Be it bodybuilders, muscle builders, gym freaks or someone who is a foodie Chicken as food is loved by all. Chicken meat falls under the category of white meat and can be considered one of the best sources of protein in India according to its availability.
We all consume chicken a lot but we aren’t sure about how much chicken is enough in a day. We all know too much consumption of anything is not at all good. Keeping this in mind we all should be aware of how much chicken a day is enough for us so that it does not show any side effects. So today in this article we will be determining how much chicken can be considered enough in a day and how much chicken in a day is considered healthy. Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Types of chicken we eat
There are two types of chicken which we consume on a daily basis
- Whole chicken ( chicken wings, chicken legs )
- Chicken breast
A whole chicken is made up of protein as well as fats ( saturated fats and cholesterol ). On the other hand, chicken breast contains only protein, no carbohydrates and is 99.9% fat-free.
How many times can we eat chicken in a day?
The answer to this question entirely depends on the type of chicken pieces you eat on a regular basis.
Whole chicken
If you are consuming one serving of whole chicken it provides you with 22-25 grams of protein. But along with this it also provides you with 10-13 grams of saturated fat. We won’t be looking at how you cook the whole chicken as the fat increases with the type of oil you use for its preparation.
The 10-13 grams of fat will only be found if you are roasting or grilling the whole chicken. The problem does not lie with the amount of protein you get, the problem lies in the amount of saturated fat you get free with it. If you are consuming this whole chicken twice ( lunch and dinner ) you get almost 50 grams of protein ( which is good ) and almost 30grams of saturated fat ( this is the thing we need to worry about in a whole chicken ).
The daily recommended fat intake of the body is divided into 20% saturated fat and 80% unsaturated healthy fats. If it comes to whole chicken you are getting about 12g saturated fat which is very close to the daily recommendation. Along with this whole chicken, it is quite obvious for you to get more saturated fat for other things you are consuming throughout the day. For safety purposes, it is recommended to have whole chicken once per day in a meal ( lunch or dinner ).
Chicken breast
When it comes to chicken breast it is almost fat-free, carbohydrate-free, cholesterol-free but rich in protein. This makes chicken breast the best choice for anyone, be it a normal human being or someone who has serious body-building goals. You can have chicken breasts as many times as you want in a day ( lunch, dinner, evening snacks ), as you get nothing else except high amounts of protein.
There is an interesting fact regarding the consumption of chicken breasts. I guess you are all aware of the peak week diet for bodybuilders or muscle-builders. During this 7-week peak diet, they do not take protein supplements or even eggs ( rich in sodium ). The only thing they consume during this period is chicken breasts 5-6 times a day to keep their body in great shape and maintain the protein requirement.
The only reason why you shouldn’t eat chicken regularly
In normal life, this shouldn’t be followed as you will definitely get bored with the taste. Instead, keep replacing your chicken diet with eggs or fish to not get bored with the taste. The daily protein requirement of a male’s body is 56grams whereas that of a woman’s body is 46 grams. Eating chicken breasts twice a day in meals is your best option to fulfill your daily protein requirement with no issue at all. Just keep drinking water to digest the protein easily and keep your kidneys healthy. Also, have foods rich in fiber as fiber helps in maintaining your bowel movement.
How much chicken in a day?
400-500 grams of chicken breasts per day or 150-200 grams of whole chicken can be considered ideal in a day for a single person. You can consume chicken breasts 2-3 times without any hesitation as it is safe. Whole chicken should be consumed less as it contains saturated fats and cholesterol which will lead to heart-related issues.
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