TYPES OF CHICKEN CUTS AND CHICKEN NUTRITION FACTS

It is a well-known fact that chicken offers a significant number of health benefits. It contains different nutrients in its various types of cuts such as breasts, livers, thighs, drumsticks, and wings. In addition, chicken has a great lean protein value. Since they’re available easily and are affordable compared to other types of meat, they can be consumed regularly in order to maintain a healthy diet.

This article gives answers to your doubts regarding the nutrition present in the various chicken cuts.

Table of contents

• Which part of the Chicken is the healthiest?
• Chicken Thigh Nutrition
• Are Chicken Livers healthy to eat
• Does chicken cartilage have any nutritional value?
• Is it good to consume chicken wings?

Which part of Chicken is the healthiest?

Chicken breast is said to be the most nutritious part of chicken as it is a great source of lean proteins. It is made up of a large quantity of protein and is relatively low in calories. Furthermore, it has zero carbs and contains very low fat. Hence, it can be consumed to help with weight loss and muscle gain. Coming to its nutritional value, one chicken breast piece worth 100 grams contains 165 calories, 31 g of proteins, and 3.6 g of total fat. Other micronutrients in chicken include cholesterol 85 mg, sodium 74 mg, and potassium 256 mg.

On the other hand, when it comes to the tastiest chicken part, chicken thigh wins the race. 

Chicken Thighs nutrition:

Chicken thighs also serve various benefits like chicken breast. The foremost thing that differentiates it from the chicken breast is the increased calorie quantity and fat percentage. 100 grams of chicken thigh contains 209 calories, 26 g of proteins, and 10 g of fat. Chicken thigh is more delicious and tender compared to chicken breast due to its high-fat content. Consuming chicken thighs will help you to increase pounds if you’re aiming to gain weight. In addition, the monounsaturated fat in chicken thigh aids to lose weight. Furthermore, they’re quite easy to cook due to their tenderness and are comparatively much cheaper than chicken breast.  

Contrarily, 100 grams of chicken drumstick has 161 calories, 19.3 g of proteins, and 8.7 g of total fat. Since chicken thighs and legs are referred to as red meat, they are rich in iron and zinc. This helps with anemia and boosts your immune system.

Are chicken livers healthy to eat?

Yes. Chicken livers offer numerous health benefits to humans. They are packed with proteins, iron, fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Since it is rich in iron, it prevents anemia. The selenium present in the liver manages the cholesterol level and obstructs heart diseases like stroke. 100 grams of chicken liver contains 116 calories, 4.8 g of total fat, 345 mg of cholesterol, 71 mg of sodium, and 230 mg of potassium.

Though chicken livers serve numerous health benefits, it is not advisable to consume them regularly as they contain an excessive amount of Vitamin A and copper which are not good for your health. Consume livers once a week to get the benefits to the fullest. 

Does chicken cartilage have any nutritional value?

Though chicken cartilage has a very low nutritional value, it is an excellent source of glycine and proline amino acids. Glycine helps to build collagen which supports healthy bones, hair, and skin. It aids in bringing down the symptoms of arthritis. Proline serves the same benefits as glycine and helps with joint movements, skin healing, and connective tissue formation. Chicken cartilage is low in calories, i.e, 100 grams of chicken cartilage has only 54 calories. Also, chewing cartilage will assist you to strengthen your teeth and jaw.

Is it good to consume chicken wings?

Unless chicken wings aren’t deep-fried and skinned, they serve as a healthy food. Chicken wings are the most flavorful part of the chicken because they are filled with fat and skin. Hence, frying them would add more calories and fats leading to obesity and other health-related issues. I would recommend you to bake chicken wings instead of frying, to make it a nutritious meal.

Though they are mostly considered as a snack, it is possible to cook a variety of healthy dishes with chicken wings. Taking into account its nutritional value, 100 grams of chicken wings contain 203 calories, 30.5 g of protein, and 8.1 g of fat.

The bottom line,

Each and every cut of chicken provides various benefits to humans. It can make you lose weight or gain pounds. But it highly depends on the method of preparation. Chicken fits into nutritious food only when it is baked or grilled or boiled. Frying them puts on a lot of calories and fats which is intensively unhealthy. So cook healthy and stay healthy!.To know more about health benefits of chicken,check out our page.