Nuggets are just a way of serving food and the name has nothing to do with the quality. It’s a bit like sausages or burgers - there is a huge difference between cheap mass produced ones and restaurant quality. I was going to suggest that those saying they don’t know what they are (really?) should call them goujons and see if that made a difference, but others got in first
.
People get exercised about ‘vegetarian sausages’ or burgers too - but again the name is for the style or shape of the item, not the ingredients. Nuggets are perfect for children as they are small and can be picked up. They are good for people with small appetites, too - a bit like fish fingers, which again vary enormously from place to place or brand to brand.
Both are likely to be grim if they are 99p for a large bag, but home made or ‘premium’ ones are a perfectly acceptable way to serve chicken (or fish), IMO.
I wouldn’t like to give up cheese, or onions. A friend of mine can’t eat onions, and it massively restricts her diet, particularly when she’s eating out.