How Do Chicken Breast Nutrition And Calories Stack Up
According to the USDA, a 3.5-ounce serving of roasted chicken breast without the skin contains:
- Calories: 165
Now consider the differences when you keep the skin on:
- Calories: 197
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
As you can see, keeping the skin on doubles the fat and saturated fat content, but adds a modest number of caloriesabout 30.
One key thing to remember is that these numbers are for a 3.5-ounce serving. That’s slightly more than half of the average chicken breast. This is what you’ll get for a whole, boneless, skinless chicken breast:
- Calories: 284
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sodium: 127 mg
So if you eat the whole thing, you’ll be getting a LOT more proteinbut also way more calories and fat.
Consider Other Health Benefits
According to a June 2015 article published by Food & Nutrition Research, poultry is a good source of B vitamins, including thiamin, B6 and pantothenic acid as well as the minerals iron, copper and zinc.
However, the article also points out that specific nutritional value of your chicken is dependent on the diet the animal is fed, as well as its genetics.
The authors also state that chicken is an excellent source of selenium. This nutrient helps protect against infection and damage caused by free radicals in the body. It also plays a role in DNA production, reproduction and proper functioning of the thyroid gland, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
Chicken is relatively low in collagen â a protein that provides support to connective tissues. This makes it more easily digestible, which increases the amount of nutrients your body absorbs.
Read more:The #1 Way to Cook Chicken Breast Without Drying it Out
Calories In Sauces And Condiments For Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken on its own is low in fat and free of sugar and sodium. However, once you start smothering, dipping, or spreading sauces on your chicken breast, those numbers can add up fast.
A common grilled chicken topper is BBQ sauce. While this American favorite is typically fat free, it has about 25 calories and five grams of sugar in every two tablespoons. Consider how many tablespoons it takes to cover a full chicken breast and you could end up with 15 or 20 grams of sugar on your healthy grilled chicken.
If youre at a restaurant and you order a chicken dish that comes in a sauce, it is likely something sweet, warns Lvova. BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sweet and sour sauce are all likely offenders. I personally prefer my sugar to come in the form of ice cream than in a chicken marinade where I might not expect it.
Try this instead: A green chimichurri saucean Argentinean sauce made from parsley, jalapeno, garlic, oil, and vinegarcontains 20 calories per tablespoon, two grams of fat, and no sugar. This would save your grilled chicken from becoming a sugar bomb, and give you some healthy fats from the olive oil.
For major flavor with few added calories and sugar, try a salsa or pico de gallo. With a standard pico, youll add 10 calories, one gram of sugar, and no fat for every two tablespoons of pico de gallo. Switch it up with a mango or pineapple salsa for fun, unique flavor.
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Grill Pan Giveaway Details
Today, because it’s Friday, because spring is in the air, and because I hate grilling outside, I’m giving away a George Foreman Grillâ¦
George Foreman Indoor Grill
TO ENTER
To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:
“Which of these 27 skinny grilled chicken recipes would you choose to make first with an indoor grill and why?”
Just let me know which recipe looks best to you and why and you’re entered to win the indoor grill.
THE RULES
One entry per person, please
Winners will be announced Sunday night. Be sure to check back to see if you won.
Good luck!
Giveaway sponsored by Simple Nourished Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my or other , I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
This giveaway is sponsored by Simple Nourished Living. Awarded prize may differ slightly from images that appear here – based on availability. Giveaway prizes may be forfeited if not claimed within 90 days.
Count Calories And Macros
Chicken breasts usually weigh about 6 to 8 ounces. A 3-ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards. According to the USDA, there are 128 calories in a 3-ounce grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. They are very low in fat, clocking in at 2.7 grams, and contain no carbohydrates.
As an added bonus, a serving of grilled, skinless, boneless chicken breast contains no saturated fats â the “bad” fats that raise the levels of “bad” cholesterol in your blood, according to the American Heart Association.
Saturated fats should make up no more than 5 to 6 percent of your daily total caloric intake.
Each serving provides you with 26 grams of protein, which is more than half of the recommended daily intake for adults â 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men, according to the National Academies of Sciences.
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Ingredients You Will Need To Make This Chicken Breast Recipe
- Oil: we used olive oil, but you may also use any other oil like grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
- Red wine vinegar: if you dont have this on hand, use white distilled vinegar.
- Lemon juice: use fresh lemon juice if possible
- Garlic: it is best if you use fresh garlic, but if you must, you may use garlic powder.
- Seasnonings: dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, and dried basil
- Chicken: we used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you may also use skinless and bonelss thighs.
