
Fusia Asian Inspirations Chicken Potstickers has a long ingredient list that looks pretty healthy at first glance. The 15 milligrams of cholesterol are at 5% of the daily recommended value. And the fat content is only 4.5 grams per serving.
The lack of whole grains and some of the ingredients are what makes this product unhealthy. Although there are only 3 grams of sugar in five potstickers, they do have added sugar and invert syrup as sweeteners. The potstickers also have xanthan gum. It's noteworthy for medical or religious purposes that these potstickers contain rice cooking wine. The big problem, though, is caramel color, which we mentioned earlier as being potentially carcinogenic. With so many other healthier potstickers, this product with its Fooducate rating of a C- is not so good for your health.
12. liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken
Just because a product is gluten-free doesn't make it healthy, which is the case with Aldi's liveGfree Gluten Free General Tso's Chicken. One positive thing about this General Tso's product is that, while it contains sugar, it has less than a gram of it per serving. Plus, it has 29% of the protein you need for the day (14 grams).
Most of the ingredient list looks fine except for the caramel coloring, which is possibly carcinogenic. It also is 300 calories per serving, which is more than the other products on our list so far. The negatives about this product push it over into the C- range healthwise from Fooducate.
13. Kirkwood Chicken Fries
Kirkwood Chicken Fries might be novel and fun for dipping, but they're not that healthy for you. The good news is that even though there's sugar in the ingredient list, it only comes out to less than a gram of sugar for every seven chicken fries you eat. It also has 29% of the recommended daily value of protein with 14 grams.
The unhealthy content is related to fat, sodium, and certain ingredients. One serving has 13 grams of fat, with 3 of those grams being saturated fat (18% of the recommended daily value). It also has nearly a fourth of the recommended amount of sodium you should consume in a day (540 milligrams). The unhealthy ingredients include phosphates and disodium guanylate. The Fooducate score for these chicken fries is a C-, which is worse than average healthwise for a frozen chicken product.
14. Bremer Chicken Pot Pie
You could probably guess that with a flakey crust and creamy filling this Bremer Chicken Pot Pie made our list of unhealthy frozen chicken products. Sure, it has vegetables, which add vitamins, but this pie is highly processed and also has lots of sugar, salt, and fat. On the plus side, it's worth noting the chicken provides 10 grams of protein (21% of the daily recommended value).
But it also has 22 grams of fat, including 9 grams of saturated fat -- that's 53% of the recommended daily value. It also has a lot of sodium -- 950 milligrams (41% of the daily recommended value). The ingredients include phosphates as well as caramel coloring. The crust also contains shortening, which has the controversial preservative called butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in it. While it doesn't seem to be a carcinogen, some studies have left doubts about how healthy it is. Thus, this chicken pot pie gets a D+, which is worse than most products, from Fooducate.
15. Kirkwood Buffalo Style Chicken Wings
The worst frozen chicken wings at Aldi are Kirkwood Buffalo Style Chicken Wings. They suffer healthwise from being salty and highly processed. Surprisingly, they have no sugar whatsoever. Plus, each serving has 10 grams of protein, which is 21% of the recommended daily value.
The negatives come in the form of sodium and preservatives. With 820 milligrams of sodium, eating 3 ounces of wings will bring you up to 36% of your daily recommended amount. The ingredient list also includes some phosphates and xanthan gum. Thus, these wings get a Fooducate score of D+, which is lower than average for similar products.
16. Kirkwood Parmesan Herb Encrusted Chicken Tenders
The least healthy chicken tenders you can buy at Aldi are Kirkwood Parmesan Herb Encrusted Chicken Tenders. They're highly processed with unhealthy preservatives and additives, a lot of sodium, and some controversial ingredients.
This product has 4 grams of sugar, but none of it is added sugar. One piece of chicken also has 19 grams of protein, which is 40% of your recommended daily value. The 880 milligrams of sodium (38% of the recommended daily amount) tank the health score for this product. It also has 13 grams of fat, including 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Like many other products, it contains phosphates and maltodextrin. These tenders get a lower Fooducate score than most tenders: a D.
17. Fusia Asian Inspirations General Tso's Chicken
Fusia Asian Inspirations General Tso's Chicken is far worse in terms of your health than the gluten-free version. The high sugar and salt content as well as other ingredients put it solidly on the naughty list. We can say a few good things about this product, though. It's low in cholesterol (25 milligrams) and has plenty of protein (10 grams).
However, the sodium is far more than you'd expect, amounting to nearly half (46%) of the daily recommended value you should be consuming all day -- 1,050 milligrams. It's also high in sugar, with 16 grams per serving (23% of the daily recommended value). Alcohol is among the ingredients. The label notes that this chicken is fried in vegetable oil and other ingredients. Plus, it has phosphates and xanthan gum. It's one of the unhealthiest frozen Asian chicken dishes you can get, even beyond Aldi, with a Fooducate score of D.
18. Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Breast Fillets
Now we get to Aldi fans' beloved red bag chicken. These Kirkwood Breaded Chicken Fillets don't score very well healthwise. Sugar, salt, cholesterol, and their highly processed nature make this product far less healthy than you probably thought.
Besides the fact that this chicken is popular enough to have its own Facebook page, there is one other good thing about it. It has a good amount of protein -- 32 grams, which is 67% of the recommended daily value.
Now for the unhealthy side of this product. It has 28% of your daily recommended value of cholesterol (85 milligrams) and 44% of recommended daily amount of sodium (1,010 milligrams). It also has 4 grams of sugar, including 3 grams of added sugar in just one fillet. However, you may not have bargained for all the phosphates in this product. It might taste good, but it's much worse for your health than your average chicken fillets, scoring a D on the Fooducate scale.
19. Kirkwood Buffalo Style Chicken Strips
If you opt for Kirkwood Buffalo Style Chicken Strips rather than the plain strips listed above, you're piling on more cholesterol and sodium. And because they are highly processed, they contain a lot of additives and preservatives. On the plus side, a 3-ounce serving has 11 grams of protein, nearly one fourth of the recommended amount you need for the day. It also has only 1 gram of added sugar.
The sodium content is the nutritional number to pay attention to since a serving has 960 milligrams, which is 45% of your daily recommended value. It also contains phosphates as well as caramel color, maltodextrin, and xanthan gum. The other concerning ingredient TBHQ, which stands for tertiary butylhydroquinone. The Center for Science in the Public Interest lists TBHQ as an ingredient to avoid because it has been linked to an increase in tumors in rats. A Fooducate score of D makes these chicken strips much worse than your average chicken strips.
Methodology
To decide which frozen chicken products from Aldi to put on our list, we looked at what is currently available. Since Aldi doesn't list its ingredients and nutrition information online, we used data compiled by Fooducate to help. The online tool known as Fooducate gives each product a grade from A to F based on the ingredients and the nutritional content. The frozen chicken products on our list all have Fooducate scores between a C and a D. We dug deeper to find what exactly gave each product a low score so we could explain why you might want to avoid each one if you are looking to eat a healthier diet.
Read the original article on Mashed
