The benefits of chicken breast
The beneficial properties of the product are obvious. 100 g gives us 22 g of pure protein. True, the numbers in different sources differ, but be that as it may, we only have cod, a zero-calorie source of protein that tastes like sour putty, cottage cheese, and various types of white fish and seafood. The latter often have problems with price, and if you set a goal to “eat up” at least a modest 2 g of protein per 1 kg of weight for sports purposes, the diet can cost a pretty penny.
True, the “losing weight” protein norm is slightly lower. It’s rare that anyone is recommended to eat more than 1.5 g per 1 kg of body weight, so you can do it with chicken fillet.
Everyone knows about the benefits of protein, some, however, prefer to ignore this knowledge, citing the fact that our ancestors did not count any proteins, ate their own potatoes and were slim and beautiful. Fans of such statements should take a closer look at old photographs and realize that people used to be different too. And a predominantly carbohydrate diet is not such a good way to keep your body in shape. Saving money - yes, but if you live in a modern city, the big question is what to save on, on sources of protein, or on cold remedies for the immune system that has fallen victim to nutrition.
Almost any weight loss nutrition program will use protein foods. The fact is that our body does not know how to synthesize amino acids, and is forced to obtain them from food. Therefore, you should not “remove” sources of protein from your diet; it is better, in the name of creating a calorie deficit, to abandon what only spoils your weight loss. For example, from an excessive amount of sweets and stupid snacks from unhealthy snacks. Protein-rich food allows you to avoid many problems, from chronic colds to constant hunger. If you skillfully combine protein and fibrous vegetables, and also do not underestimate carbohydrates, almost any diet can be made satisfying.
The second significant advantage of this product is the minimal amount of fat. It is much easier to create a balanced diet of proteins and fats if you take them from different sources. For example, if you set the goal of “eating” the protein requirement from just pork or lamb, you will end up with too much fat. But in dishes with breast, you can add as much butter or sour cream as you need to ensure that the diet is balanced.
The third is the ease of preparation. Chicken fillet, if cut into thin strips, can be cooked in water in 10 minutes. A splash of lemon juice, vegetables of choice, some herbs and soy sauce, and your meal is ready. In addition, chicken breast is quite easy to freeze and can be stored for a long time. Another thing is that fresh is healthier, but life sometimes makes its own adjustments.
Methods for preparing chicken breast
It has been established that the calorie content of boiled chicken breast
and the calorie content of the same product, but prepared in other ways, differs. In particular, one hundred grams of smoked white meat contains 117 kilocalories. Smoked breast is also very tasty and healthy. Meat processed in this way becomes very juicy, tender and aromatic. However, its beneficial properties are fully manifested if it is processed using technology without the addition of “liquid smoke,” dyes, flavors, or flavor enhancers. The only component that is allowed to be added during this cooking process is salt.
Baking chicken breast is also popular among chefs, which not only gives it a great taste, but also preserves all the nutrients. The optimal option for dietary nutrition is considered to be breast meat in foil, cooked without adding any seasonings.
Stewed chicken breast is also a low-calorie dish, provided that no third-party fats are added during the cooking process. White meat should be stewed in a small amount of water with a minimum of seasonings. Vegetables are allowed. The result is a dish with a calorie content of approximately 93 kcal. But it should be noted that some recipes call for keeping the meat in the marinade before stewing. In this case, you need to carefully consider the composition of the brine - its components can increase the calorie content of the finished product.
Another option is to grill the chicken breast. The meat is fried on both sides (five minutes on each) at minimum temperature. You can also fry it in a frying pan, but without oil, in order to achieve a minimum calorie content.
But the optimal way to cook chicken breast is still considered to be boiling it in water or steaming it. It should be noted that white meat cooks quite quickly. If you expose it to prolonged heat, it becomes hard and the taste characteristics deteriorate significantly. Here are the optimal times for cooking in different ways:
- in a saucepan on the stove - half an hour;
- in a double boiler - an hour;
- in a slow cooker - 40 minutes;
- in the microwave - 10-15 minutes.
To make the meat juicy, it is better to cook the whole breast or fillet. But if your goal is to cook quickly, you can divide it into several pieces.
It is recommended to serve meat with vegetables so that fiber enters the body along with proteins, which helps eliminate connective fibers and other “extra” elements. Athletes are also recommended to eat boiled white meat for breakfast with a side dish of buckwheat or rice.
How to cook non-rubbery chicken breast
Wide circles of the sports community are tired of eating boiled breast and product soaked in kefir. Some people are so desperate that they are already making cutlets. They don't taste very good, though. And the reason for such dissatisfaction with the “classic product” is a certain, excuse me, rubbery consistency.
Others simply cook until half cooked and eat it to get rid of the problem. But there are also less controversial options:
- marinate the breast in lemon or grapefruit juice, add lemon pepper, basil, pack in a baking bag, place seam side down and cook in the oven, microwave or electric oven. Soaking in kefir also helps get rid of the “rubbery” consistency, but adds a little more calories.
BJU in other parts of the chicken
To diversify the menu, you need to include all parts of the bird in your nutrition program. The thigh and drumstick contain more fat, which means their nutritional value is higher.
Be sure to read: Horse meat: benefits and harms, calorie content per 100 grams, how to cook correctly, is horse sausage healthy?
