Chicken Dark vs. White Meat

JPDad

I came across this article a few months back, and have always thought of it while shopping for chicken.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2011/01/the_dark_side_of_the_bird.single.html

My favorite paragraph:

The myth that white meat is significantly more healthful than dark chicken meat is nearly as old as the retailer practice of selling chicken in parts. In the 1960s and '70s, medical studies revealed links first between cholesterol and heart attacks, then between cholesterol and high-fat foods, like red meat. The medical community advocated that Americans should consume less beef and opt instead for lower-fat options such as chicken. With the fervent encouragement of the chicken industry, the newly health-conscious nation heartily embraced this advice and chicken consumption began to rise steeply. The average American was eating 36 pounds of chicken a year in 1970; by 1985 this had risen to 51 pounds, at the expense of beef. * Poultry producers also realized that they could market and advertise the slight disparity in calories and fat content between dark and white chicken meat to their further advantage—not only to perpetuate the chicken craze, but also to retail a "premium" poultry product that could be sold at a higher price. They didn't deliberately malign chicken legs; they simply wholeheartedly extolled the salubrious qualities of breast meat. Chicken was a healthy option, but chicken breast was the healthiest, and it turned out that consumers were willing to shell out for the well-being of their families.

While I am not sure how much of it I fully believe, it does get you thinking about whether the dark meat is not as bad as we all think it is. Personally, I think chicken thighs taste better on a BBQ, then chicken breast. Eating a whole chicken once in a while is good way to change things up.

vs1023

I've learned to embrace dark meat more and it's cheaper allowing me to buy organic

jfluchere

I buy organic thighs too. Kids like them more than breast meat and are a nice changeup from boring breasts. Yes bbq is the best! Yummy.

dr_tina

I like the dark better also, especially with bbq and I live in the south, so that is pretty popular. I am sure it is better than other alternatives (e.g. baby back ribs).

ElizabethRoad

I've never been under the impression that dark meat was bad for me.