Chicken meat has become a common and delicious food on people's tables due to its rich nutrition and low price. Compared with beef and pork, chicken meat has higher quality protein and lower fat content. In addition, chicken meat protein is rich in all essential amino acids, and its content is similar to that of eggs and milk, making it a high-quality protein source. The protein content of chicken meat varies in different parts, and the fat content of chicken meat with or without skin also differs. The approximate order from high to low is skinless chicken meat, chicken breast, and chicken thigh. Compared with other meats, skinless chicken meat has the advantage of being low in calories. However, the skin contains a large amount of fat, so it is absolutely incorrect to consider chicken meat with skin as a low-calorie food.
Chicken meat is also a good source of phosphorus, iron, copper, and zinc, and is rich in vitamins B12, B6, A, D, and K. 100 grams of skinless chicken meat contains 24 grams of protein and 0.7 grams of fat, making it a high-protein food with almost no fat.
Compared with beef and pork, the fat content of chicken meat contains more unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid and linoleic acid, which can lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is harmful to human health. Many people prefer to buy "free-range chicken" with a yellowish color, believing that yellow-skinned chicken meat is tender and has high nutritional value.
In fact, this is a misconception. In order to cater to the psychological preference of consumers for free-range chicken, some sellers and chicken feed factories add pigments to the chicken feed, resulting in many "yellow chickens" on the market. However, these chickens only have a change in color and do not have increased nutritional value. On the contrary, the pigments in the chicken's body are very harmful to human health. Some have yellow skin, and some have abnormal yellow color in chicken feet, chicken breast, and chicken skin. Consumers should be cautious when purchasing.
Experts point out that there is a feed called "special yellow fattening chicken concentrate" with a high content of xanthophyll, and the chicken feet and skin start to turn yellow after 15-20 days of eating this feed. Some yellow-footed chickens are true free-range chickens, while others are due to the addition of pigments in the feed. Therefore, the yellow color of free-range chickens does not mean higher nutritional value.
The addition of xanthophyll red, xanthophyll yellow, and tartrazine in the feed can significantly improve the color of broilers, chicken feet, chicken breast, and chicken skin, making the chicken's appearance look "bright". In order to facilitate the sale of chickens, some feed factories even increase the dosage of pigments to deepen the yellow color of the chicken's skin. Excessive pigments have no benefits for the human body. The degree of yellow color of chicken is judged by the color of the chicken feet, the darker the color, the higher the degree. Some chickens on the market that sell well and have a very yellow color are generally around 8 degrees. However, experts suggest that the degree of yellow color of chicken should be controlled at 5-6 degrees, as excessive pigments have no benefits for the human body.
Experts point out that xanthophyll is a natural pigment and does not pose a great harm to the human body. However, in order to prevent possible adverse effects, the country strictly regulates the strict limitation of the addition of pigments and other additives to the feed in breeding farms, and excessive and random addition is prohibited.
When buying chicken, consumers should not be misled by inherent concepts and blindly pursue a yellow color. They should be carefully selected and observed. Some chickens have darker colors in their feet, chicken breast, and chicken skin (especially chicken feet), which look obviously yellower than ordinary chickens, or even strangely yellow. It is best not to buy these chickens, as they are most likely fed with feed containing xanthophyll red and xanthophyll yellow pigments. Of course, eating white-skinned chicken is also a good choice to prevent potential harm to family members from pigments. After all, white-skinned chicken has a lower pigment content and is relatively safe to eat.
Editor's Reminder
Astragalus has the effects of tonifying qi, consolidating the surface, diuresis, detoxification, and promoting tissue regeneration. When astragalus is added to stew old hens, its efficacy in nourishing the body is enhanced. Therefore, it is often used by some people with weak constitution and diseases. Some pregnant women also often eat astragalus stewed hens to increase nutrition and make the fetus stronger and smarter. It has become a habit in some areas and has long been recognized by people. However, this practice is not beneficial to pregnant women and children.
Pregnant women eating astragalus stewed chicken can easily cause difficult labor and increase the chance of fetal injury, bringing unforeseen pain and danger to pregnant women and children. Astragalus has the functions of benefiting qi, strengthening tendons and bones, and promoting flesh and blood growth. Coupled with the fact that the hen itself is a high-protein food, the two together result in excessive growth of the fetus's bones and flesh, leading to difficult labor. Astragalus also has a diuretic effect, which reduces amniotic fluid and prolongs the delivery process. Therefore, from a health perspective, pregnant women should not eat astragalus stewed chicken.
