What to Eat at Boston Market: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

While many fast-casual restaurants offer an array of menu items you wouldn’t try making at home, Boston Market is known for its homestyle fare. Serving whole rotisserie chicken and other meats, plus sandwiches, soups, and traditional side dishes, the chain’s appeal lies in offering foods reminiscent of a wholesome homemade meal.

Though some of Boston Market’s meals contain high amounts of fat, calories, and sodium, the chain’s menu offers several more nutritionally balanced options. Diners also have the freedom to make their own combinations.

Navigating the Menu

Boston Market’s menu is extensive, but not overwhelming. While menu offerings may vary by season and location, in general, you’ll find selections divided into combination-style individual meals, larger family-style meals, market bowls, sandwiches, soups, and a la carte sides (as well as kids' meals and desserts). Diners have plenty of room to mix and match to create their ideal meal from these categories.

Most Nutritious Option

The most nutrient-dense meal on Boston Market’s menu is the regular-size roasted turkey breast, accompanied by steamed vegetables as a side.

Individual Meals

These combinations center around a meat entrée, such as chicken breast, meatloaf, prime rib, or turkey, and are rounded out with your choice of side dishes.

Though these full meals may be satisfying, they’re also among the heaviest on Boston Market’s menu. It’s important to remember, too, that nutrition information for these items covers just the meat selection, not any sides you may add.

✓ Roasted Turkey Breast

The regular-sized roasted turkey breast contains 160 calories, 4.5g fat, 2g saturated fat, <1g carbohydrates, 30g protein, and 440mg sodium. Turkey is a good source of lean protein, especially when roasted, grilled, or baked instead of fried.

✗ Chicken Pot Pie

The chicken pot pie meal provides 750 calories, 102g fat, 19g saturated fat, 64g carbohydrate, 28g protein, and 1,780 mg sodium. 

If you're looking for a chicken dish, consider the quarter white rotisserie chicken, which includes one-quarter of a tasty rotisserie chicken for 270 calories, 11g fat, 590mg sodium and 43g protein. You can also order it skinless for even fewer calories and fat but almost as much protein.

Market Bowls

Boston Market's one-dish meals come with one of three meats, plus two sides and a sauce. All market bowls are create-your-own, which means you can customize them to your liking with any protein, sauces, and sides.

✓ Roasted Turkey Breast Bowl

Choose roasted turkey breast as the protein to create your own roasted turkey breast bowl, then top it with stuffing and gravy. You'll have a bowl worth 330 calories, 13g fat, 2.5g saturated fat, 28g carbohydrates, 25g protein, and 870mg sodium.

✗ Meatloaf Mac & Cheese Bowl

With a meatloaf and mac & cheese pairing, this market bowl is calorie-rich and high in fat. Topped with lettuce and a three-cheese blend, it provides 760 calories, 39g fat, 19 g saturated fat, 62g carbohydrates, 38g protein, and 2,280mg sodium.

In general, to keep the sodium count on your market bowls lower, choose roasted turkey or rotisserie chicken, and opt for vegetable bowl-fillers like creamed spinach or fresh steamed vegetables.

Sides

Boston Market’s side dishes round out your meal with hearty home-style options like mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach. While many of these sides serve up a lot of calories, there are lighter options in the mix.

✓ Fresh Steamed Vegetables

You guessed it: The most nutritious option in this category is the fresh steamed vegetables, with just 60 calories, 3.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 7g carbohydrates, 2g protein, and 40mg sodium. With broccoli, carrots, and zucchini, this nutrient-packed side makes a nice addition to any meal. You can also order a large portion (9 ounces, vs. 4 ounces for the regular size).

✗ Sweet Potato Casserole

With its velvety smoothness and marshmallow topping, Boston Market’s sweet potato casserole may be delicious, but it adds to your meal 460 calories, 12g fat, 3g saturated fat, 87g carbohydrates, 3g protein, and 220mg sodium.

