Essential Facts to Know About Eating Chicken

Introduction: Chicken is a common dish on the family table in China, and there are many popular questions about eating chicken. What is the truth? Let's listen to the answers from authoritative nutrition experts.

1. Which parts of the chicken should not be eaten?

Professor Yang Li from the Graduate School of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences pointed out that besides containing a large amount of fat, the chicken buttocks also gather numerous lymphatic tissues. The lymph contains harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, and carcinogens, so it is not recommended for consumption. The chicken neck is an area where glands are concentrated; it is best to peel off the chicken skin and remove the small, visible bumps before cooking. The chicken skin has a high content of fat and cholesterol, which can easily lead to obesity and induce chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. It is recommended that obese people and those with "three highs" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids) peel off the skin, simmer it slowly in water separately to make chicken oil, and then add a little to wontons or soups for seasoning. Chicken liver has a high cholesterol content, so it should be eaten in moderation.

Spicy Chicken

2. Are free-range chickens more nutritious than broiler chickens?

Associate Professor Zhu Yi from the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University stated that in terms of nutritional supplementation, the nutritional difference between free-range chickens and broiler chickens is negligible. However, in terms of flavor and texture, free-range chickens, which are free-range, eat vegetables and insects daily, and have a longer growth cycle, do have a better texture. However, from a food safety perspective, because free-range chickens are raised for a long time and cannot be traced, the safety risk is greater if not properly controlled.

3. What is the nutritional difference between frozen chicken from the supermarket and freshly slaughtered chicken from the market?

Zhu Yi pointed out that there is no nutritional difference between frozen chicken and freshly slaughtered chicken. In the current outbreak of avian influenza, people must stay away from live poultry trading and on-site slaughter to avoid contracting the virus. In addition, do not eat white-cut chicken with blood streaks.

4. Is it better to eat a rooster or a hen?

Yang Li stated that according to traditional Chinese medicine, roosters are yang-natured and have a strong warming and nourishing effect, making them suitable for patients with yang deficiency and weak qi. However, they are not suitable for patients with high blood pressure and cancer. Hens are yin-natured and have a mild and slow nourishing effect, making them suitable for postpartum women, the elderly, the weak, and those who have been ill for a long time.

Three-Cup Chicken

5. How to cook chicken to achieve the best nutrition and texture?

Yang Li pointed out that chicken meat is tender and suitable for various cooking methods. To maintain its low-fat advantage, it is best to choose lighter cooking methods such as white-cut chicken and clear stewed chicken. On the contrary, fried chicken dishes such as crispy chicken, spicy chicken, and fried chicken not only lose nutrients but are also high in calories, which is not good for your health. Adding different medicinal herbs to chicken soup has different nourishing effects. Adding ginger can nourish and strengthen the body, relieve colds, and improve human immunity; adding wolfberry can mildly supplement yang, help the body's yang grow, and resist the cold; adding ginseng or dangshen can treat weakness of the spleen and lungs, shortness of breath and palpitations, enhance hematopoietic function, and improve the condition of people who are sensitive to cold; adding astragalus can replenish qi and deficiency, and enhance the body's immunity.

6. How to choose the color when buying chicken?

Associate Professor Li Xingmin from the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University told reporters that after a live chicken is slaughtered, the blood is drained, and the color of the meat will turn white. If the meat is red or black, the chicken is either sick or dead. Therefore, it is best to buy chicken that is whitish in color when purchasing. There are other methods to judge the quality of chicken. If the surface of the chicken is slightly dry, not sticky, springs back immediately when pressed with a finger, and has no strange smell, it means the chicken is relatively fresh. You can also identify injected chickens by looking at their wings. If red needle marks are found on the wings, it proves that the chicken has been injected with water. Squeeze the skin with your hand; if it feels noticeably slippery, it may also mean it has been injected with water.

Indian Curry Chicken with Rice

7. Does chicken contain hormones, and will it affect a child's development?

Zhu Yi stated that broiler chicken breeds have a long cultivation period and grow very quickly, so there is no need for extra hormones to promote ripening. In addition, if chickens are fed hormones, it will increase the burden on their cardiovascular system and liver, leading to death. Therefore, no manufacturer will feed hormones to chickens. However, even if chicken does not contain hormones, parents cannot let their children eat meat arbitrarily. The main reasons for childhood obesity and precocious puberty are excessive meat intake and too high dietary calories.