Chicken School
Nutrition Cheat Sheet for Your Favourite Cuts of Chicken
Want to find out what nutrients are in chicken and how they benefit your health? Check out our nutrition cheat sheet for your favourite cuts.
| Nutrients | What it Does | Best cuts to find it in |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Proteins are part of every cell in your body and are needed to build and repair muscle, tissue, skin, nails, and hair. Also helps to fight infection by helping to build antibodies. | Breasts, thighs, legs & wings. All cuts, including those with skin, are an excellent source of protein. A 100 g breast contains 33 g. |
| Potassium | Making sure you eat enough foods high in potassium is important for the health of your bones, kidneys, nerves, and muscles. | Skinless breasts are high in potassium containing 12% DV (recommended daily value). |
| B-1 (Thiamine) | Necessary to turn the foods you eat into energy and help your body metabolize protein. Also needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver, and helps the nervous system and brain function properly. | Dark meat in thighs & legs is a source of thiamine containing 10% DV. |
| B-2 (Riboflavin) | Plays a major role in the production of energy by assisting in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Essential for normal growth of the body and formation of red blood cells and antibodies. Can help prevent many common conditions like migraine headaches, cataracts, acne, dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and eczema. | Skinless legs are high in riboflavin containing 20% DV. |
| B-6 (pyridoxine) | Helps your body metabolize carbohydrates and protein, prevents infection through the formation of antibodies and red blood cells, and helps with nerve functioning. | Skinless breasts are a good source of vitamin B6 containing 20% DV. |
| B-12 (cobalamin) | Helps your body metabolize carbohydrates, fats and protein, helps maintain the nervous system, and aids in blood cell formation. Meats are the only natural sources of this vitamin. | Dark meat including thighs, legs & wings are very high in vitamin B12. Skinless legs contain 60% DV. |
| Biotin | Helps your body metabolize carbohydrates, fats and protein metabolism, aids in the production of fatty acids, helps your body utilize B vitamins. | Dark meat including thighs, legs & wings are a source of biotin. Skinless legs contain 15% DV. |
| Niacin | Helps your body metabolize carbohydrates, fats and protein, helps maintain digestive system, aids in blood circulation, nerve function, and appetite regulation. Also helps to build and maintain healthy skin. | Breasts, thighs, legs & wings are an excellent source of niacin. Skinless breasts contain 100% DV. |
| Pantothenate | Helps convert nutrients into energy, vitamin utilization, and nerve function. | Skinless breasts are an excellent source of pantothenate containing 30% DV. |
| Phosphorus | Helps with nerve signaling, kidney function, muscle contractions, normal heartbeat, and builds healthy bones & teeth. | Skinless breasts, thighs & legs are high in phosphorus. Skinless breasts contain 25% DV. |
| Magnesium | Important mineral that many of us are not meeting the recommended intake of and is involved in numerous metabolic reactions vital to health. Also helps to keep your heart healthy by working with other minerals to control blood pressure. | Breasts, thighs, legs & wings are a source of magnesium. Skinless breasts contain 15% DV. |
| Iron | Important for building red blood cells and helping to carry oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body. Also helps the brain work at its best. If you don’t get enough iron, you may feel tired, look pale, and have trouble concentrating. | Dark meat including thighs, legs & wings are a source of iron. Dark meat cuts contain 6% DV. |
| Zinc | Strengthens our immune system, heal wounds, and is required for proper smell and taste. Also needed to help the body grow and develop, which is especially important for infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant women. | Skinless legs are an excellent source of zinc. Legs contain 25% DV. |
*Nutrient claims are based on 100 g servings.
Know your cuts of chicken, download the chicken cuts poster here!