Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Nuggets: Nutrition & Labelgrade B- (70/100)
B- 70 / 100 — Boneless chicken breast first, unbleached wheat flour breading, no soy protein extenders. Protein density sits mid-pack among major brands; sodium is the highest of the four chicken nuggets we've graded, which pulls the overall to B-.
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A 20 oz (567 g) bag of Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Nuggets holds roughly 80 grams of protein — 12 g per 5-piece serving, across about 7 servings (USDA FDC 2020041). It earns a B- (70 / 100). The “lightly breaded” claim is real where it counts: boneless chicken breast leads the ingredient list, the breading is a single unbleached wheat flour, and at 180 calories these are the lowest-calorie nugget of the four major brands we’ve graded. What keeps it out of the B and B+ range is sodium — 500 mg per serving, the highest of the four — plus the zero fiber every breaded nugget carries.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | B- | 71 / 100 | 14.1 g per 100 g — above Great Value (12.0), just under Tyson (15.6) and Applegate (14.3) |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | Real chicken breast first, one wheat-flour breading, no soy protein concentrate, no phosphate additives |
| Sugar load | A+ | 96 / 100 | 1 g of sugar per serving — barely there |
| Sodium load | D | 41 / 100 | 500 mg per serving (~588 mg per 100 g) — the highest of the four nuggets graded |
| Saturated fat load | A- | 85 / 100 | 2 g per serving — low for a fried breaded food |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — structural for breaded chicken, no way around it |
| Protein per dollar | N/A | — | Will add once we have verified retail pricing |
The honest read: this is a clean label dragged down by one number. Sodium is the single dimension scoring below a B, and it’s enough on its own to move the overall from B to B-. The B on ingredient quality is earned by what’s absent — no soy extenders, no tricalcium or sodium phosphate, no buttermilk-and-leavening cocktail. The F on fiber is unavoidable and shared by every nugget in the category.
What “lightly breaded” actually buys you
This is the whole reason to pick this nugget over a standard one, so it’s worth being precise. “Lightly breaded” isn’t marketing fluff here — it shows up in the carb column. Perdue carries 10 g of carbs per serving. The standard-breaded comparisons carry more: Tyson 15 g, Applegate 14 g. Those extra carbs are the breading. Less coating by weight means each nugget is a higher share of chicken, which is why Perdue holds 12 g of protein at just 180 calories while Tyson needs 270 calories to reach 14 g.
So the trade is real but modest: against Tyson you give up 2 g of protein per serving and gain back 90 calories, 7 g of fat, and 5 g of carbs. If you’re buying nuggets at all, that’s the better-for-you side of the deal.
How it compares
| Product | Protein / serving | Density (per 100 g) | Calories / serving | Sodium / serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perdue Simply Smart (this) | 12 g | 14.1 g | 180 (lowest) | 500 mg (highest) |
| Tyson Chicken Nuggets (29 oz) | 14 g | 15.6 g | 270 | 470 mg |
| Applegate Chicken Nuggets (16 oz) | 12 g | 14.3 g | 190 | 340 mg (lowest) |
| Great Value Chicken Nuggets (32 oz) | 9 g | 12.0 g | 150 | 430 mg |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | ~31 g / 100 g | 31.0 g | ~165 / 100 g | ~75 mg / 100 g |
Two clear results. Against the budget brand, Perdue wins on substance: Great Value stretches its chicken with soy protein concentrate and adds tricalcium and sodium phosphate, which is exactly why its density falls to 12.0 g and its ingredient grade is a C. Perdue uses neither, and its density is two full points higher. Against Applegate, Perdue loses on cleanliness: Applegate matches Perdue’s 12 g of protein but with expeller-pressed oils and 160 fewer milligrams of sodium (340 vs 500), which earns Applegate the higher overall grade. Tyson is the only one denser than Perdue, and it pays for it in calories and fat.
Whole-food reality check
The 12 g of protein in one Perdue serving (5 nuggets, 85 g) is the protein in about 39 g of plain cooked chicken breast — roughly 1.4 oz of actual meat. Make that swap and you’d save about 115 calories, 9 g of fat, and ~425 mg of sodium per serving. That gap is the cost of the breading and the fry, and it’s the honest reason no nugget — even a “lightly breaded,” chicken-breast-first one — can match plain chicken on protein per calorie. Perdue’s value is that it narrows that gap further than a standard nugget does, not that it closes it.
Scope
This page covers the 20 oz (567 g) frozen Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Nuggets (UPC 072745806773, USDA FDC ID 2020041). Perdue’s Simply Smart line is distinct from its conventional nuggets, its organic line, and its Italian-style breaded products — all of which use different formulations and label numbers. Always check the package in front of you.
Ingredients
Boneless chicken breast with rib meat, water, unbleached wheat flour. Then, at less than 2% each: salt, sugar, yeast extract, sea salt, dehydrated garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, white pepper, spices, yeast, celery seed extract. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2020041.) The thing to note is how short the chicken-side list is — chicken, water, flour — with no soy protein concentrate and no phosphate additives doing the work that the chicken does in cheaper nuggets.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 85 g (5 pieces)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (85 g (5 pieces)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 180 |
| Protein | 12g |
| Total Fat | 10g |
| Saturated Fat | 2g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 10g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 1g |
| Sodium | 500mg |
| Cholesterol | 45mg |
| Calcium | 20.4mg |
| Iron | 0.722mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Nuggets (20 oz (567 g)) · UPC 072745806773. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Perdue Simply Smart Chicken Nuggets?
12 grams of protein per 5-piece (85 g) serving — about 80 grams of protein per 20 oz bag, across roughly 7 servings (USDA FDC 2020041). That's 14.1 g of protein per 100 g of nuggets.
Does 'lightly breaded' actually mean more chicken?
On this label, yes. The breading is a single starch — unbleached wheat flour — and it shows up in the carbs: 10 g per serving, versus 15 g for Tyson and 14 g for Applegate. Less breading by weight leaves more room for chicken, which is why Perdue carries 10 g of carbs at 180 calories while Tyson carries 15 g at 270.
How many calories per serving?
180 calories per 5 nuggets — the lowest per-serving count of the four major chicken nugget brands we've graded, and well under Tyson's 270 for a same-size 5-piece serving.
How does Perdue compare to Tyson on protein?
Tyson is slightly denser: 15.6 g of protein per 100 g vs Perdue's 14.1 g. Per serving, Tyson delivers 14 g (5 pieces, 90 g) against Perdue's 12 g (5 pieces, 85 g). Tyson wins the density race, but it costs you 90 extra calories and 7 extra grams of fat per serving to get there.
If the label is so clean, why only a B-?
Two structural drags. Sodium is 500 mg per serving — a D on our scale, and the highest per-serving of the four nuggets we've graded. And like any breaded fried product it has zero fiber (an automatic F). The ingredient list earns a B and the chicken is real; the sodium and the breading are what cap it at 70.
How much sodium per serving?
500 mg per 5 nuggets — about 22% of the FDA's 2,300 mg daily limit, and ~588 mg per 100 g of nuggets. That's the highest sodium load of the four major chicken nuggets we've graded, and the main reason Perdue scores B- rather than B.
Are they gluten-free?
No. The breading is unbleached wheat flour, so these contain gluten. Perdue sells gluten-free chicken in other product lines, but this is not one of them.