My gut response to this question is a resounding NO, lean chicken breast is best! But, upon further reflection, I’ll say “it depends”. A dear friend reminded me that I told him years ago to live by the Good, Better, Best principle and so in the spirit of this philosophy, I will again repeat, “it depends.”
I was told yesterday that skinless chicken thighs were not THAT bad as they only had 120 calories. I thought, well, even if that is so, it certainly isn’t the leanest part of the chicken and since you told me you wanted to lose weight, I’d recommend you stay away from it for the time being. I was compelled to investigate or more specifically, research this so as to provide a more complete answer.
I’m all about trying to help people get as lean as is practical for them. Everyone does not aspire to be a competitive bodybuilder and not all folks covet the rippling 6-pack. Some are content to lose 25 lbs and still be a bit soft around the edges. My personal belief is that they settle for this because they don’t truly believe that the 6 pack is achievable, but I digress. Please understand, I am not trying to be difficult, it’s just what I have seen over the years.
So let’s think about this for a moment. We’ll focus on just chicken since that is the protein on the table, so to speak. So, you have the legs, thighs, wings, breasts and of course the neck, back etc. but we’ll focus on the most common four pieces of chicken. The thighs were on sale for $1.00 a pound so I have to wholeheartedly agree they are a tempting choice economically speaking anyway.
On to the data:
Well, my, my, my. The data is compelling isn’t it? There really isn’t any argument here. Ounce for ounce, the chicken breast serves up the most protein for the least amount of fat. That’s an ideal protein source and a recipe for success.
It’s a bit of a tradeoff with the drumsticks and wings since the drumsticks pack a bit less fat per ounce than the wings, yet the wings have a tad more protein. I have to go with the drumsticks as option number 2 if I am trying to reduce overall body fat and maximize muscle. Some might debate this though.
Finally, the thigh meat packs the most fat per ounce and delivers the least protein per ounce. I am sorry to have to report that this is not the ideal case. This is exactly what not to do if you are trying to efficiently lose body fat and spare muscle. It will take you a long time to get there if this is a typical and frequent choice.
My thoughts are that the thighs are more of a treat, or a splurge if you will once you have gotten your body in check. They can certainly be part of any ongoing maintenance program as long as they are the exception: the occasional splurge to the typical rule.
So it absolutely does depend on your goals. Certainly skinless, grilled chicken thighs are better than fried chicken thighs with skin. However, if losing body fat and trying to achieve a leaner physique is your goal, then there are better choices.
I promised you just the facts friends, just the facts.
‘Til next time,
MMM