Nutrition Found In Chicken

Chicken domestication for human consumption started around 7,500 years ago in China, though people in Vietnam and Thailand may have domesticated chickens earlier, according to the Philadelphia Zoo. Raising chickens for food and eggs is now practiced by numerous cultures worldwide. Chicken topped the list of animal species consumed by Americans in 2011, as indicated by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. The nutritional profile of chicken fits well into most healthy eating plans.

Basics

A standard 3 oz. serving of roasted chicken with the skin removed has 162 calories, 25 g of protein, 6 g of fat and 0 g of carbohydrates. This amount of chicken provides less than 2 g of unhealthy saturated fat, along with about 4 g of healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It also contains 54 percent of the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of protein for adult women and 47 percent of the RDA of protein for adult men.

Minerals

You'll get 34 percent of the RDA of selenium and 24 percent of the RDA of phosphorous in a 3 oz. serving of cooked chicken. This serving size provides 16 percent of the RDA of zinc for adult men and 22 percent of the RDA of zinc for adult women. It has 13 percent of the RDA of iron for adult men and 6 percent of the RDA of iron for women ages 19 through 50.

Vitamins

A 3 oz. serving of roasted chicken gives you 31 percent of the RDA of vitamin B-6 and 12 percent of the RDA of vitamin B-12. It has 56 percent of the RDA of niacin for adult women and 49 percent of the RDA of niacin for adult men. This amount of chicken provides 14 percent of the RDA of riboflavin for women and 12 percent of the RDA of riboflavin for men.

Warnings

Maximize the health benefits of eating chicken by removing the skin and all visible fat before cooking. Avoid unhealthy preparation methods like deep frying or smothering chicken with fattening sauces. Grill, roast or lightly saute chicken instead, using low-fat ingredients such as spices and marinades to add flavor. Watch your portion size as well -- a 3 oz. serving of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards, as noted by MayoClinic.com.