Duck is a delicacy enjoyed in several countries. Duck has been eaten for over 4,000 years and traces its food origins to the Yuan dynasty in ancient China. The part of the duck that's eaten and the style it is cooked depends on the region. For example, North Americans often serve Pekin duckling in restaurants, while France enjoys Muscovy duck. Duck is not only found quite tasty by many, it also has many nutritional benefits.
Protein, Fat and Calories
If you're searching for a food rich in protein, selecting the lean Pekin duck breast, leg or whole is an effective way to get it. A 3.5 oz serving of lean, roast Pekin duck has 24 g of protein. The same serving of duck has 11 g of fat. A lean duck breast and leg has even more protein, with 28 and 29 g respectively. The whole, lean Pekin duck provides 201 calories. The whole, roast Pekin duck with skin has 337 calories.
Vitamins and Minerals
The nutritional value of duck does not stop at protein. Many vitamins and minerals are quite abundant in duck. One of these is niacin, also known as vitamin B3. A 3.5-oz. serving of duck provides about half of the daily recommended intake of niacin. Niacin helps metabolize fats and lowers LDL cholesterol, which can cause heart disease. Duck also possesses a high amount of iron. Iron helps aid red blood cells, which send oxygen and various nutrients to different parts of the body. Iron also helps boost your body's energy levels. Vitamin B6 is also heavily present in duck. This vitamin helps create antibodies to fight off disease and aids in breaking down proteins in the body.
Healthy Preparation Tips
Duck meat has quite a bit of fat on it. To ensure that it is not sitting in the fat, roast the duck and keep the bottom of it off the roasting pan. Cooking a duck breast with skin can also have a high presence of fat. Score the skin, which means making small slits in it, without piercing the meat inside. After this, saute the breast skin-side down over a low heat setting to melt the fat; about 70 percent of the fat can be removed this way.
Additional Information
Ducks are raised indoors mostly in Indiana and Wisconsin and are fed vitamin and mineral-rich soybeans and corn. Ducks are also professionally inspected, either by federal or state means. Also, farmers can have their ducks graded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The highest grade duck is a Grade A duckling whose skin is absent of cuts and tears. The USDA does not permit the use of hormones in duck raising.
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