Removing the skin on chicken
Fat -The Basics
“Chicken is relatively low in fat once the skin is removed – around 45-75% of chicken fat is in the skin”, explains GetFit Nutrition’s Head dietitian, Tony.
“Chicken breasts, thighs, legs and wings are sold either with or without the skin. It is usually less expensive with the skin on, so buy this and remove the skin yourself”, he suggests.
“Be aware of the skin on chicken in pre-packed food, sandwiches and other dishes (it’s easy enough to take off) it may seem a small thing to do, but it’s these little habits that soon add up and make a big difference”.
[I small breast (~100g) of chicken is 1 Nutrition Card® portion from the Meat & alternatives group]
Common Fat Myths and Misconceptions
- “Poultry is healthier than red meat” – Chicken is usually lower in saturated fat than red meat, but the total fat content in chicken without skin and lean red meat is similar. Chicken is lower in iron than red meat (red meat contains 2-4 times the amount of iron that is available in chicken). Both red meat and poultry can make a healthy contribution to your eating plan.
Fat - Tips and Tricks
- Remove chicken skin before seasoning – serve the chicken with a good helping of colourful vegetables and a starchy food such as rice or potato for a balanced low fat meal.
- Give the chicken skin to the dog (he will love you even more), and make sure you give him plenty of walks, for his health and yours!
- Cold chicken can be used the following day as a low fat filling for a lunchtime sandwich
- Chicken salad (use watercress, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and any other salad item you fancy) with rice or couscous is a simple and quick meal you can put together with cold chicken form the previous day
- Chicken drumsticks (without skin) with green salad and mixed rice and beans is a tasty balanced meal
- When cooking chicken dishes e.g. stews, casseroles, mince etc ‘extend’ the chicken with beans or lentils (to increase fibre content and further reduce the fat) and add plenty of vegetables
- If you defrost raw chicken and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze* it again, but remember never reheat foods more than once