When trying to lose weight it is obvious chicken is one of the best meats to eat.thighs are usually tastier for somez is that counterproductive given the higher fat content in thighs?
If you are that concerned by the extra calories, eat a bite or two less of something else. Personally, I never buy just breast, though I certainly enjoy it if I cook a whole chicken. I don’t recommend eating chicken breast (or thighs or anything else) as part of a structured program unless you actually like it. And, if it is part of a plan, the higher calories (and greater nutrient density) would be accounted for anyway.
Thighs taste so much better to me and they don’t get the woody texture of some breasts. My favorite are skin-on deboned thighs with crispy skin. I think it’s best to eat a variety of food so you don’t get bored with just eating chicken all the time. Fish, pork, and even beef in small quantities are fine. Some people get very hung up on just eating chicken for some reason.
If you eat a skinless breast for dinner, you can indulge on the side items a bit more. If you eat skin-on thighs, mind your side items.
I prefer dark meat over white meat from a flavor perspective, and I’m quite a bit lighter and healthier on my lower carb diet than I was when I on a high carb diet and ate lots of chicken breast.
If you really like chicken breast, however, the best way to cook it is with in a sous vide water bath at around 145 degrees for an hour or so. It will be much, much more tender than any other way. Add seasonings ahead of time if you like.
From a scientific point of view, isn’t there research that thighs contain more amino acids than breast?
Also, I’d imagine that this is one of those cases where free range & organic makes a big difference?
Unpopular opinion here. Reduce the amount of chicken you have and stir in the many varieties of beans to make it up. Low kcal density, high fibre, low saturated fat, good overall macronutrient profile. This comment of course won’t get many likes, but if you’re looking to lose weight and avoid chronic disease at the same time, the science unfortunately leans in this direction.
Well more fat means more calories. I prefer skinless thighs, also chicken skin contains cholesterol and is not healthy overall. Chicken breast is probably more of an option for you since you are losing weight.
If you oven bake thighs and let the excess fat drip off while they’re cooling, the amount of fat will be greatly reduced. A little fat is why chicken thighs are so much more satisfying to eat than breasts.
The only part I don’t like about thighs is that it’s really hard to not get a little slimy piece of fat that’s in the middle to feel like it’s been cooked enough. I use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is several degrees above the recommended 160° F, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.
Once you start prepping thighs its really easy to strip over 80% of the fat from them. There’s two long strips on either side you can plop off with a slide the knife along the meat and coax the fat off technique and then theres the big 1inch thick globule of fat almost touching the bone that you can pop out a little from the back with your fingers and cut it all out with a scissor. I usually give it another go over with the scissor to get the last 10-20% not just for the macros but I really really really hate the mouthfeel of fatty bits, they literally set off my throwing up reaction.
I usually do 30 or so thighs for the week in about 15-30 minutes but I’m willing to put in the time for the flavour, it’s so absolutely worth it. I also bake them low at 150c for 60 minutes to fully render out all the fat, there’s still one thick fatty vein that remains inside which is easy enough to find when pulling the thighs apart.
In general, there’s a lot of research that supports reducing animal consumption for healthy weight loss. I think that if you were to eat less animal protein, but pick cuts that you really enjoy then you’ll be more likely to have sustainable weight-loss that doesn’t make you feel deprived.
I used to focus on chicken breasts because I thought they were healthier and then I realized that chicken thighs taste a lot better. Calorie speaking there wasn’t a huge difference.
I used to be on this diet kick trying to make sure I got so much protein and chicken breasts were really good for that too - even better than thighs. Another thing I have come to realize is that most people don’t lift weights often enough or well enough to matter that you’re getting “enough protein”.
So long story short: I’m getting back to basics. I judiciously measure calories in and try to workout 6 to 7 days a week. I try to focus on foods I enjoy. So far so good …
Focus on your goals and how different foods will play into that.
Probably not the answer you’re looking for but consider eliminating protein completely. If you want protein get good eggs. Then stick to vegetables, fruit and minimal carbs for the rest of your diet. Intermittent fasting is another thought as well. If you insist on chicken then just get quality chicken and limit your portions. Eat what you like though. Don’t get caught up on breast vs thighs because in the end you’ll always come back to what you like.