Whether you’re dieting or not, unless you happen to be a vegetarian or vegan, you probably consume a lot of chicken. It comes in many forms, from whole rotisserie chickens to chicken nuggets from your local fast-food restaurant. As you read this article, you’ll learn about the nutrition facts of chicken breasts.
Chicken breasts are high in protein, while being low in calories. They can be used in a variety of different dishes, some healthy and some not-so-healthy. If you can’t have gluten, they’re a great thing to add into your diet, as they’re gluten-free.
Nutrients in Chicken Breast Per Serving (3 Ounces)
- A single serving is 3 ounces
- 102 calories
- 0g carbohydrates
- 0g fiber
- 2g fat
- 19g protein
- Low in sodium with 46mg
- 159mg potassium
- 1% daily value of calcium
- 4% daily value of iron
Nutrition Facts about Chicken Breasts
1. Chicken breast is a high protein food.
Chicken breasts are great as a source of protein and are a low to no-carb food for people on diets. If the chicken breast is skinless and raw, it’s glycemic level is zero, which means it minimally impacts your blood sugar. If you leave the skin on your chicken breast, it has significantly more calories than when skinless and also contains more fat and sodium.
2. Be careful with the serving size of the chicken breast.
The serving size of a chicken breast is considered 3 ounces. This is roughly the size of the average person’s hand. Unfortunately, many commercially packaged chicken breasts are significantly larger than that, so even if you eat a single breast, you’re consuming more than a single serving of chicken. Make sure to keep this chicken breast nutrition facts in mind.
3. Some chickens are rarer than others.
Chickens come in a variety of different sizes and colors, but one type is completely black all over, the Ayam Cemani chicken of Indonesia. Just about every part of this chicken is black, including its meat and organs, which are edible — but you won’t want to eat one of these chickens as they cost around $2,500 each. The only part of the chicken that’s not black is its blood, which is very dark red in color.
4., Preserving chicken breasts for consumption is easy.
You can keep raw chicken breasts frozen for up to two years without it losing its nutritional value, unless it gets freezer burnt, and it won’t generally change the flavor or taste of the chicken. You don’t want to eat it past that point.
5. Chickens breasts are great for weight loss.
A great nutrition fact about chicken breasts is that they are low in calories. The low-calorie count of chicken makes it a staple in many people’s diets, and this is a versatile and helpful food for weight loss. The higher protein amount found in chicken will keep you full longer and provide more energy than a food higher in carbohydrates. The low amount of carbohydrates also helps keep you from bloating.
When you eat a single serving of chicken breast, you might be wondering about the ways to burn the calories that you’ve just consumed. There are plenty of easy ways to burn calories, including exercise plans that only take 10 minutes. If you go to the gym, 10 minutes on a Treadclimber can also burn the number of calories in your chicken breast.
6. Vitamins and minerals found in chicken breast.
Chicken breasts are a great source of selenium, which helps with thyroid gland production and DNA replication. Phosphorus is also present, which is useful for many functions within the body, including cell membrane production and stability, as well as helping regulate the levels of calcium.
Other vitamins and minerals present in chicken breasts include vitamin B6, which your body can’t produce itself: it must consume all that it requires, which it uses for the creation of red blood cells and neurotransmitters for cell communications. Niacin is another vitamin, and it helps boost brain function and decrease cholesterol in the body.
At the same time, depending on how you prepare the chicken breasts, they tend to be low in sodium, which makes them heart-healthy and decrease fluid retention.
Conclusion
Chicken breasts are a very healthy food to consume, as long as you’re not eating them deep-fried and breaded, at least not regularly. Their high protein count helps fuel your workout and weight loss if you’re dieting, while anyone can benefit from eating them, even if they’re not trying to diet. The main things to keep in mind when you’re preparing the chicken are how you are cooking them and how big your serving size is.
I hope that this article on chicken breast nutritional facts was helpful. If you are interested, visit the health facts page!
