What should you know about chicken meat?
Which chicken is healthier - dark or white?
One of the long-standing debates in the world of healthy eating is whether dark or white chicken is healthier. Many nutritionists say that white meat is much healthier than dark meat, and that you should always choose chicken breasts instead of upper or lower thighs. Although many people find the darker parts of the chicken to be tastier. Much of this advice is based on the fact that white chicken has fewer calories and fat. Recently, however, more and more experts are talking about the high nutrient density of dark chicken.
Benefits of white meat
Everything that is said about white meat is true: it usually has fewer calories and fat than dark meat.
A chicken thigh with skin (85 g) contains 197 kcal, 12.5 g fat, 19.8 g protein.
Chicken thigh without skin (85 g): (152 kcal, 6.93 g fat, 21 g protein).
Skinless chicken breast (85 g): (133 kcal, 2,75 g fat, 27,3 g protein).
Chicken breast with skin (85 g): (with skin): (150 kcal, 8,05 g fat, 18 g protein.
For example, a skinless chicken thigh contains approximately 7 g fat and 2 g saturated fat, while a skinless chicken breast has less than 3 g fat and 1 g saturated fat. Fat and calories aren't always bad, and the amount you need depends on your personal, health and fitness goals and needs. If you need to control your saturated fat intake, white poultry is definitely the best choice. In this case, however, you should also pay attention to the method of preparation of the white chicken. If you are going to eat it breaded or fried in oil, you will immediately add fat. If you want to keep the fat content to a minimum, it is better to eat fried, baked or boiled chicken breasts.
Benefits of dark meat
As we already know, white meat chicken is usually lower in calories and contains less fat, but dark meat shouldn't be completely ignored either. Dark meat chicken, such as the upper and lower thighs, is known to contain higher amounts of certain vitamins and nutrients. Dark meat contains more iron, zinc, selenium and B vitamins. Therefore, it is the best choice for those trying to increase iron intake, while zinc helps support the immune system.
All types of meat have their benefits
Finally, both white and dark meat chicken have their advantages and disadvantages. White meat is for those who want to eat chicken with a lower fat intake, while dark meat can provide more nutrients. The skin is also worth mentioning. Chicken skin is mainly made up of fat, most of which is saturated, which adds a significant portion of calories to the lean protein. This doesn't mean you should avoid it completely, just be aware of it and don't overdo it. So there is no clearly healthy and clearly unhealthy chicken, each part has its own advantages and disadvantages. And you should decide which part of the bird to eat based on your health needs and personal preferences.
Resource: EU Poultry