If you're craving a starchy side, consider the mashed potatoes or sweet corn for 270 or 160 calories, respectively.

Sandwiches

Except for one vegetarian option available only on catering orders, Boston Market’s sandwiches are all based on chicken and turkey. But while they may not vary much in terms of ingredients, their nutritional value ranges widely.  

✓ Chicken Salad Sandwich

To stay on the lighter side, choose the chicken salad carver sandwich. Without sides, it provides 870 calories, 51g fat, 10g saturated fat, 63g carbohydrates, 38g protein, and 1,430mg sodium. Boston Market also offers a half order of this sandwich for 430 calories, 26g fat, 5g saturated fat, 32g carbohydrates, 19g protein, and 710mg sodium.

✗ Southwest Chicken Carver Sandwich

The Southwest chicken carver sandwich makes a tasty lunch, but it comes with enough fat (65g) and sodium (2,330mg) for a whole day, plus 1,110 calories, 19g saturated fat, and 76g carbohydrates.

To cut down on the sodium and calories in your sandwich, opt for a sauce-less sandwich and choose a half-serving to pair with a vegetable side.

Salad Bowls & Soups

Boston Market offers a modest selection of soups and salads, most based (of course) around chicken or turkey. Except for near-universal high sodium content, most of these menu options make healthy choices, with far lower amounts of calories and fat than Boston Market’s combination meals.

✓ House Side Salad

The house side salad is made with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and carrots. It contains 200 calories, 16g fat, 3g saturated fat, 10g carbohydrates, 4g protein, and 350mg sodium. That includes ranch dressing, cheese, and crouton toppings, so if you're looking to reduce calories and fat, you can omit these.

✗ Chicken Caesar Salad

Boston Market’s chicken Caesar salad provides 770 calories, 51g fat, 13g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 49g protein, and 2,060mg sodium. Or, you may wish to order the smaller portion from the sides menu for 310 calories, 24g fat, 6g saturated fat, 16g carbohydrates, 9g protein, and 870mg sodium.

Desserts

Boston Market’s selection of desserts falls in line with its other traditional American fare. Pies, cakes, cobblers, and brownies make up this menu category.  

✓ Chocolate Brownie

The chocolate brownie leads Boston Market’s desserts with 340 calories, 14g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 53g carbohydrates, 5g protein, and 180mg sodium.

✗ Warm Peach Cobbler

A single slice of warm peach cobbler contains 540 calories, 18g fat, 9g saturated fat, 89g carbohydrates, 5g protein, and 250mg sodium. If you're craving something sweet, consider the chocolate chunk cookie. It will add only 370 calories and 32g sugar to your meal.

Kids Meals

Kids’ entrees mimic adult main dishes in this menu category, with choices of turkey, meatloaf, and white and dark chicken. Since portions are smaller, these options are fairly moderate in calories and other nutrients.

✓ Roasted Turkey Breast

As with Boston Market’s adult-sized meals, roasted turkey breast is the entrée that stands out as healthiest on the kids’ menu. This white meat comes with less than half the sodium of all other kid entrees at 220 mg, plus 80 calories, 2.5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrates, and 15g protein.

✗ Meatloaf

Of the four kids’ entrees on Boston Market’s menu, the meatloaf is the heaviest choice with 240 calories, 16g fat, 7g saturated fat, 9g carbohydrates, 13g protein, and 460mg sodium.

Diet-Specific Options

Boston Market offers options for several specialty diets. People following a gluten-free, low-carb, low-FODMAP, low-fat, or diabetes-friendly diet have a wide range of appropriate choices. Vegetarians, vegans, and those on a low-sodium diet, however, may be disappointed with the chain’s minimal offerings for them.  

Gluten-Free

Those who need to avoid gluten will be pleased to find that many of Boston Market’s most popular menu items are inherently gluten-free. The chain’s website provides an interactive tool that allows users to search for gluten-free options.

