Here’s what you need to know to decide if chicken’s good for you.
In this post, you’ll find answers to these questions:
Do I even need to eat chicken?
Is there a specific type I should buy?
What about organic, grass-fed, cage-free chickens?
Are there healthy ways to cook chicken?
Is there anything I need to know about Salmonella?
I recommend reading all of it. But, if you’re limited on time (or attention), feel free to skip down to whichever question(s) you want.
Do I even need to eat chicken?
Simple answer: no. You never need to eat any specific thing.
That’s the great thing about food. You can normally find substitutes for pretty much anything.
But, if you’re thinking about cutting out chicken, you should know that chicken does provide a variety of nutrients.
Chicken is a great source of protein. It’s also a source of fat (mostly in the skin but also in the meat).
Though fat is blamed for many health problems, it’s actually the ratio of certain fats that causes problems.
We’ll talk more about that fat ratio and how to make sure you’re eating chicken with a healthy fat ratio in the following sections.
So, chicken is good for you, really.
Is there a type of chicken I should buy?
When buying chicken, you only really have two options: frozen or fresh.
Fresh is best, but it’s often more time and budget-friendly to buy frozen.
Sidenote: did you know that a salt solution is injected into the raw chicken before it gets packaged? That means that the fresh or frozen chicken at the store has 10-15% of its weight from the salt solution. That is unless the packaging says otherwise.
The salt solution is said to help keep the chicken juicy and flavorful.
I can see how the salt water solution helps keep the chicken moist. But that also means quite a bit of sodium is added to your meals.
There’s really not that much difference between fresh or frozen chicken, nutrition-wise. Frozen chicken is more processed than fresh, so there may be some not-yet-known consequences of the extra processing. As we talked about before, convenience often comes at a price.
Just know your options and the consequences, so you can make an informed decision for you and your family.
As for what cuts of chicken to buy, different cuts have different ratios of nutrients. This is because a chicken uses different muscles for different things.
The leaner cuts (AKA have less fat and more protein) are going to be the muscles a chicken uses more. The leaner cuts also are less tender and dry out quicker than cuts with more fat. You might also hear leaner cuts called white meat and fattier cuts called dark meat.
What cut you buy largely depends on your preferences.
The National Chicken Council has estimated the nutrients in different cuts of chicken in a table here. If calories, amount of protein, and amounts of fats matter to you, then you’ll want to check out that resource.
What about organic, grass-fed, cage-free, etc.?
Ok, let’s get back to that healthy fat ratio we were talking about above.
But first, let’s define some of these trending terms…
Organic
For a chicken to be considered as organic, the poultry farmers must…
Have land, where chickens roam, that is certified organic (no pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)
Give 100% certified organic feed
Not have antibiotics or other animal drugs, hormones, GMOs, animal-by-products, synthetic preservatives, mineral oil, or non-organic kitchen or garden scraps in their feed
Keep chickens in healthy, low-stress environments
Not give growth hormones
Not use animal drugs unless ill (preventive health care instead)
Provide enough nutrients, clean water, protection, and proper sanitation to chickens
Allow chickens access to outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, and direct sunlight year round
Slaughter chicken at a certified organic facility (no slaughtering of non-organic chickens there)
Cage-Free (or Range-Free)
Just as it sounds. Chickens are not kept in cages but allowed to roam.
This does not necessarily mean that the chickens have a lot of room to roam or that they can go outside.
It often means chickens are kept in the coop. Here’s a picture from NPR of what that looks like…
Grass-Fed
Chickens are typically given corn-based feed. Grass-fed chickens are allowed to graze and eat grass (and bugs) instead. They can’t survive solely on grass and bugs, so they are often given some kind of feed on the side.
Remember that healthy fat ratio we were talking about earlier?
Chickens that are allowed to eat grass and bugs, according to research, produce a healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.
