An Overview of Joella's Hot Chicken Nutrition Information
Joella's Hot Chicken is a popular fast casual restaurant chain known for its Nashville hot chicken. The restaurant offers fried chicken tenders and chicken sandwiches in various heat levels ranging from Southern (no spice) to Reaper (extremely spicy).
Joella's menu features classic Southern side dishes like coleslaw, baked beans, mac and cheese, and biscuits. There are also lighter options like grilled chicken tenders and wraps. With so many mouthwatering selections available, it's easy to overindulge when dining at Joella's.
If you're watching your diet or calories, the nutrition information for Joella's menu items can help you make informed choices. Keep reading to learn more about the calorie, fat, protein, and carb counts for Joella's most popular food and beverage items.
Calories in Joella's Chicken Tenders and Sandwiches
Joella's chicken tenders and sandwiches deliver bold flavor, but also pack a caloric punch. Here are the calorie counts for some of Joella's fried chicken offerings:
- 3 Chicken Tenders (Southern): 420 calories
- 3 Chicken Tenders (Damn Hot): 450 calories
- The Slim Chicken Sandwich: 710 calories
- The Joella Sandwich: 1,050 calories
- The fire in the Hole Sandwich: 1,280 calories
The chicken tenders range from 350-500 calories for a 3-piece serving. Sandwiches are even more caloric since they feature fried chicken breast filets topped with various extras like pickles, slaw, comeback sauce, and honey hot sauce.
Lower Calorie Joella's Menu Options
If you're limiting calories or fat, Joella's does offer some lighter choices:
- Grilled Chicken Tenders (3 pieces): 160 calories
- The Skinny Sandwich (grilled chicken): 440 calories
- House Salad with Grilled Chicken: 270 calories
- Wraps (grilled chicken or black bean veggie): Under 500 calories
Ordering grilled chicken instead of fried and choosing vegetable-based sides like salads and wraps can help cut back on calories without sacrificing flavor.
Nutrition Facts for Joella's Side Dishes
In addition to its signature chicken, Joella's serves up classic Southern comfort food sides like:
- Mac and Cheese: 500 calories
- Baked Beans: 210 calories
- Collard Greens: 100 calories
- Coleslaw: 160 calories
- Potato Salad: 320 calories
- Biscuits (1): 230 calories
Pairing fried chicken tenders with multiple sides can add hundreds more calories to your meal. Focus on lower calorie vegetable sides like collard greens and coleslaw in reasonable portions.
Nutrition Facts for Joella's Sauces
Joella's chicken packs some heat with its various signature sauces. Here are the nutrition facts for a 2-ounce serving of each:
- Comeback Sauce: 180 calories
- Ranch: 140 calories
- Honey Mustard: 140 calories
- Hot Honey: 60 calories
The comeback sauce is Joella's twist on a tangy remoulade with lots of mayo, so it's quite high in calories. Opt for hot honey or mustard-based sauces to add big flavor without as much caloric impact.
Drink Nutrition Information
To wash down all that spicy fried chicken, Joella's offers an array of classic Southern-inspired beverages. Here are the nutrition facts for some popular drinks:
- Sweet Tea (20 oz): 190 calories
- Unsweetened Tea (20 oz): 0 calories
- Lemonade (20 oz): 230 calories
- Diet Lemonade (20 oz): 0 calories
- Arnold Palmer (20 oz): 115 calories
Sweet tea and lemonade pack plenty of sugar and calories, so opt for unsweetened or diet if watching your calorie intake. An Arnold Palmer mixed with half tea and half lemonade cuts the calories in half.
Making Healthy Choices at Joella's
While Joella's menu is filled with indulgent comfort foods, there are ways to enjoy the flavors you crave while making healthier choices:
- Choose grilled chicken over fried.
- Opt for legs, thighs, or wings with skin removed to reduce fat and calories.
- Load up on vegetable side dishes instead of starchy ones.
- Ask for sauces and dressings on the side.
- Split or share high-calorie sandwiches and sides.
- Select lower-calorie beverage options.
At the end of the day, Joella's is all about celebrating Southern flavors and culinary traditions. Following healthy habits most of the time will let you enjoy these nostalgic comfort foods on occasion without overdoing it on calories or fat.
Keto-Friendly Options at Joella's Hot Chicken
The high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet has soared in popularity in recent years. Also known simply as "keto," this diet aims to put the body in a state of ketosis where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbs.
On keto, meals emphasize protein from meat, fish, and eggs paired with healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and dairy. Carb intake is typically limited to around 20-50 grams per day from green vegetables, berries, and small amounts of nuts and dairy.
