Watch Out: Chicken Is Not Always Healthy!

Chicken is good for you if you read the label and purchase the healthy option.  Does your chicken label indicate that it contains Less Than 2% Retained Water?  If so, that is good news!  Your chicken is a good choice for a nutritious meal.

• Chicken has 31 grams of protein and only 148 calories in a one cup serving of cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast (140 grams chopped, or 5 ounces). FatSecret  

• It is better for your cardiovascular health compared to beef because it has less cholesterol and saturated fat.  TasteInc  

• Chicken is included in many healthy diets such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and Mediterranean. 

• Chicken breast has about 88 mg sodium in a 1cup serving (chopped).  FatSecret

If the label says Retained Water, that is okay.  The poultry is not injected with water, but some water is absorbed during cooling in a "chill-tank".  During the chilling process, turkeys and chickens will absorb some of the water, and this amount must be indicated on the label.  USDA

However, not all chicken is the same.  Be careful what you buy!  A lot of the chicken in the U.S. is “enhanced”.  LATimes  About one-third of the fresh chicken in the grocery store has been injected, using a needle to add water, salt and other additives. CookingLight  

Fresh chicken is injected with a solution of saltwater so it stays juicier and more flavorful.  The solution contains a long list of ingredients that can account for up to 15%, or more, of the chicken’s weight. Some studies have shown up to 30% weight.  PremierFoodsGroup

These chickens tend to have a spongy, mushy texture and artificial taste. CookingLight

A 4-ounce serving of  "enhanced" chicken can contain up to 440 mg sodium!  That's almost one-fifth of the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans for sodium (2,300 mg per day).  CookingLight  

Worse, it's 500% more sodium than is found naturally in untreated chicken. CookingLight

Injected chickens can have the words "All-Natural’" or  "Organic" on the label, as long as all the ingredients that they injected into the chicken are legally considered as natural or organic.  PremierFoodsGroup  The USDA and the FDA list water and salt as organic. 

For example, the label on Tyson chicken indicates that it Contains Up To 10% Chicken Broth, Sea Salt And Natural Flavorings.

The Kirkwood chicken label indicates it Contains Up To 15% Chicken Broth, Sea Salt And Natural Flavorings.

The Tyson and Kirkland chicken are not so healthy.  Make sure you are looking at labels before buying chicken!

You can also check for sodium content on the ingredient list.  If the chicken is truly natural, the sodium content won't be higher than 70mg per serving.  CookingLight

In addition to reading the labels for fresh chicken, beware of the sodium content in pre-cooked chicken such as Rotisserie and Pre-Grilled chicken.

A Rotisserie chicken from Costco has 460 mg of Sodium in a 3 ounce serving (about the size of a deck of cards. Stack

Tyson Grilled and Ready Breast Fillets has 500 mg Sodium in one serving (84 grams).  Tyson