Chicken tenders are a favorite finger food for both adults and children. They are not simply just strips of chicken white meat but should come from the inner pectoral muscle that lies alongside the breastbone of the chicken, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is a strip of muscle that lies closest to the bone and separates from the rest of the breast meat easily. Breaded and fried chicken fingers, often referred to as chicken tenders, can come from strips of breast meat and not the actual tender. However, chicken tenders can even be made from ground chicken meat, formed into a strip, breaded and deep-fried.
Origin
The nutritional content for chicken tenderloins will depend on where they are purchased and how they are prepared. For instance, chicken tenders sautéed at home or prepared in a conventional oven will have a different fat content and calorie content than those that are breaded and deep-fried at a fast food restaurant, .
Fat and Calories
Even though the nutritional facts that vary the most depend on the cooking style used, the variation is not that significant. For instance, 100 g of chicken tenders cooked in a conventional oven has 293 calories and 17.69 total fat grams, according to the USDA. A 100-g serving of Tyson breaded chicken tenders contains 282 calories and 16 g of total fat, and the same amount of chicken at Carl's Jr. has 229 calories and 12.8 grams of fat. This is comparing the same amount of chicken per serving. However, eating chicken tenders at home often results in larger serving sizes, and Carl's Jr. does not have a serving size that is only 100 g.
Vitamins, Minerals and Protein
The protein, vitamins and mineral content of 100 g of chicken will remain the same whether the preparation uses chicken tenderloins, strips of chicken breast or ground chicken breast meat. According to the USDA, each 100 g of chicken will contain 15.7 g of protein. Chicken breast tenders are also high in phosphorus, potassium and sodium. They provide 24 micrograms of selenium and 18 mg of calcium. Chicken breast tenders also have 5.5 mg of niacin, 8 mcg of folate and 39.4 mg of choline. Each of these vitamins and minerals is essential for your overall health and well-being.
Preparation
A chicken tender has a strip of tendons running through the center of it that should be removed prior to cooking. Sometimes the tenderloin is included with breast meat when purchasing boneless skinless chicken breasts in the grocery store, and sometimes they are sold separately. Removing the tendon can be tedious work and will often be done at home and not by the butcher because the time it takes to remove the tendon would inflate the cost of the meat.
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