Most fried and fast food restaurants don't cater to keto diets. But Joella's Hot Chicken has some suitable options for keto dieters craving a taste of Nashville. Here are some of the best low-carb choices on the Joella's menu.
Grilled Chicken Tenders and Sandwiches
Opting for Joella's grilled chicken tenders or sandwiches omit the carb-laden breading of the fried versions. A 3-piece serving of grilled tenders has 0 grams of carbs. The grilled chicken sandwiches also ditch the bun, coming wrapped in lettuce leaves instead. This allows you to enjoy the chicken and toppings while avoiding the carbohydrates.
Wings
Chicken wings make a great keto choice at Joella's. Stick with traditional bone-in wings or boneless wings and skip the breading. Joella's wings are fried but don't have a lot of carbs. An order of 5 bone-in wings has under 5 grams of carbs without sauce.
Salads
Build a salad with grilled chicken tenders, cheese, bacon bits, and low-carb veggies like cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions. Ask for oil and vinegar instead of high-carb dressings. The side salad or skinny salad with grilled chicken are both keto-approved options.
Sides
Load up on low-carb vegetable sides like green beans, collard greens, and coleslaw. The mac and cheese, baked beans, biscuits, and potato salad all contain too many carbs for keto.
Sauces and Dressings
Joella's hot chicken wouldn't be complete without the signature sauces! The mustard-based Carolina Gold, honey hot, and comeback sauces are all low in carbs. Avoid the sugary Alabama white sauce and ranch dressing.
Beverages
Stick with unsweetened iced tea or lemonade. Sweet tea, sodas, and fruit juice contain too much sugar and too many carbs for the keto diet. Adding a squeeze of lemon to water also makes a refreshing zero-carb drink.
Desserts
Joella's offers shakes, concretes, and cobbler for dessert. These contain too many carbs from sugar and flour to fit a keto diet. Either skip dessert completely or plan a keto-friendly alternative like berries with whipped cream.
Diabetes-Friendly Dining at Joella's Hot Chicken
People with diabetes know that eating out while keeping blood sugar stable can be challenging. But with the right choices, you can enjoy flavorful Southern comfort foods from Joella's even with diabetes.
The key is balancing carbohydrates from sides and sauces with protein from chicken. Non-starchy vegetable sides are ideal for adding bulk and fiber without spiking blood sugar.
Here are some tips for ordering diabetes-friendly meals at Joella's Hot Chicken:
Focus on Protein
Chicken is a lean protein that won't raise blood sugar levels like carbs do. Fill up on a grilled chicken sandwich or tenders. Getting plenty of protein while limiting carbs helps maintain steady blood sugar.
Choose Whole Grains
When opting for carbs like Joella's biscuits, select whole grain options which digest more slowly. Whole wheat buns can also minimize blood sugar spikes versus white versions.
Load Up on Veggies
Non-starchy vegetables are virtually free foods for diabetes as they provide nutrients and fiber with minimal carbohydrates. Fill up on veggie sides like green beans, coleslaw, and collard greens.
Limit Sugary Sauces
Joella's signature sauces add flavor but can also make carb and sugar counts skyrocket. Order hot chicken tenders and sandwiches with sauces on the side and use sparingly or ask for low-sugar options like mustard and hot sauce.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
Beverages like sweet tea, lemonade, and soda are heavy sources of sugar and carbs that can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. Stick with water or unsweetened tea and add lemon for flavor.
Take It Slow
Don't scarf down your meal too quickly. Eat slowly to allow your body time to produce insulin and properly digest carbs before blood sugar gets too high.
Check Your Levels
Be sure to monitor your blood sugar before and after meals to see how different Joella's menu items affect you. This can help determine optimal food choices and portion sizes for future visits.
With smart carb counting and meal planning, people with diabetes can still enjoy flavorful comfort food at Joella's Hot Chicken. Focus on protein, veggies, and whole grains while limiting sugary and starchy sides.
Gluten-Free Dining Options at Joella's
For those avoiding gluten, dining out can feel restrictive with so many items off limits. But Joella's Hot Chicken offers several tasty gluten-free options perfect for gluten-free diets.
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. For people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, consuming gluten triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine.
Luckily, Joella's menu has you covered with gluten-free picks for everything from chicken to sides and sauces. Here's how to order gluten-free at Joella's.
Grilled Chicken
Start your gluten-free meal with grilled chicken tenders or a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun. The chicken isn't breaded or coated, making it a safe gluten-free choice.