- Dried parsley: used to garnish.
- Lemon wedges: to garnish if you like so squeeze some fresh lemons over the final grilled chicken.
How To Make Sure The Chicken Breast Is Juicy
Now that your chicken breasts are trimmed, its time to ensure they are juicy.
While some people like to use marinades, I find the brine method works much better. Marinades are generally made with oil and vinegar and flavor enhancers like soy sauce and garlic.
Those do a great job at flavoring the meat, but they dont necessarily make it juicy. And if you leave your chicken in an acid-based marinade for too long, it will actually start to cook and will get rubbery.
Brining, on the other hand, works differently. When the chicken breast is introduced to a salt water bath, the proteins begin to break down and relax while the meat absorbs the liquid. Its like juicy chicken magic.
Brining Bonus: Brining liquid doesnt include oil, so its much healthier and lower in calories than marinades.
A typical brine is made up of water, kosher salt, sugar and seasonings. For this recipe, you dont need to make a big batch. I use a really simple technique.
Mix one bottle of room temperature water with a tablespoon of kosher salt, a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of my personal Chicken Rub, which is a blend of salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, bell pepper, lemon zest, chiles and natural hickory smoke.
You dont need to heat the water or anything. The salt, sugar and seasonings will dissolve just fine. Place the brine ingredients in a bowl and mix it well. Place the chicken breasts in the zip-top bag and add the brine. Seal and massage it gently. Place the bag in a bowl .
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Boosts Serotonin And Melatonin
Chicken breast contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps regulate protein synthesis. Tryptophan also contributes to your brain’s ability to synthesize serotonin. People with inadequate serotonin may experience symptoms of depression or have trouble with memory. Tryptophan also plays a role in melatonin, an important hormone for sleep.
Protein In 4 Ounces Of Grilled Chicken
A 4-ounce serving of grilled chicken breast, which is a little bigger than the palm of your hand, has 35 grams of protein. In general, adults need 46 to 56 grams of protein a day, which means a serving of chicken may meet two-thirds to three-quarters of your daily protein needs. Of course, protein needs vary and you may need more if youre working out to build muscle or recovering from an illness or surgery. The protein in chicken breast contains all the essential amino acids, making it a high-quality source of protein.
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How Many Calories In 1 Grilled Chicken Breast
Chicken breasts are a low-fat, high-protein source of protein that includes no carbohydrates. One chicken breast has 284 calories, or 165 calories per 3.5 ounces of chicken breast meat . Protein accounts for around 80 percent of total calories, with fat accounting for the remaining 20 percent.
Grilled Chicken Breast has 150 calories per 100 g of the protein.
Contents
Nutritional Values Of Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast
Skinless, boneless chicken breast has become a mainstay of the American diet. According to the National Chicken Council, the per capita consumption of poultry for 2020 is forecast at 111.8 pounds.
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Pair that with grilling, and you have a winner. Grilling your chicken instead of pan-frying or roasting means you do not have to use oils or other fats that will soak into the meat. Skinless chicken breast is lean and the calories in grilled, boneless, skinless chicken breast are low.
Read more:How to Bake Boneless Chicken Breast at 400 Degrees
Recommended Reading: What To Cook On Indoor Grill
Calories And Serving Size
The calories in a 4-oz chicken breast amounts to 171 calories, although any sauces or marinades you use on the chicken will add to the calorie count. No need to drag out your food scale to measure out a 4-oz. portion: this serving size of grilled chicken breast is approximately the size of the palm of your hand. Chicken has no carbohydrates or fiber.
What Is The Nutritional Value Of Grilled Chicken Breast
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Recipe Notes And Tips
- Do not overcook the chicken. If you do, you will end up with dry and chewy chicken. The best way to check for doneness is to use a food thermometer and check when the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
- We do recommend the marinating time. Or at least marinate it for 30 minutes. If you are really pressed for time you can skip the marinating process. Marinating does wonders though.
- If you prefer using chicken thighs you can use that instead. They tend to be juicer but they are higher in fat and less lean compared to chicken breast.
- You may use an outdoor or indoor grill. Want to Bake them? You can do that too. Bake in a preheated oven for 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Want to use your air-fryer? you can. Here is a recipe for an air fryer chicken breast you might be interested in.
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How To Trim A Chicken Breast
When shopping for chicken breasts, you can buy bone-in or boneless chicken breasts. Personally, I like to grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts hot and fast. Whereas I barbecue bone-in, skin-on breasts longer at lower temps.
Todays recipe is for boneless, skinless chicken breasts with rib meat.
