How Unhealthy is a Chicken Pot Pie? An In-Depth Look at This Comfort Food Favorite
Chicken pot pie is a cherished comfort food for many – a hearty medley of chicken, vegetables and creamy sauce tucked into a flakey, buttery crust. It’s a dish that evokes feelings of nostalgia and warmth. But is this sentimental favorite actually good for you? Let’s take a deeper look at the nutritional value of chicken pot pie to find out if it deserves a spot in your regular dinner rotation.
The Not-So-Healthy Ingredients
Chicken pot pies get their craveworthy flavor from ingredients like butter, cream, white flour and sodium-rich chicken broth. While tasty, these ingredients can spell trouble for your health when eaten in excess. Specifically, chicken pot pies tend to be high in calories, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol:
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Pastry Crust – The quintessential chicken pot pie is topped with a pastry crust made from white flour, butter and/or shortening. This contributes a significant source of refined carbs and artery-clogging saturated fat.
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Creamy Sauce – The creamy sauce is usually thickened with butter and heavy cream or milk, which piles on even more saturated fat and calories
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Sodium – Store bought and homemade chicken pot pies rely on salty ingredients like canned soup, chicken broth and processed meats which can make sodium shoot sky high
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Limited Vegetables – Veggies often take a backseat to the chicken, sauce and crust in this dish. This keeps the fiber content low.
When you add it all up, a typical serving chicken pot pie can supply over half your daily limit for saturated fat and sodium alone.
The Calorie and Fat Damage
Let’s start with the calorie count. One serving of chicken pot pie (1/6 of a 9 inch pie) can provide a staggering:
- 430 calories
- 26g total fat
- 12g saturated fat
Consuming one every few weeks won’t do too much damage. But eating chicken pot pie as a regular meal can easily cause weight gain over time. Those numbers also show fat makes up a majority of the calories. And the type of fat is concerning, with nearly half coming from saturated fat.
Diets high in saturated fat are strongly linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Experts recommend limiting saturated fat to no more than 13g daily. So just one serving of chicken pot pie delivers nearly an entire day’s worth.
Sodium Overload
Sodium can also quickly skyrocket when chicken pot pie is on the menu. That same serving dishes up:
- 660mg sodium
That’s over a quarter of the daily sodium limit of 2300mg per day. Why is that a problem? Diets high in sodium are associated with high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and heart failure. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for an ideal limit of 1500mg per day to keep your cardiovascular system in good shape.
Lacking Nutrients
In addition to being high in calories, fat and sodium, chicken pot pie falls short on nutrients like fiber that promote good health. You’ll only get around 2 grams of fiber per serving. Experts suggest 25-30 grams of fiber daily.
The crust and sauce keep fiber low, along with minimal veggie content in many recipes. Fiber aids digestion, gut health and heart health. It also promotes feelings of fullness so you eat less. The combination of low fiber and high fat and sodium is part of what makes it easy to overindulge in chicken pot pie.
How It Compares to Other Pies
To get some perspective, let’s see how chicken pot pie stacks up against other popular pie options:
- Chicken pot pie – 430 calories, 26g fat, 660mg sodium
- Apple pie – 247 calories, 11g fat, 296mg sodium
- Pecan pie – 503 calories, 29g fat, 351mg sodium
- Pumpkin pie – 316 calories, 12g fat, 353mg sodium
The numbers show chicken pot pie exceeds other pies in sodium content. And it trumps all but pecan pie in calories and fat. The extra fat and sodium in chicken pot pie make it a far less nutritious choice.
Health Consequences of Regularly Eating Chicken Pot Pie
Given the high calorie, fat, sodium and low fiber content, regularly eating chicken pot pie can have consequences for your health, including:
Weight gain – Chicken pot pies’ hefty calorie and fat content promotes weight gain when eaten often. Limiting portion sizes is key.
High cholesterol – The ample saturated fat can send LDL (bad) cholesterol levels soaring and raise heart disease risk.
High blood pressure – A diet high in sodium is strongly associated with high blood pressure and its complications.
Heart disease – The combination of high sodium, fat and cholesterol boosts risk for atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Type 2 diabetes – Diets high in saturated fat are linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Gut issues – The low fiber content can contribute to constipation and digestive issues over time.
The risks go up the more often chicken pot pie is on the menu. An occasional indulgence won’t do major damage. But making it a regular habit significantly ramps up the health risks.
Tips for Making Healthier Chicken Pot Pie
The good news is there are ways to enjoy chicken pot pie while limiting calories, fat, sodium and boosting nutrition. Here are some tips:
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Use reduced fat dairy – Swap whole milk for skim and replace heavy cream with low-fat evaporated milk. Leave out butter from the crust and sauce.
