Meat is a popular type of food for people to eat, and this is especially true of red meat. It has a lot of health benefits (as well as being delicious), so it’s not surprising people add it to their diet.
However, not all meats are considered red meat. One food that might fit this category is chicken.
In this article, we will discuss if the chicken is red meat, the benefits and risks, and finally, how much you should eat. By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know about chicken.
Contents
Does Chicken Count as Red Meat?
Chicken is a delicious type of food that can be cooked in a variety of ways. However, chicken is not considered to be red meat.
Chicken is considered to be white meat. Most often, fowl or bird meat is white meat. The reason it’s white meat is that after you cook it, it ends up white on the inside!
Usually, the meat is considered to be red meat if it comes from a four-legged animal whose meat is red when raw.
Chicken, as you know, is not a four-legged animal. Still, chicken is a very great and versatile food to cook for your meals and comes with a lot of benefits (as well as risks) which we are going to cover in the next few sections.
Benefits of Eating Chicken
Chicken has a lot of health benefits for your body. These benefits include:
- There is a lot of protein in chicken. Protein is important for your bones. It keeps them healthy and even helps strengthen muscles.
- The great thing about chicken is that if you are losing weight, chicken is a great food to add to your diet. Of course, this just depends on how the chicken is made. If it’s fried, you’re not going to get a lot of health benefits from that.
- Tryptophan is in chicken, and this is beneficial because it helps boost serotonin levels.
- Vitamin B12, choline, iron, copper, and zinc can all be found in chicken. The amounts vary, but they all are beneficial for maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle.
As you can see, there are so many benefits to eating chicken. However, you can also end up with risks, which we are going to cover next.
Risks of Eating Chicken
We know that chicken is very delicious, but there are risks to eating it as well.
- Assuming the chicken is cooked correctly, you’ll find that the chicken has a lot of cholesterol in it. This can be a problem because eating a lot of it can cause your cholesterol to rise. High cholesterol can cause a lot of health issues, and there aren’t even any symptoms. The only way you can find out if you have it is if your doctor does a specific test.
- Another issue that can arise with chicken is getting bacteria or food poisoning. Chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temp of at least 165. If it isn’t, then it puts you at risk of getting bacteria such as salmonella. It’s important to cook your chicken through and not undercook it so you can avoid contracting this bacteria or others. It can cause a lot of problems for your health.
These are the biggest risks of eating chicken. By eating less and making sure it’s cooked, you can avoid them.
How Much Chicken Should You Consume?
There is a certain amount of chicken you should consume. The reason for this is that everything needs to be done in moderation, which includes food.
It’s recommended that you eat about 26 ounces of chicken per week. By eating this required amount, you are ensuring you are eating the healthiest amount possible.
Can you eat more? Of course, you can. Eating a little bit more than the required amount once in a while isn’t going to hurt you in the long run, but you also don’t want to make a habit of this.
Making a habit of it is going to put your health at risk.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you chicken lovers out there! Now you know if chicken counts as red meat, what the benefits and risks there are, and finally, how much you should eat.
When you decide to get chicken next time at the store, you’ll know exactly what to expect.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and go buy yourself some chicken!
You might also be interested in the following:
- Is Egg Considered Meat?
- Is Shrimp Considered Red Meat?
- Is Seafood Considered Red Meat?
- Is Pork Considered Red Meat?
- Is Lamb Considered Red Meat?
- Is Ham Considered Red Meat?
- Is Fish Considered Red Meat?
- What Is Considered White Meat?
- What Is Considered Processed Meat?
- What Is Considered Lean Meat?
- What Is Considered Red Meat?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.