Healthy Chicken Recipes You'll Actually Crave (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest thing to cook chicken with? ›

Poached Chicken

Poaching is great because it adds virtually no fat to your food, yet yields subtle flavour and moisture. To poach your chicken, add your ingredients (chicken and any other vegetables, aromatics, and spices you like) to a skillet or pot, and add a cooking liquid such as broth, wine, or coconut milk.

If your main aim is weight loss, then the best type of chicken you can opt for is- skinless, boneless chicken breast. Do you know that 3-ounce serving of skinless, boneless chicken breast provides just 140 calories, a whopping 26 grams of protein, and just 3 grams of fat?

We eat it all the time. But when you need a break from chicken for dinner, what are your other protein options? Don't worry — there's a wide array of meat, vegetarian, and even vegan sources, like turkey, pork, steak, seafood, dairy, legumes, and quinoa.

Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, has recently claimed the top spot in the "Top 100 Chicken Dishes in the World" list by TasteAtlas, (an online guide for traditional food) solidifying its place as a global culinary sensation.

Chicken is a healthy food (as long as it's poached, baked or grilled), but that doesn't mean you should eat it every single day. As both dietitians have explained, eating a wide variety of foods is the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs.

Chicken helps lose overall body weight if consumed as a healthy and balanced diet. In the process, one can also lose belly fat. While eating chicken, remember to opt for lean chicken breast; it is a good source of protein with fewer calories.

If you are a meat-eater, lean chicken breast is a great source of protein if you want to beat belly fat. But do not forget healthy, fatty fish such as salmon.

You'll likely lose weight if you eat chicken every day instead of more calorie-dense items like fattier meats and processed foods, and avoid eating a lot of average carbohydrates. A 100 gm fresh chicken breast has a nutrient benefit of 124 calories, 20 grams protein, and 3 gm fat.

As it does with turkey, the body uses tryptophan from chicken to make melatonin—which can help you rest—and serotonin, the chemical that signals your nerves and makes you feel happy and at ease.

Try salmon, tuna, or cod for a delicious and healthy meal. Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are all excellent sources of protein and fiber, and can be used in a variety of dishes. Whole grains: Whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and whole wheat bread are.

Why do I feel tired after eating chicken breast? ›

An amino acid called tryptophan, which occurs in many protein-rich foods, helps the body produce serotonin. Carbohydrates help the body absorb tryptophan. For these reasons, eating a meal rich in both protein and carbohydrates may make a person feel sleepy. Tryptophan occurs in foods that are rich in protein.

Way More Flavorful

Any good cook knows that fat is flavor, and that is yet another reason why thighs are superior to breasts. Chicken thighs are a fattier cut of meat, which means they're going to have more intense, rich flavor than their white meat counterparts.

The poulet de Bresse or Bresse chicken is claimed to be one of the world's most expensive chickens.

The most popular but also the most expensive cut is chicken breast. This is the lean boneless white meat from the pectoral muscles. Suggested cooking methods are grilling, baking, roasting, frying, or barbecuing.

The best way to cook chicken for the health benefits

When it comes to pan frying, the type of fat you use to grease the pan is important. A healthy oil, such as olive or coconut, is going to be a healthier choice than animal fat, like butter. However, the healthiest way to cook chicken is to bake it or boil it.

Here are some tips: Choose Lean Cuts: Opt for skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs as they are leaner cuts with lower fat content compared to other parts of the chicken. Grilling or Baking: Cooking methods like grilling, baking, or roasting are better options than frying.

But there's a healthier, equally delicious way to eat comfort food like fried chicken. And it's all thanks to your oven. By cooking chicken in the oven, you'll use little oil, which will minimize heart health risks. Aside from being healthier for your heart, this chicken is also high in protein (8 g per serving).

Grilling, roasting, baking, broiling, steaming, press cooking and slow cooking are some of the healthiest ways to cook meat. And yes, you should avoid deep-frying it. “Avoid marinades and sauces that are high in sugar and sodium,” she adds.