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 turkey breast, accompanied by steamed vegetables as a side.

Individual Meals

These combinations center around a meat entrée, such as chicken breast, 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 a quarter pound of tasty rotisserie chicken, for only 270 calories, 11g fat, and 590mg sodium, all while delivering 43g protein.

Market Bowls

Boston Market joins a popular foodie trend with its market bowls. These 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 it to your liking with any protein, sauces, and sides.

✓ Roasted Turkey Breast Bowl

Choose roasted turkey 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

By pairing meatloaf and mac & cheese, it’s not hard to tell that this market bowl is calorie-rich and high in fat. Even without additional sides, it comes with 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 sides 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 major calories, there are lighter options in the mix.

✓ Fresh Steamed Vegetables

You guessed it: The healthiest 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.

✗ Sweet Potato Casserole

With its velvety smoothness and marshmallow topping, Boston Market’s sweet potato casserole may be delicious, but it’s not the healthiest, at 440 calories, 12g fat, 3g saturated fat, 87g carbohydrates, 3g protein, and 220mg sodium.

If you're craving a starchy side, choose 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 widely in terms of ingredients, their nutritional value ranges from moderate to overload.  

✓ Chicken Salad Sandwich

To stay on the lighter side, choose the chicken salad sandwich. Without sides, you’ll get 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

We won’t deny that the Southwest chicken carver sandwich is a tasty lunch, but with enough fat (65g) and sodium (2,330mg) for a whole day, plus 1,110 calories and 19g saturated fat, we wouldn’t advise it.

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 another side for added vegetables and fiber.

Salad Bowls & Soups

For lunch or dinner, 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 a sensible choice with 200 calories, 16g fat, 3g saturated fat, 10g carbohydrates, 4g protein, and 350mg sodium.

✗ Chicken Caesar Salad

If you opt for Boston Market’s chicken Caesar salad, make it your full meal. This one comes in at 770 calories, 51g fat, 13g saturated fat, 33g carbohydrates, 49g protein, and 2,060mg sodium. If you want to make this salad part of your meal, 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

We won’t call it healthy, exactly, but the single 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

Steer clear of finishing off your meal with the warm peach cobbler. A single slice of this rich dessert 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 friendly options for several specialty diets. People following a gluten-free, low-carb, low-FODMAP, low-fat, or diabetes 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

• White or dark rotisserie chicken
• Turkey breast
• Prime rib
• Steamed vegetables
• Sweet corn

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. And, fortunately, the chain’s website provides an interactive tool that allows users to search for gluten-free options.

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

Low-Carb 

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

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, such as the rotisserie chicken with the house salad.

Low-FODMAP 

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

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.

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

Diabetes-Friendly

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

Low-carb and low-sugar options abound on Boston Market’s menu, making it relatively simple for those on a diabetes diet to make good choices. 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.

Low-Fat

• Rotisserie chicken
• Turkey breast
• Garlic dill new potatoes

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.

Low-Sodium

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

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.

Vegetarian 

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

Since Boston Market’s entrees 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 may decide to create a meal out of side dishes such as the mashed potatoes and sweet corn.

Vegan

• Rice pilaf (subject to availability)
• Cinnamon apples
• Fresh steamed vegetables
• Cranberry walnut relish (subject to availability)

For vegans, eating at Boston Market will be a serious challenge—if not outright impossible. Although the chain’s website does not reveal which menu items are free of animal products, some vegan websites claim Boston Market offers only four vegan choices. Since two of these are only seasonally available—and all are rather scanty side dishes—you’ll want to look elsewhere for a satisfying meal if you’re a vegan. The foods that some claim are vegan at Boston Market include the rice pilaf and fresh steamed vegetables.

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 entire menu to discover which items are free of the top eight food allergens, plus gluten. If you’re unable to eat certain foods or ingredients, it’s wise to do your research on the menu before visiting.

However, like many restaurants these days, the chain makes a disclaimer that, in a kitchen with many ingredients, cross-contamination may occur, and that recipe formulations are subject to change.

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 fit in the framework of healthy eating and special diets. Several whole-foods basics like lean meats and uncomplicated veggies make good choices for just about anyone.

However, it’s important to remember that calories, saturated fat, carbs, and sodium all add up quickly when you complement a simple entree of rotisserie chicken or roasted turkey with heavier sides.

To keep within healthy limits, 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.