Chicken thigh
Depending on the method of heat treatment, it contains from 180 to 230 kcal, and the KBJU of a thigh baked with skin in foil is distributed as follows - 227/20/15/1.8 g per 100 g.
Chicken drumstick
Less caloric than thigh due to the large number of muscle fibers. A leg baked in the oven has the following KBJU indicators - 174/20/10/0.7 g per 100 g.
Chicken wing
This part of the bird contains little meat, it is difficult to remove the skin from the wing, so the caloric content and fat content of the wing is higher than other parts:
Wings | Calorie content, kcal | Proteins, g | Fats, g | Carbohydrates, g |
Baked in the oven | 249 | 21 | 16 | 4 |
Smoked | 301 | 23 | 23 | 0.3 |
Fried | 267 | 21 | 18 | 7 |
Those who are planning a diet for weight loss should not include wings in the menu; it is better to choose a more dietary product.
Damage to chicken breast
First of all, diets in which chicken is the main product are quite harmful. You all know what some sports people do. They boil 800 g of breast a day, break a certain number of eggs, extract the protein, and cook it too. And then they eat it all, dividing it into 6 servings and crunching on a cucumber between meals. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this. But good is also not enough. Chicken breasts quickly get boring, and even in such an “ultra-healthy” form. A person who is not motivated by anything other than a slim figure is unlikely to endure this. And the “motivated” also usually run to eat a hamburger first thing after the end of the competition. And snack on pizza.
The second point is that not every breast is equally healthy. There is a whole class of scary stories called: “Life of a poultry farm from the inside.” Many people have friends who have ever worked in such production.
This is what they usually say:
- Poultry feed makes nails grow well. If you stir chicken food with your hands without gloves, you can achieve beautiful and strong nail plates. And fleshy cuticles. This means that not everything is in order with the bird food; something is clearly being added. This point is surrounded by a lot of legends, and almost testosterone esters are found in chicken food. It’s hard to believe in this - if you feed birds with steroids, then the prices for their meat should be proportionately higher. Still, the drugs that everyone thinks about are significantly higher than wheat and other raw materials. In addition, steroid hormones do not cause nails to grow, even if you rub them into the cuticles all day long;
- cutting of chicken carcasses takes place in unsanitary conditions. Our favorite chicken breast has to be rolled on the floor 10 times and rinsed with water the same number of times before it is packed into beautiful containers;
- expired meat does not go anywhere, it is ground into minced meat, and then semi-finished products are made from it, which are proudly sold under the name “chicken breast”.
Whether all this is true or not is a very big question. In the end, you can always buy a fresh whole chicken and cut it yourself. And of course, you should refrain from purchasing expired products and deep-frozen food unless absolutely necessary.
In reality, more problems come from eating too much protein. Many people completely give up carbohydrates, but eat 2 kg of breasts a day, while being a 60 kg girl, and not a 120 kg bodybuilder. Typically, such a diet provokes skin problems, constipation and other digestive disorders, and sometimes problems with the kidneys and pancreas. But the breast is not to blame here; rather, the reason is an excessive zeal for athletic beauty.
Content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in chicken breast per 100 grams
When calculating the diet, energy value and macronutrient composition are taken into account.
A person’s need for amino acids depends on:
- gender;
- age;
- health conditions;
- level and frequency of physical activity.
The uniqueness of white fillet lies in its balanced BJU and chemical composition.
Low lipid content, almost complete absence of carbohydrates, low calorie content and a record percentage of essential amino acids allow breast meat to be used in nutrition for various purposes, be it muscle growth or a fat-burning diet.
To calculate daily consumption, weigh the portions, determine the body's needs based on the quantitative composition of nutrients and the balance of macronutrients per 100 g of breast:
- the energy value of a steamed dish is 114 kcal;
- proteins – 24 g;
- fats – 2 g;
- carbohydrates – 0.1 g.
The average daily protein requirement can be met by consuming 80 g of pure protein. 300 g of meat will completely cover the needs of the human body with average activity.
Be sure to read: Dietary meat: calorie table for different types and recipes for them
Athletes and people involved in heavy physical labor should calculate the norm individually, depending on the level of stress.
Amount of protein in chicken fillet
So, how much protein is there in 100 grams of chicken breast? It is known that 80 grams of proteins are sufficient . Chicken breast contains them differently depending on the cooking method:
- fresh breast contains 23 grams of protein per 100 grams of product;
- the content of this component in boiled or fried breast is 28 grams;
- the amount of protein in smoked chicken fillet is reduced to 18 grams.
And the protein content in steamed breast is similar to that of the raw product.
We are convinced that the amount of protein in chicken fillet directly depends on how exactly you prepare it. This is explained by the fact that during cooking, meat loses about 20 percent of water . Accordingly, in boiled meat there will be more protein per 100 grams, since weight is lost.
In order to provide yourself with the daily protein requirement, you will need to eat about 300 grams of boiled chicken breast, it is better to do this in 2 doses. White chicken meat is digested very quickly and well, is perfectly absorbed and does not cause weight gain. You can eat boiled breast even in the evening and not be afraid for your figure.
But remember that chicken breast provides very little energy, so if you eat it without anything, you will experience a loss of strength over time. It is recommended to diversify the protein menu with foods containing carbohydrates:
- freshly squeezed juices;
- vegetables;
- fruits.