Chicken, Chicken, Chicken – I’m Ready to Cluck!

Chicken is the easiest and cheapest way to get low-calorie, low-fat protein. But many diets call for broiled breast of chicken.

You just want to cluck – no, no, no!

It’s dry and almost tasteless.

Why?

Chicken is so versatile and doesn’t need to be dry, tasteless or broiled.

Let’s get some info on the calories in chicken

3.5 oz raw chicken with skin without skin

Breast 170 110

Drumstick 161 119

Thigh 211 119

Wing 237 126

As you can see, the skin is high in calories and the thighs and wings have a lot of skin. The method you use to cook also effects the calories. If the chicken is cooked in marinades or its own juices where the fats can be absorbed by the chicken, there will be more calories. If the chicken is cooked where the fats can drip off, there will be less calories.

Just about every herb and spice can be used when cooking chicken. Try out different combinations of herbs and spices, fresh and dried.

Chicken cooks fairly quickly. It can be broiled, baked, sautéed, poached, boiled, etc. Most of all, it can be added to so many other foods such as pasta, soups, salads, etc. Find new recipes and play with your favorite recipes to expand your menus.

It’s really about making good choices. A dry, tasteless chicken breast is not appetizing or fulfilling. Just cluck – no, no, no! But a tasty, juicy chicken breast can be the highlight of your meal. 3.5 ounces doesn’t seem like much, but at only 110 calories you can have 2 times as much and still have your veggies and grains.

Beware! Many restaurants keep chicken soaking in oil to maintain freshness – this really adds to the calories and is not counted into their nutritional information.