It took me a long time to learn to love chicken. I would always gag whenever I ate grilled chicken breast – it always was so dry to me. You should never truly dread a meal, and I was getting to that point with chicken. Then one day my wife made a chicken breast for me that did not suck! As I peppered her with questions about how she did, she just had this sly smile. Turns out she had read that if you soak the chicken breast in buttermilk that the breast would be tender and juicy…and it was! I am no scientist, but apparently there are some enzymes present in buttermilk that act as a meat tenderizer. She typically soaks the breasts for 2 hours or so, but has also soaked them overnight and they have turned out great!
Staying with the chicken theme, search your supermarket for ground chicken breast to use in any recipes where you may have used ground turkey. The ground chicken breast is much more moist than turkey and has a better taste (to me, at least). I know it depends on where we shop, as not every supermarket has it, but I know that Perdue is one of the brands. Alternatively, if you live near a quality butcher, they can easily grind fresh chicken breasts for you, and they may actually be a bit fresher.
Finally, my last chicken-related tip is to utilize rotisserie chickens. They are available at most supermarkets and even at the warehouse clubs. They are extremely versatile and most often generate multiple meals. One quick tip – DO NOT FEAR THE DARK MEAT!
Dark meat poultry catches a bad rap, but in fact, contains a tremendous amount of nutrients. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. Dark meats must use myoglobins as they transfer oxygen more efficiently to the muscles than glycogen. Muscles used more frequently, get to be dark. This is why non-flying poultry drumsticks are dark meat, while breast meat is white. When dark meat is cooked it turns the myoglobins to metmyoglobins, which is brown/gray. Metmyoglobins are very high in iron.
Dark meats tend to contain more zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, amino acids, iron than white meat. Chicken dark meat contain vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, minerals as selenium, phosphorus and zinc. Even the fats in most of the dark meats have healthy parts. They contain Omega-3, and Omega-6 fatty acids, and other “healthy‟ fats. To reduce the saturated fat content of dark chicken meat, simply remove the skin!
Just because a box of cookies says “reduced fat” doesn’t mean you should eat it! But what do those frequently seen buzzwords actually mean? Below is a table with the claims and the related FDA guidelines:
| Claim | Requirements that must be met before using the claim in food labeling |
|---|---|
| Fat-Free | Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat or oil |
| Low fat | 3 grams or less of fat per serving |
| Less fat | 25% or less fat than the comparison food |
| Saturated Fat Free | Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5 grams of trans-fatty acids per serving |
| Cholesterol-Free | Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving |
| Low Cholesterol | 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving |
| Reduced Calorie | At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the comparison food |
| Low Calorie | 40 calories or less per serving |
| Extra Lean | Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood |
| Lean | Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood |
| Light (fat) | 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex: 50% less fat than our regular cheese) |
| Light (calories) | 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food |
| High-Fiber | 5 grams or more fiber per serving |
| Sugar-Free | Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving |
| Sodium-Free or Salt-Free | Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving |
| Low Sodium | 140 mg or less per serving |
| Very Low Sodium | 35 mg or less per serving |
| Healthy | A food low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and contains at least 10% of the Daily Values for vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein or fiber. |
| “High”, “Rich in” or “Excellent Source” | 20% or more of the Daily Value for a given nutrient per serving |
| “Less”, “Fewer” or “Reduced” |
At least 25% less of a given nutrient or calories than the comparison food |
| “Low”, “Little”, “Few”, or “Low Source of” | An amount that would allow frequent consumption of the food without exceeding the Daily Value for the nutrient – but can only make the claim as it applies to all similar foods |
| “Good Source Of”, “More”, or “Added” | The food provides 10% more of the Daily Value for a given nutrient than the comparison food |