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Increase veggies – Double up on nutrient-rich veggies like carrots, peas, spinach or kale to raise fiber and cut fat and calories.
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Go crustless – Bake the pie in a dish without the pastry crust to eliminate a major source of unhealthy carbs and fat.
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Choose whole grains – Opt for a whole wheat crust and use whole wheat flour to thicken the sauce.
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Limit sodium – Use low-sodium chicken broth and leave out salty canned soup. Boost flavor with herbs and spices instead.
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Watch portions – Stick to a 1 cup serving and partner with a salad and roasted veggies to make it part of a balanced meal.
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Try turkey – Use leaner ground turkey instead of chicken to cut fat and cholesterol.
The Bottom Line
Chicken pot pie certainly lives up to its reputation as comfort food. But it also lives up to its reputation for being unhealthy. With abundant calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol per serving, along with low fiber, it should be viewed as an occasional treat. Making it at home using healthier ingredients can allow you to keep enjoying this nostalgic food while limiting damage to your health. Just be sure to practice portion control and balance it out with more nutritious foods.
How to Find Healthier Options
Traditional chicken pot pies have a reputation for being rich in calories, saturated fats, and sodium, making them a questionable choice for those seeking a balanced diet.
Many companies offer frozen pies, but theyre not all created equal. Heres what to look for when searching for the best quality options:
- Gourmet Ingredients: Look for options using premium, high-quality ingredients (i.e. organic chicken, fresh vegetables, a signature gravy).
- Lower Sodium: Traditional pot pies are notorious for their high sodium content, which can contribute to hypertension and other health concerns.
- Nutrient Balance: Look for pot pies that strike a balance between taste and nutrition. It should incorporate lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and minimal additives to create a meal frozen thats both satisfying and health-conscious.
Comparing Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies to Other Brands
There are a lot of frozen meals on the market, from frozen mac and cheese to frozen lasagna, to frozen Chinese food to frozen appetizers.
However, Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies are the fastest gourmet alternatives on the market. They go from freezer to table in just 5 minutes, making them a perfect choice for busy weeknights or quick lunches.
Despite their convenience, they taste just like a homemade pot pie, delivering that comforting, from-scratch flavor you crave.
What sets Aunt Ethel’s Pot Pies apart is our innovative packaging—by packing the crust and filling separately, we ensure the crust maintains its crispiness while the filling heats up evenly, preserving freshness and quality.
With Aunt Ethel’s, you get the best of both worlds: gourmet taste and unmatched convenience.
Is Chicken Pot Pie Healthy? – The Midwest Guru
FAQ
How unhealthy is chicken pot pie?
Are Chicken Pot Pies Healthy? The majority of chicken pot pies on the market are not very healthy. They are packed full of unhealthy fats, sugars, and preservatives. If you want a healthy pot pie, you’ll have to look in health food stores or make them at home.
Is chicken pot pie good for you when sick?
Cysteine, the amino acid in chicken, helps loosen secretions, thin out mucus, and promotes coughing that helps clear your nose and throat. If you’re tired of soup, reach for a freshly baked chicken pot pie.
Is chicken pot pie hard on the stomach?
favorite comfort foods can put back the comfort factor into your meals. A warm chicken pot pie might feel just right on a chilly day, but it can also do a number on your stomach. This seasonal food favorite is often loaded with fat, a common IBS trigger.
Is chicken pie a processed food?
Salt – as pies are a processed food, salt is added during that process. Salt is known to increase blood pressure.
Is chicken pot pie healthy?
Because of the considerable amount of fats, chicken pot pie might not be the healthiest choice. The fats it contains are trans fats, which, although edible, can increase the risk of heart disease. However, moderate consumption of chicken pot pie won’t harm you in any way, so as long as you have it once every few weeks, everything will be fine.
Is KFC chicken pot pie bad for You?
The only problem is that if you grew up regularly eating KFC’s chicken pot pie you’d probably be dead before you left puberty. That’s because it’s staggeringly unhealthy. It contains 790 calories, 45 grams of fat, and a genuinely mind-boggling 1970 milligrams of sodium.
What is the difference between chicken pot pie and pork pot pie?
First of all, it contains chicken, which is lean meat. Compared to pork or lamb pot pie, chicken pot pie is much leaner because of the chicken. Secondly, it contains vegetables, meaning that it contains fiber and vitamins. Granted, the vegetables are cooked and not fresh, but still, they have retained some of their nutritional benefits.