Chicken meat is a frequent guest of the Russian table. Many delicious dishes are prepared from this bird - both everyday and festive. To find out how many calories are in chicken, and how to reduce this figure, the information published below will help.
Material Content:
The chemical composition and nutritional value of chicken
Dealing with the nutritional value of chicken, first of all it should be noted that in total 100 g of such a product contains almost 30 percent of the daily protein intake for an adult. But fats - only about 4 percent.
Chicken contains many useful substances for the human body. For example, vitamins of groups B, A and P, retinol, macro- and microelements (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, fluorine), amino acids.
If chicken is cooked correctly, then it turns out dietary and low-calorie. It is allowed to eat even during weight loss. For example, a lunch of boiled chicken breast and vegetables will energize a person for a long time and will not affect the figure. The bird in this form, as well as baked, steamed and grilled, is included in the menu of many popular diets.
How many calories in a product
When sorting out the calorie content of chicken, first of all, you need to consider how it is cooked. Of course, the most calories will be in a fried product. Especially if butter or even lard was used for this.
Another important point: which part of the carcass is in question. So, the breast is considered the most low-calorie, while in the hips of the bird calories will be the most.
And those who are losing weight are usually most concerned about the question: how many calories are there in boiled chicken? If the bird is cooked without skin, then in 100 g of the product will be only 172 kcal. Approximately the same result is obtained by steaming chicken, baking it without butter and cheese, grilling without adding fat. These cooking methods allow you to get a satisfying, tasty, low-calorie, and even very useful dish for the body.
In other parts of the carcass, calorie content will slightly differ per 100 g of product:
- legs - 176 kcal;
- at the hip - 207 kcal;
- wings have 182 kcal.
The smallest indicator is obtained in chicken ventricles - 103 kcal per 100 g.
Daily consumption of poultry meat
In order for the use of chicken meat to bring exclusively benefits to a person, you need to know how much it costs to eat per day.
The exact numbers depend on the age of both sexes:
- crumbs under 3 years old - 70-80 g;
- kids from 4 to 6 years old - 90-100 g;
- children from 7 to 12 years old - 120-140 g;
- adolescents from 13 to 17 years old - 140-150 g;
- older people need to go back to the average child norm.
As for adults, the recommended portion of chicken for a day depends on physical activity and a person’s lifestyle. So, athletes and those who engage in heavy physical labor will need 220-250 g of poultry per day, for the rest 130-150 g.
How to reduce calories in different processing methods
The main rule that will reduce the calorie content of chicken with different processing methods is to refuse to add fat, or at least reduce its amount.
So, when baking poultry in the oven, you can use a special high-quality silicone rug or bag. For example, in the latter you can simply lay the pieces of poultry with chopped vegetables, add salt and spices and send the products to the oven. As a result, they will be baked in vegetable juice. The treat will turn out soft, gentle and without excess oil.
As for the silicone mat, you can put chicken chops, nuggets, just slices with low-fat sauce on it and bake until cooked. It remains to serve fresh vegetables with a little olive oil as a side dish.
If you plan to cook meat on the grill, you just need to purchase quality accessories for this. For example, a good grill pan does not need oiling. Or you can treat it with just a couple of drops of fat distributed on the surface of the dishes with a silicone brush.
The beneficial properties of chicken
The first thing to note is that chicken is dietary meat. Especially if you use breast or wings. Therefore, you can eat it without fear for your own figure. As a result, losing weight will quickly get enough and get rid of hunger, but at the same time will not get extra pounds.
It is important to add that chicken is able to neutralize the acidity of the stomach. This unique property makes such a bird especially significant for all people who suffer from stomach ulcers. Regular use of a properly prepared product can alleviate the condition and improve overall well-being.
Chicken fillet is on the list of foods with a minimum cholesterol content. Of course, if it is not cooked on a large amount of refried oil. 100 g of breast contains about 72 mg of cholesterol, but there are several times more essential vitamins and minerals.
Chicken is also useful for the muscles of the human body. The product forms their strength and endurance.
Chicken meat is an important product in the diet of every person. It should be included in your menu at least several times a week. By the way, it is the fillet that is allowed to eat even daily, if you cook it in various "low-calorie" ways. For example, baking or boiling.
