Baked chicken is low in fat and high in protein. It also provides numerous essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins. All values are for one cup of skinless, boneless baked chicken breast, which is equivalent to approximately 140 g or 5 oz. Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) percentages are for adults under age 50. Percentages for children, teenagers and older adults may differ.
Calories
One cup of baked chicken contains 231 calories. All of these calories come from protein and fat. Baked chicken contains no carbohydrates, sugar or fiber.
Fat
One cup of baked chicken contains 5 g of fat, 1.4 g of which is saturated fat. The rest of the 5 g of fat in baked chicken is comprised of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. One cup of chicken also contains 119 g of cholesterol, which is 40 percent of the recommended maximum daily intake for cholesterol.
Protein
The majority of the calories in baked chicken come from protein, as one cup contains 43 g. This is 93 percent of the DRI for women and 77 percent of the DRI for men. Chicken contains all 10 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be produced by the human body and therefore must be ingested in the diet. Baked chicken also contains 8 of the 10 non-essential amino acids.
Minerals
Chicken is rich in some essential minerals, especially phosphorus and selenium. One cup provides 46 percent of the DRI for phosphorus and 70 percent for selenium. Selenium helps the body fight oxidative stress and assists in thyroid regulation. Phosphorus is important for energy storage. One cup of baked chicken also supplies 18 percent of the DRI for potassium, over 10 percent of the DRI for zinc and over 9 percent of the DRI for magnesium. One cup provides 18 percent of the DRI of iron for men and 8 percent for women.
Vitamins
Baked chicken contains large amounts of some water-soluble vitamins but does not provide significant amounts of any fat-soluble vitamins. One cup provides over 100 percent of the DRI for the water-soluble B vitamin niacin, which is essential for metabolism. (See reference 2) One cup of baked chicken also supplies 65 percent of the DRI of B6 and 27 percent of pantothenic acid (B5). On the other hand, one cup of baked chicken contains less than 3 percent of the DRI for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Member Comments