To determine the contents of chicken nuggets from 2 national food chains.

Chicken nuggets have become a major component of the American diet. We sought to determine the current composition of this highly processed food.

Randomly selected nuggets from 2 different national fast food chains were fixed in formalin, sectioned and stained for microscopic analysis.

Striated muscle (chicken meat) was not the predominate component in either nugget. Fat was present in equal or greater quantities along with epithelium, bone, nerve, and connective tissue.

Chicken nuggets are mostly fat, and their name is a misnomer.