But when chickens (or any herbivore) are given corn-based feed instead of grass, they produce more omega-6 fatty acids. This disrupts the natural fat balance, which can lead to major inflammation.
And as we talked about before, inflammation is turning out to be the underlying cause of many health problems. (Think obesity, heart disease, dementia, and autism – crazy right?)
But, we can fight against the inflammation by eating grass-fed chickens (and beef, but that’s a conversation for another day).
But, what about eggs?
The same goes for eggs.
Eggs of grass-fed chickens, according to research, have a healthier fat ratio compared to conventional eggs.
Organic eggs have an even healthier fat ratio (generally) than grass-fed chickens.
This is most likely because of the strict regulations placed on organic products. Organic chickens do get feed on the side, but it is not corn-based.
Grass-fed chickens, on the other hand, can receive corn-based feed on the side, which would imbalance the fat ratio.
And as we talked about, an imbalanced fat ratio can, over time, lead to inflammation.
All this to say, if you want to get the most nutritious and least health problem-causing chicken, fresh organic chicken is what you should buy.
The next best is grass-fed and cage-free, followed by conventional chicken.
Organic (from what I could find research-wise) is the more nutritious than non-organic grass-fed chicken because there are tighter regulations on organic chicken. And if you buy organic, you are also ensuring that the chicken hasn’t had hormones or antibiotics.
Local organic chicken is an even better option.
I know your budget may not always have space for organic food, especially organic meats.
So, buy organic when you can.
However, if you have a health problem that may be caused by inflammation, then it is important to buy organic chicken (and beef, dairy, and eggs).
You could be using what you are spending to find out what’s causing your health problem on foods that can help resolve your problem.
Are there healthy ways to cook chicken?
When you cook anything, you are losing some nutrients while breaking down others for easy digest. This is especially true when you cook food at high temperatures to lessen the cooking time.
Frying chicken can destroy important nutrients, plus you typically fry with a lot of oil. So, you are adding in more of that omega-6 fatty acid from the oil to imbalance the fat ratio. That’s why frying is considered to be unhealthy.
Instead of frying, slowly cook chicken at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time. (When time allows, of course.)
This works great if you have a slow cooker.
I’m not completely sure about if cooking chicken in a pressure cooker (like an Instapot) destroys important nutrients. There is not too much research out there about cooking meats, other than how to cook for the best flavor and texture.
Moral of the story, just use what you have.
And if you cook chicken in some kind of fluid, find a way to include the fluid in your meal. Often the fluid contains a lot of nutrients that came out of the chicken during cooking.
Is there anything I need to know about Salmonella?
Absolutely.
Salmonella is a nasty virus that shows up 12-24 hours after contact and lasts 5-6 days in your system. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, fever, headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain, and bloody stools.
It is really important to treat raw chicken with caution. (I’ve had a recent encounter with Salmonella and it is not fun!)
To avoid getting Salmonella, wash your hands and any surfaces or utensils that come into contact with raw chicken (or eggs). Make sure not to use a knife and cutting board with raw chicken and then use them to cut up cooked chicken or anything you’re not going cook before eating.
Also, cook chicken until the thickest portion is at 165°. Cooked chicken left out longer than 4 hours or left in the fridge for over a week is susceptible to Salmonella or other viruses or bacteria.
So, is chicken good for you?
Yes!
To sum up what we talked about…
Chicken is a good source of protein and fat
Local fresh, organic chicken is the most nutritious and healthy option you can buy right now – buy when budget allows (same goes with eggs)
Avoid frying chicken with lots of oil or fat
Wash anything that comes into contact with raw chicken, especially your hands
Cook chicken until the thickest portion is at 165° and don’t leave chicken out for longer than 4 hours
I’m putting together a list of chicken recipes for dinner for you next week So, come back next week to get that list of Dietitian-approved recipes!
Before you go, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below on what you think about the growing trends of organic, grass-fed, and cage-free animals. Is it something you agree with or is it just fluff to get more money from you?