• Rotisserie signature chicken
• Turkey breast
• Baby back ribs
• Steamed vegetables
• Steamed broccoli
  
• Sweet corn
• Caesar salad (omit croutons; all dressing are gluten-free)

For a nutritious gluten-free meal, order the turkey breast with a side of steamed vegetables.

Low-Carb 

With a menu based primarily around meat, it’s not hard to go low-carb at Boston Market. Choose meats and vegetables not slathered in sauces or heavy seasonings (or baked in pastry), such as the rotisserie chicken with the house salad.

• Turkey breast
• Rotisserie chicken
• Beef brisket
• Prime rib
• Steamed vegetables
• House salad
  

Low-FODMAP 

Those on a low-FODMAP diet will certainly be able to navigate their way to suitable choices at Boston Market. Without breading or sauces, meat contains no carbohydrates, so the restaurant’s many selections of lean meat are clear winners for a FODMAP-friendly meal.

In order to stay in line with FODMAP guidelines, just be sure to take note of which fruit or vegetable sides you choose, and do a little reconnaissance with the restaurant’s online ingredient tool to decide your order ahead of time.

• Rotisserie chicken (quarter white)
• Beef brisket
• Garlic dill new potatoes
• House salad 

To create your own low-FODMAP meal, order the garlic dill new potatoes with the rotisserie chicken.

Diabetes-Friendly

Low-carb and low-sugar options abound on Boston Market’s menu, making it relatively simple for those on a diabetes diet to dine here. If you’re following this type of diet, stay away from high-sugar, high-carb dishes like cinnamon apples and sweet potato casserole. Instead, opt for roasted turkey breast and creamed spinach.

• Creamy garlic quarter white chicken
• Roasted turkey breast 
• Creamed spinach
• Fresh steamed vegetables
  

Low-Fat

Though you may think all restaurant meals are brimming with fat, that’s not the case at Boston Market. Those on a low-fat diet can choose from a variety of options. Start with the turkey breast and garlic dill new potatoes.

• Rotisserie chicken
• Turkey breast
• Garlic dill new potatoes
• Steamed broccoli
• Steamed vegetables
  

Low-Sodium

Adhering to a low-sodium diet is a tricky proposition while eating at Boston Market. Like many other restaurants, this chain’s menu relies heavily on sodium. Some best bets include the roasted turkey breast and fresh steamed vegetables for 480mg sodium total.

• Roasted turkey breast
• Fresh steamed vegetables
• Garlic dill new potatoes 
  

Vegetarian 

Since Boston Market’s entrees all center around meat, vegetarians don’t have a lot of main dish choices. But while an individual meal or market bowl may not be an option, you can create a meal out of side dishes such as mashed potatoes and sweet corn.

• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet corn
• Garlic dill new potatoes
• Fresh steamed vegetables
  

Vegan

For vegans, eating at Boston Market will be a serious challenge—if not outright impossible, since many of the meat-free sides contain milk and/or eggs. Vegan options include:

• Ciabatta roll
• Cranberry walnut relish
• Cinnamon apples
• Steamed vegetables
• Steamed broccoli
  

Food Allergies and Safety

Boston Market has made a clear effort to accommodate those with food allergies and sensitivities. Using an online tool, you can check the menu to discover which items are free of the top eight food allergens, plus gluten.

However, like many restaurants, the chain makes a disclaimer that, in a kitchen with many ingredients, cross-contamination may occur, and that recipe formulations are subject to change. However, shellfish and peanuts are not used at all in the restaurant.

While you may not always be able to discover with absolute certainty how each and every menu item has been prepared, communicate your needs with your server, or ask to speak to the location’s manager when ordering. This can go a long way toward getting a meal that’s safe for you to eat. 

A Word from Verywell

Among fast-casual restaurants, Boston Market stands out for its variety of menu items that can accommodate many dietary needs and preferences. Whole-foods basics like lean meats and uncomplicated veggies make good choices for just about anyone.

Try a mix-and-match meal of multiple sides, or share a family-style dinner among a group. With these guidelines, you can enjoy a homestyle meal—even away from home.