Trader Joes Chicken Breast Tenders

freedski1

Hey y'all! I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's frozen chicken breast tenders. They're super convenient - just throw a few in the pan and you have lunch, dinner, snack, whatever!

Anyway, I'm having a hard time figuring out what I'm actually eating. The serving size is 4 oz; however, cooked, two tenders weigh just under 3 oz. Are we judging our serving size based upon our pre-cooked or cooked weight? I have yet to weigh an uncooked (thawed OR frozen) tender.

Anyway... if anyone can weigh in on this for me, I'd be much obliged.

wolfchild59

Unless the package specifically says 4oz cooked weight, then it's 4oz pre-cooked.

Since the chicken is going to lose a different amount of moisture every time it's cooked and depending on who's cooking it, there's no way to give a consistent cooked weight nutritional info. Start with 4oz of raw chicken, cook it less one day and they'll be 3.4 oz, overcook it the next and they'll be 2.8oz, but they both contain the same amount of calories because all you've lost is water. (there isn't enough fat in skinless chicken breast to cook out with longer cooking to make a caloric difference)

freedski1

That's what I was afraid of.