I have lived my entire life anticipating Friday night Chick-Fil-A runs. My most desired meal was the beloved original chicken sandwich, fries and a classic lemonade. The nuggets have caught my eye once or twice, but I have never eaten them with the same satisfaction as the sandwich. I remember eating them with distaste and disappointment in my mouth. They just lacked something important that the chicken sandwich had, something… heavenly. Maybe it was an issue with the lack of bread, or perhaps an issue with the disorganized, turd-shaped appearance. Either way, the “Chick-Fil-A experience” was degraded in my mind after eating them.

It wasn’t until recently that I learned about the fierce debate between nugget lovers and sandwich lovers. Nugget people can be INTENSE! As a long time devotee to the sandwich, I thought I would use this public platform to advocate my *correct* opinion.

The chicken sandwich is WAY healthier than a serving of “nuggs.” Nuggets have a whopping 75 grams of cholesterol, while the sandwich has a mere 60g. While many nugget eaters pair their nuggets with Chick-Fil-A’s delicious, but fatty, sauces, the sandwich itself is already paired with two pickles.

Sophomore Natalia Lambos, said that she eats the sandwich because the pickles enhance the flavor of the sandwich in a healthy way. The pickles really make or break the meal, nutrition-wise. Persons who value eating vegetables at every meal can be satisfied with the more than adequate serving of pickles provided with the sandwich.

Sophomore Meghan Brazeau said she would eat the chicken sandwich, even though she’s vegan. She believes the sandwich to be healthier for the human body and the environment.

Another big reason to eat the chicken sandwich is the taste. Esteemed engineering teacher Jason Buhler claimed he would eat the nuggets because “you get more breading per chicken, so you get more of that flavor.” If there is any meal that provides the consumer with a bread taste, it is, in fact, the chicken SANDWICH. This menu item is, by definition, breaded chicken between two pieces of bread.

However, the bread does more than provide flavor. Sophomore Nellie Danielson, stated the sandwich “has soft bread and crunchy chicken, and it’s just cool in your mouth.” Danielson has really hit the target with this description. The taste can only take a menu item so far, the texture is almost, or just as, important to the customer’s satisfaction. Chick-Fil-A has nailed this texture equation with the crunch of the chicken perfectly balanced between the soft, buttery buns.

Founded in 1946, Chick-Fil-A has always prided itself on the sandwich. Their longtime favorite slogan hails the sandwich as the reason for them being in business. They say, “We didn’t invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich.” Let me be perfectly clear. Chick-Fil-A has not staked its entire reputation on the nuggets, but rather, the chicken sandwich.

Food Safety Solutions article Chick-Fil-A: Great Food, Good People and Serious Safety states, “From the beginning, the Atlanta, Ga.-based company was built around its famous, top-quality chicken sandwiches made from 100 percent breast meat.” This is what Chick-Fil-A is built on. This is the foundation for the entire chain. The sandwich was the catapult for the rest of the menu, nuggets being popularized only after the sandwich had made such a splash.

Also in account for holding on to tradition, the chicken sandwich has stayed cheaper than any other entree menu item. In fact, the sandwich saves the consumer an entire 6 cents, if they were to rather get the nuggets.  

In a recent poll taken within the halls of Air Academy, the nuggs were determined to be more popular than the sandwich between students and staff alike. I implore everyone who regularly buys the nuggets to look at the cold, hard health facts and sympathize with tradition. The sandwich is the heart and soul of Chick-Fil-A and deserves the popular opinion.