Try to avoid chicken thigh...

Chicken thighs on the grill...my favorite meal!

Covered in jerk sauce, served with butter soaked potatoes and roasted broccoli...

Wait, that was last night's dinner, but I could sooooooooooo eat it again right now!

Chicken thighs on the grill...my favorite meal!

Covered in jerk sauce, served with butter soaked potatoes and roasted broccoli...

Wait, that was last night's dinner, but I could sooooooooooo eat it again right now!

*drrroooooolllllzzzzz*

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

Just an FYI on the true difference between dark and white meat:

White meat is white because of the chicken's chronic lack of exercise, something to think about next time you're about to curl up in front of the TV for another I Dream of Jeannie rerun. Dark meat, which avian myologists (bird muscle scientists) refer to as "red muscle," is used for sustained activity--chiefly walking, in the case of a chicken. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. White muscle, in contrast, is suitable only for short, ineffectual bursts of activity such as, for chickens, flying. That's why the chicken's leg meat and thigh meat are dark and its breast meat (which makes up the primary flight muscles) is white. Other birds more capable in the flight department, such as ducks and geese, have red muscle (and dark meat) throughout.

From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1295/why-is-white-meat-white-and-dark-meat-dark

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

Just an FYI on the true difference between dark and white meat:

White meat is white because of the chicken's chronic lack of exercise, something to think about next time you're about to curl up in front of the TV for another I Dream of Jeannie rerun. Dark meat, which avian myologists (bird muscle scientists) refer to as "red muscle," is used for sustained activity--chiefly walking, in the case of a chicken. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. White muscle, in contrast, is suitable only for short, ineffectual bursts of activity such as, for chickens, flying. That's why the chicken's leg meat and thigh meat are dark and its breast meat (which makes up the primary flight muscles) is white. Other birds more capable in the flight department, such as ducks and geese, have red muscle (and dark meat) throughout.

From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1295/why-is-white-meat-white-and-dark-meat-dark

That may explain why I like the whole duck but on the leg quarters of the chicken. Thank you!

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

Just an FYI on the true difference between dark and white meat:

White meat is white because of the chicken's chronic lack of exercise, something to think about next time you're about to curl up in front of the TV for another I Dream of Jeannie rerun. Dark meat, which avian myologists (bird muscle scientists) refer to as "red muscle," is used for sustained activity--chiefly walking, in the case of a chicken. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. White muscle, in contrast, is suitable only for short, ineffectual bursts of activity such as, for chickens, flying. That's why the chicken's leg meat and thigh meat are dark and its breast meat (which makes up the primary flight muscles) is white. Other birds more capable in the flight department, such as ducks and geese, have red muscle (and dark meat) throughout.

From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1295/why-is-white-meat-white-and-dark-meat-dark

That may explain why I like the whole duck but on the leg quarters of the chicken. Thank you!

I'm the same way. Dark meat has such a superior flavor, for me anyway. I guess we like the taste of higher concentrations of myoglobin.

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

^^THIS. Nine more calories and a lot more flavor for half the price.

I cook them bone in and skin on. Roasted in the oven or on the grill. The crispy skin is the best part. As long as it fits into your calorie count/macros for the day, go for it. I had 900+ calories worth of them the other day for dinner and they were good!

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

Just an FYI on the true difference between dark and white meat:

White meat is white because of the chicken's chronic lack of exercise, something to think about next time you're about to curl up in front of the TV for another I Dream of Jeannie rerun. Dark meat, which avian myologists (bird muscle scientists) refer to as "red muscle," is used for sustained activity--chiefly walking, in the case of a chicken. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. White muscle, in contrast, is suitable only for short, ineffectual bursts of activity such as, for chickens, flying. That's why the chicken's leg meat and thigh meat are dark and its breast meat (which makes up the primary flight muscles) is white. Other birds more capable in the flight department, such as ducks and geese, have red muscle (and dark meat) throughout.