Salads
Build a fresh salad with grilled chicken, veggies, cheese and gluten-free dressing. Joella's salads use gluten-free greens and toppings.
Wings
Chicken wings are naturally gluten-free. Opt for traditional bone-in wings or boneless wings cooked in gluten-free oil. Just request no sauce with wheat.
Sides
Fill up on gluten-free sides like green beans, coleslaw, collard greens, corn niblets and baked beans. Avoid mac and cheese and biscuits with wheat-based ingredients.
Sauces
Most of Joella's signature sauces are gluten-free, including hot honey, comeback sauce, Carolina gold BBQ and hot ranch. The Alabama white BBQ sauce contains wheat.
Beverages
Beverages like fresh brewed iced tea, lemonade and soda are all gluten-free. Use caution with beer as malt contains gluten.
Desserts
Joella's dessert menu poses more of a challenge, as items like cobbler, shakes and concretes likely contain gluten. Stick to gluten-free treats brought from home.
With the right choices, those avoiding gluten can still enjoy comforting Nashville hot chicken at Joella's. Focus on grilled chicken, fresh sides, and gluten-free sauces for the safest options.
Satisfying Vegan and Vegetarian Options at Joella's
With chicken as the star of the show, Joella's Hot Chicken may seem off limits for vegans and vegetarians. But this Southern eatery actually offers ample meatless options perfect for plant-based diets.
Finding satisfying vegan and vegetarian choices at a fried chicken joint is definitely possible. Here are the best options for herbivores who want to enjoy the flavors of Joella's.
The Vegan Sandwich
This sandwich swaps Joella's signature fried chicken for crispy falafel patties loaded with veggies and spice. It comes on a whole wheat bun with vegan comeback sauce, slaw, pickles and lettuce for a Nashville hot chicken sandwich experience without the meat.
Black Bean Veggie Wrap
For a lighter meatless meal, try the veggie wrap made with black beans, brown rice, grilled onions, peppers, lettuce, pico and avocado ranch dressing wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla.
Salads
Create a satisfying salad with a base of fresh greens and veggie toppings like peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and avocado. Add baked beans or black beans for extra protein. Ask for oil and vinegar dressing.
Sides
Joella's array of Southern side dishes are mostly vegetarian-friendly. Fill up on choices like green beans, corn niblets, coleslaw, collard greens, baked beans and mac and cheese.
Plant-Based Protein Add-Ons
While not on the regular menu, Joella's locations will sometimes accommodate requests to add vegan proteins to salads and sides. Options like grilled tofu, black bean patties, or seitan can help meet protein needs.
Sauces and Dressings
Joella's signature sauces, dressings and condiments are 100% vegan. Feel free to drizzle on flavors like comeback sauce, ranch, honey mustard and hot honey.
Beverages
Fill up on plant-based hydration with fresh brewed iced tea, lemonade, soda, water and other vegan drink options.
Desserts
While the shakes and cobbler contain dairy, Joella's does offer NadaMoo vegan ice cream. A scoop of this dairy-free dessert makes the perfect sweet finish.
Vegans and vegetarians don't have to miss out on the fun at Joella's. Load up on flavor-packed meatless sandwiches, salads, sides and sauces for a plant-based take on hot chicken.
Navigating Food Allergies and Sensitivities at Joella's
When dining out with food allergies or intolerances
FAQs
How many calories are in Joella's fried chicken tenders?
A 3-piece serving of Joella's fried chicken tenders ranges from about 350-500 calories depending on the spice level. Southern style tenders are around 420 calories while extra spicy Damn Hot tenders are around 450 calories.
What are some low-carb options at Joella's?
For low-carb options, choose grilled chicken, wings, salads with low-carb toppings and dressings, and sides like green beans, coleslaw, and collard greens. Avoid breaded or fried items, biscuits, baked beans, and mac and cheese.
Can I order gluten-free at Joella's?
Yes, grilled chicken, salads, wings, and select sides like slaw and greens are naturally gluten-free. Most sauces are GF too but avoid Alabama white sauce. Biscuits, mac and cheese and desserts likely contain gluten.
What can vegans order at Joella's?
Vegans can enjoy the vegan sandwich with falafel, black bean veggie wrap, salads and sides like baked beans, slaw, greens and mac. Sauces are vegan too. Ask about adding extra proteins like grilled tofu to salads.
Are there keto friendly drinks at Joella's?
Yes, you can enjoy unsweetened iced tea or lemonade on keto for zero carbs. Or add lemon to water. Avoid sweet teas, soda, juice and milkshakes which have too many carbs for keto.