How Many Chicken Nuggets Can Kill You?

Chicken nuggets are a popular fast food item, especially among children. But eating too many can be dangerous. So how many chicken nuggets does it take to kill you? Let’s take a look

What’s in Chicken Nuggets?

Chicken nuggets are made of chopped and formed chicken meat usually coated in a batter and deep fried. The coating helps keep the inside moist and gives nuggets their signature crunchy exterior.

While the primary ingredient is chicken most nuggets also contain

• Fillers like wheat flour or cornmeal
• Binders like egg whites or gelatin
• Seasonings and spices
• Oil or fat for frying

Additionally, the batter coating contains:

• Flour
• Spices
• Sometimes sugar
• Oil or fat

While chicken nuggets can be a convenient source of protein, the coating and frying make them high in calories, fat, and sodium. The fillers and binders also dilute some of the nutritional value compared to eating whole chicken breast.

How Many Nuggets Are Dangerous?

Eating dozens of chicken nuggets in one sitting is never a good idea. But at what point does it become actually life threatening? There are a few factors to consider.

Choking Hazard

If you literally tried to cram hundreds of nuggets down your throat at one time, you could choke. Chicken nuggets do occasionally cause choking deaths when not chewed properly, especially in children.

However, for most people this is not the biggest risk of overeating nuggets. You would likely feel too full and nauseous long before reaching your physical choking limit.

Sodium Overdose

Eating an extreme amount of salty foods like chicken nuggets can lead to hypernatremia – dangerously high sodium levels in the blood.

Symptoms include nausea, headaches, confusion, and seizures. In rare cases it can lead to coma and death.

Most chicken nuggets contain around 200-300 mg of sodium per serving. So eating dozens could spike sodium intake to unsafe levels.

Obesity and Heart Disease

The more likely danger is the long term effects of overeating any high calorie, high fat food like fried chicken nuggets.

Consuming well over the recommended daily calories and fat intake on a regular basis can lead to obesity over time. Obesity raises your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses.

So while no specific number of nuggets can immediately stop your heart, regular overeating does put your health at risk.

Cases of Nugget Overdose

There are a few news stories about people consuming insane amounts of chicken nuggets:

• In 2013 a man reportedly ate 413 Red Lobster biscuits and went into a coma. Though this turned out to be a hoax story.

• In 2018 a satirical story claimed a man ate 413 chicken nuggets then became paralyzed.

• Competitive eater Matt Stonie ate 100 nuggets in 10 minutes during a 2016 challenge.

So real cases of life-threatening chicken nugget overdose are hard to find. Your body will generally make you stop eating well before you reach that point.

How Many Nuggets Are Too Many?

There’s no precise number of chicken nuggets that will kill you. But health issues can start to arise from eating:

• 10-30 nuggets in one sitting
• 20-50 nuggets per day
• 300+ nuggets per week

Consuming nuggets within the recommended limits is less risky:

• 2-6 nuggets per meal
• No more than 12-20 per day
• 100-150 per week

Of course, less processed lean proteins like chicken breast are healthier. But the occasional chicken nugget fix need not be dangerous if eaten in moderation.

Signs You’ve Had Too Many Nuggets

Feeling sick after one nugget binge? Watch for these symptoms:

• Nausea, vomiting
• Stomach pain, diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Headache, fatigue, weakness
• Rapid heart rate
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling in hands and feet

If experiencing these, stop eating nuggets and see a doctor. Be honest about how many you had – they need to know.

Healthier Ways to Eat Nuggets

You can satisfy your nugget craving without going overboard:

• Stick to the 2-6 nugget recommended serving size
• Share larger orders with friends
• Skip fries, soda, and other unhealthy sides
• Bake nuggets at home instead of frying for less calories
• Dip in mustard or barbecue instead of creamy sauces
• Balance with veggies, fruits, and water

Chicken nuggets don’t have to be demonized. Just enjoy your McNuggets or Tendies in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet. Then you can safely savor this tasty treat.