From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1295/why-is-white-meat-white-and-dark-meat-dark

I'm not so sure that they are right. My meat chickens are a cornish cross and don't get much exercise at all. They are rather fun to watch. They stand up, take three step and plop down into an exhausted heap. Every part of them is well developed and from hatch ( I buy chicks that are a few days old) to harvest at near 6+ pounds in under 8 weeks. Their water is about 4 feet from their food. Every part of them that is edible, white meat, dark meat and giblets is full of flavor and if not over cooked tender and moist. FWIW I usually skin them rather than pluck so they are skinless when they go in the freezer, whole. While another breed, leghorn (rooster) cross seem to be darker meat all around and hatch to harvest was about 3.5 months with a harvest weight of about 3-3.5 pounds each for cockerals; hens are kept as egg layers. These walk around, pretty much "free range" and only fly up to roost in the rafters of their coop at night. Oh yeah, btw the best way to cook them that I have found is on my charcoal grill with indirect heat and liberally seasoned with my rib rub:paprika, black pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and a smaller amount of cumin. I prefer the hind quarter.

thigh meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/735/2
100g = 119 calories

breast meat: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/701/2
100g = 110 calories

So, tell me again what this mystical issue is of which you speak?

Just an FYI on the true difference between dark and white meat:

White meat is white because of the chicken's chronic lack of exercise, something to think about next time you're about to curl up in front of the TV for another I Dream of Jeannie rerun. Dark meat, which avian myologists (bird muscle scientists) refer to as "red muscle," is used for sustained activity--chiefly walking, in the case of a chicken. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. White muscle, in contrast, is suitable only for short, ineffectual bursts of activity such as, for chickens, flying. That's why the chicken's leg meat and thigh meat are dark and its breast meat (which makes up the primary flight muscles) is white. Other birds more capable in the flight department, such as ducks and geese, have red muscle (and dark meat) throughout.

From: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1295/why-is-white-meat-white-and-dark-meat-dark

I'm not so sure that they are right. My meat chickens are a cornish cross and don't get much exercise at all. They are rather fun to watch. They stand up, take three step and plop down into an exhausted heap. Every part of them is well developed and from hatch ( I buy chicks that are a few days old) to harvest at near 6+ pounds in under 8 weeks. Their water is about 4 feet from their food. Every part of them that is edible, white meat, dark meat and giblets is full of flavor and if not over cooked tender and moist. FWIW I usually skin them rather than pluck so they are skinless when they go in the freezer, whole. While another breed, leghorn (rooster) cross seem to be darker meat all around and hatch to harvest was about 3.5 months with a harvest weight of about 3-3.5 pounds each for cockerals; hens are kept as egg layers. These walk around, pretty much "free range" and only fly up to roost in the rafters of their coop at night. Oh yeah, btw the best way to cook them that I have found is on my charcoal grill with indirect heat and liberally seasoned with my rib rub:paprika, black pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and a smaller amount of cumin. I prefer the hind quarter.

It's based on genetics, not the individual ability of each bird. I used to raise Cornish rock crosses. We had to butcher them early or they'd have a heart attack once they got too old (younger than the butcher date of our other cockerels).

You could cage a duck and it would still be all dark meat.

Thighs are wonderful. To choke down a breast, I have to smother it in gravy or mayo, so may as well enjoy the fat in the thigh.

I never thought of skinning the birds instead of plucking them. Seems simpler. I wonder how it affects the quality of the frozen meat--does the skin help to hold in the flavor and keep out freezer burn?

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I get the boneless/skinless ones from costco. 200g=240calories.

I prefer thigh/leg meat... always have. I got it in my head somewhere along the line, though, that breast meat is the only acceptable type to eat if you are a grownup... and am trying to un-learn that. Thighs are a little bit trickier to trim of excess fat if you buy them bone-in, but I usually buy them boneless-skinless and frozen. The flavor is better and it is much harder to render them inedible than it is for breast meat. Wish I could convince my husband to willingly eat them (I sneak them in about 50/50 sometimes when the chicken is cut-up)... he's even pickier than me, somehow, and I'm the one with Celiac. :P

Just like eggs eat the whole bird. Ditch the skin and trim most of the fat though.

yummmmmm, schmaltz! Just gotta plan for it

you really don't have to worry about fat much if you're staying away from refined foods. Try perimeter shopping. Produce, meats, a little dairy if you can tolerate it. Keep it simple