Although higher in fat than chicken breast, chicken thighs can be a low-fat protein source if cooked properly. One major cooking tip to reduce fat from chicken thighs is to remove the skin. Removing the skin from a chicken thigh reduces the fat content by 9 g. A second important tip for low fat chicken thighs is to choose a low-fat cooking method. Roasting is one of the healthiest cooking methods for chicken. A roasted chicken thigh contains nearly 5 g less fat than a fried chicken thigh. Values listed are for one roasted chicken thigh, skin removed.
Calories and Protein
One roasted chicken thigh, about 1.8 oz., has 109 calories, approximately 50 percent of which come from protein. One thigh contains 13.5 g of protein, which provides 29 percent of the daily value for women and 24 percent for men. Like all meats, chicken thighs are a complete protein, as they contain all nine essential amino acids.
Fat
One chicken thigh contains 5.7 g of fat. Of this 5.7 g of fat, only 1.6 g is saturated fat. Although this is more fat than the same quantity of chicken breast, which contains only 1.5 g of fat and 0.5 g of saturated fat, chicken thighs are only slightly higher in cholesterol than chicken breast. One serving chicken thighs contains 49 mg of cholesterol and one serving of chicken breast contains 44 mg. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests adults consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.
Minerals
Chicken thighs are low in all minerals except selenium and phosphorus. One chicken thigh provides 26 percent of the daily value of selenium and 17 percent of phosphorus. Selenium helps to protect your body from oxidative stress and phosphorus is important for strong bones. One thigh supplies less than 10 percent of the daily value for all other minerals.
Vitamins
Chicken thighs contain a significant amount of three B vitamins: niacin, pantothenic acid and B-6. One thigh provides 45 percent of the daily value of niacin, which helps your body use carbohydrates for energy. One thigh also supplies 10 percent of the daily value for pantothenic acid and 24 percent of vitamin B-6. B-6 helps you make red blood cells and metabolize protein. It also supports your immune system by supporting the organs that make your white blood cells. Pantothenic acid helps you break down carbohydrates, protein and fat. One chicken thigh contains no vitamin C and less than 10 percent of all four fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K.
Member Comments