I have found that how chicken breasts are butchered varies greatly, depending on the brand. You can purchase breasts that say pre-trimmed on them, but theyre usually more expensive, so Im going to show you how to trim them yourself.
When you take the breasts out of the package, look them over. One side will likely have a thin white layer of fat. I like to trim this off.
The other side will have the socket where the wing was connected to the breast. Feel it with your finger. If you notice a little gristle, trim it away with a sharp boning knife.
When you flip the breast over, it should have a flap. This is the chicken tender or rib meat. I like to leave this attached, because it helps balance out the thickness of the breast.
If the breasts you buy already have the tenderloin removed, you may notice that one end will be significantly thicker than the other. If thats the case, place the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the thicker side a bit, so its even with the thinner side. This will help it cook more evenly.
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How You Cook Your Chicken Matters
Chicken meat alone is relatively low in calories and fat compared to other meats. But once you start adding oil, sauce, batter and breading, the calories can add up.
For example, a skinless, boneless, cooked chicken thigh contains 109 calories and 5.7 grams of fat .
But that same chicken thigh fried in batter packs 144 calories and 8.6 grams of fat. A chicken thigh fried in a flour coating contains even more 162 calories and 9.3 grams of fat .
Similarly, one boneless, skinless chicken wing has 43 calories and 1.7 grams of fat .
However, a chicken wing glazed in barbecue sauce provides 61 calories and 3.7 grams of fat. Thats comparable to a wing fried in a flour coating, which has 61 calories and 4.2 grams of fat .
Therefore, cooking methods that add little fat, such as poaching, roasting, grilling and steaming, are your best bet for keeping the calorie count low.
Summary
Cooking methods, such as frying in breading and coating the meat in sauce, can add more than a few calories to your healthy chicken. For a low-calorie option, stick with baked or grilled chicken.
How Many Calories Is 4 Oz Grilled Chicken Breast
by3 juillet 2021, 4 h 18 min3.2k Views
The calories in a 4-oz chicken breast amounts to 171 calories, although any sauces or marinades you use on the chicken will add to the calorie count. No need to drag out your food scale to measure out a 4-oz. portion: this serving size of grilled chicken breast is approximately the size of the palm of your hand.
Furthermore, What is 4 oz chicken breast?
A 4 oz chicken breast is roughly about the size of the palm of your hand minus your fingers. Usually when you buy raw chicken it comes in breasts. About half of one of those breasts is 4oz.
Additionally, How many calories is 2 oz of grilled chicken breast?
There are 106 calories in 2 ounces of boneless, skinless Grilled Chicken .
Also How many calories are in plain grilled chicken?
A 3.5-ounce serving of chicken breast provides 165 calories, 31 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fat . That means that approximately 80% of the calories in chicken breast come from protein, and 20% come from fat. Keep in mind that these amounts refer to a plain chicken breast with no added ingredients.
Simply so, What are the nutrition facts for 4 oz of boneless skinless chicken breast?
4 Ounces Skinless Chicken Breast
- ounces
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Finally What Are The Best Ways To Eat Chicken Breast
With a fork and knife, of course…
It all depends on your health goals and flavor preferences. But, per Chan, it’s always a good idea to keep it fun and try new preparation methods. Use a spice rub one night, or a new BBQ sauce for another. “Food should be enjoyable and not feel like a chore. So try to get away from the monotony of chicken, rice, and broccoli that so many people get trapped in,” Chan says.
Ready to give chicken breast a go at home? Check out these nutritious recipes:
Grilled Chicken Breast Equipment
The equipment youll need will depend on the type of grill youre cooking on.
- Knives: A boning knife will help with the trimming. A chefs knife is great for slicing at the end.
- Cutting Board
- Gas Grill Equipment: Gas Grill, Propane or Natural Gas, Foil, Cowboy Charcoal Hickory Wood Chips
- Charcoal Grill Equipment: Charcoal Grill, Cowboy Charcoal Hardwood Hickory or Apple Briquets, Charcoal Chimney, Lighter, Firestarters
- Pellet Grill Equipment: Pellet Grill, Cowboy Charcoal and Hickory Barbeque Pellets
- Ninja Foodi Grill Equipment: Ninja Foodi Grill with Grill Grate Installed
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Grilled Chicken: More Than Just Protein
In addition to being an excellent source of high-quality protein, grilled chicken breast is also low in calories and fat and 185 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat and meets more than 10 percent of the daily value for niacin, vitamin B6, and selenium. Its also carb free. Saturated fat is linked to high blood cholesterol levels and keeping your intake low is good for your heart.
