Red Rooster menu items nutritionist avoids

If chicken is your thing, there are certainly a wide range of options to pick from at Red Rooster, but some are much worse than others.

If chicken is your thing, there are certainly a wide range of options to pick from at Red Rooster.

While the meal packs are appealing, if health is on your mind, it is a much better option to make your own meal rather than pick one of the pre-made packs, which are packed full of fried additions that bump up the fat and calorie content of the popular menu items.

Reds Hot Satisfryer: at 6580kJ (1570cal) “not a good option for anyone really”.

These packs pack a lot of fat:

Reds Hot Satisfryer

6580kJ / 1570cal

103g fat

3795mg sodium

It is the mix of chicken, chips, potato and pineapple with loads of batter that bumps up the fat content of this meal, and with double the recommended daily intake of sodium, this is not a good option for anyone really.

BBQ Box: a day’s worth of fat and 5490kJ (1310cal)

BBQ Box

5490kJ / 1310cal

71g fat

3135mg sodium

If you make a meal that includes both an entire burger and chicken it should not come as a surprise to hear that it has more calories than two meals along with a day’s worth of fat and a truckload of added salt.

“Don’t let the idea of a salad roll trick you.” Salad Roll Box: 4850kJ (1160cal)

Salad Roll Box

4850kJ / 1160cal

61g fat

2370mg sodium

Don’t let the idea of a salad roll trick you into thinking this is a healthier meal option. When a white roll is served with mayo, fries, fried chicken and mash you have almost a day’s worth of fat and calories.

Reds Hot Fried Combo: looks small but the calorie count isn't.

Reds Hot Fried Combo

4450kJ / 1060cal

71g fat

2150mg sodium

It looks like a small meal but the mix of fried chicken and chips offers a lot of fat and calories in a very small volume of food.

Quarter Chicken Combo: 2540kJ (610cal) – a lot lighter in calories than most menu items.

Lighter options:

Quarter Chicken Combo

2540kJ / 610cal

26g fat

1180mg sodium

While the mix of chicken and chips is by no means healthy, this quarter-chicken meal option is a lot lighter in calories than most menu items and if you added some sides of vegetables like peas and slaw, and ditched the fries you would have a filling and nutritious meal.

The Chilli Aioli Snack Sub is the lowest calorie and lightest option on the menu.

Chilli Aioli Snack Sub

1150kJ / 280cal

10g fat

730mg sodium

Certainly the lowest calorie and best, lighter option on the menu, if you teamed this snack sized burger with some slaw or peas, you would create a reasonable balanced meal.

Susie Burrell is a dietitian and nutritionist and holds a Master’s degree in coaching psychology.