Chicken meat is one of the favorite foods people enjoy anywhere in the world. Both adults and children like eating various dishes made from chicken because it is a versatile type of meat that can be cooked in different ways. In terms of nutritional content, chicken is known for being rich in protein, a nutrient that is important for growth, tissue repair, and maintenance of body functions. It is also rich in other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fat.
How many calories are there in chicken? The amount depends on a few factors, such as the part of chicken cooked, how much of the meat is eaten, and how it was prepared. When counting calories from chicken, consider these factors because there may be a lot of difference between one chicken leg and one-half of a chicken breast, or between a breast that is fried and one that is grilled.
How Many Calories in Chicken?
If you are concerned about the amount of calories you consume from eating chicken, remove the chicken skin first before eating the meat since it contains a lot of fat. The skin of one whole chicken (about 100 g) could add up to 450 calories to the total amount from meat only. More than 360 calories of these are from the fat content of chicken skin. Other nutritional facts:
Here is more nutritional information about chicken:
*DV (Daily Value) is based on a 2000-calorie diet.
| Roasted Chicken, Meat Only (serving size: 140 g/ cup, chopped) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 266 |
40.5 g |
10.4 g |
125 mg 42% DV |
150mg 5% DV |
| Chicken Breast, Meat Only (serving size: 86 g /half breast, roasted or grilled) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 141 |
27.6 g |
3.1 g 5 % DV |
74 mg 25% |
99 mg 4% |
| Skinless Chicken Breast, Boiled (serving size: 4 oz) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 175 |
27 g |
4 g |
75 mg |
100 mg |
| Chicken Thigh, Meat only (serving size: 52 g/1 thigh) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 109 |
13.5 g |
5.7 g 9% DV |
49 mg 16% DV |
46 mg 2% DV |
| Boneless, Skinless Breast Fillets (serving size: 194 g/1 fillet) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 200 |
46 g |
1.5 g 2% DV |
95 mg 32% DV |
115 mg 5% DV |
| Chicken Wings, boneless (serving size: 34g/1 wing) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 99 |
9.1 g |
6.6 g 10% DV |
29 mg 10% DV |
28 mg 1% DV |
| Chicken Leg, boneless (serving size: 114 g/1 leg) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 264 |
29.6 g |
15.3 g 24% DV |
105 mg 35% DV |
99 mg 4% DV |
| Chicken Nuggets (serving size: 1 chicken nugget) | ||||
| Calories |
Protein |
Total Fat |
Cholesterol |
Sodium |
| 201 |
2.5g |
3 g |
9 mg |
92 mg |
Low Calories Chicken Recipe
Here are some suggestions on how to prepare chicken with fewer calories.
Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 chicken breast (halved), skinless, boneless
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
- Warm olive oil and garlic to blend their flavors.
- Combine Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in another dish.
- Dip chicken breasts in mixture of olive oil and garlic, then dip into breadcrumb and cheese mixture.
- Place chicken in a baking dish.
- Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until brown and juice runs clear.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 8 oz chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon peels
Directions
- Heat olive oil on a skillet and sauté the onions for 5 minutes until golden.
- Cook in the spinach until wilted.
- Stir in feta cheese, lemon zest, pepper, and salt. Set aside.
- Divide the spinach mixture and place on top of cutlets (chicken breast).
- Roll the cutlets and secure these using toothpicks.
- Heat some oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken until golden brown for about ten minutes.
- Before eating, remove toothpicks
Watch this video on preparing low fat BBQ chicken: