Chicken thighs? Treat? Or actually beneficial

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TonyPillz
TonyPillz Posts: 248 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The whole point of the eating thigh meat is the skin , its like removing the skin off a chicken wing its pointless and ruins the meal. My question is , in a typical thigh how many calories are you eating with skin on? I mean thigh meat is dead chip , you will basically 80% more than buying chicken breast and there's just as much protein in them.

Would you say thighs are more of a treat than a actual healthy meal?
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Replies

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,566 Member
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    If it fits your calories and macros, go for it. I eat both, but discovered the thighs are slightly less protein dense than the breasts.
  • TerryKaine08
    TerryKaine08 Posts: 5
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    I would say that Chicken Breasts are more nutritious. Grill your Chicken Thighs to reduce some of the fat content.

    Chicken breast:
    Calories 110 Calories from Fat 22
    Protein 23.0g
    Total Fat 2.5g
    Saturated Fat 0.5g
    Cholesterol 65mg
    Sodium 180mg

    Chicken thigh:
    Calories 110 Calories from Fat 36
    Protein 20.0g
    Total Fat 4.0g
    Saturated Fat 1.0g
    Cholesterol 85mg
    Sodium 250mg
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Honestly if you can afford that fat go for it. There's nothing evil about skin on chicken. One of my favorite high protein mills is one-pain crispy chicken thighs with Brussels and shallots. And it wouldn't be the same without that awesome crispy skin. And I certainly didn't magically gain weight because of it.
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
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    I disagree about the skin - I will only eat the crispy skin on a rotisseried chicken lol.

    I basically only eat thighs...if I do eat breasts, its never just a breast. Its shredded for taco salad or in curry, etc.

    Baked in onion soup mix or even just plain, or just BBQ'd. They really don't have that many more calories than breasts and they are much more enjoyable AND satiating for me.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I only eat thighs-much richer and more flavorful than breasts.
    I, however get the boneless/skinless ones.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Eat whatever you want, man. I rarely eat meat, but when I do, I want chicken thighs. With or without the skin, they are good.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    The whole point of the eating thigh meat is the skin , its like removing the skin off a chicken wing its pointless and ruins the meal. My question is , in a typical thigh how many calories are you eating with skin on? I mean thigh meat is dead chip , you will basically 80% more than buying chicken breast and there's just as much protein in them.

    Would you say thighs are more of a treat than a actual healthy meal?

    I disagree with your entire premise that the whole point of eating thigh meat is the skin. I buy boneless skinless thighs at Costco that are 93% lean...they have far more flavor than a chicken breast, don't dry out on the grill and are only 20 or so more calories than eating the equivalent weight in breast meat.

    I rarely eat chicken breasts, I usually eat thighs or I do a whole chicken.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    The whole point of the eating thigh meat is the skin , its like removing the skin off a chicken wing its pointless and ruins the meal. My question is , in a typical thigh how many calories are you eating with skin on? I mean thigh meat is dead chip , you will basically 80% more than buying chicken breast and there's just as much protein in them.

    Would you say thighs are more of a treat than a actual healthy meal?

    I disagree with your entire premise that the whole point of eating thigh meat is the skin. I buy boneless skinless thighs at Costco that are 93% lean...they have far more flavor than a chicken breast, don't dry out on the grill and are only 20 or so more calories than eating the equivalent weight in breast meat.

    I rarely eat chicken breasts, I usually eat thighs or I do a whole chicken.

    I do this too.
  • Tuala42
    Tuala42 Posts: 274 Member
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    We rarely eat chicken breasts at our house, and usually substitute boneless/skinless chicken thighs for any recipes asking for chicken breasts. I've managed to keep my weight at my goal regardless for at least a year now so hopefully no harm done? My husband equates chicken breasts with "dry" and "boring" (sadly very true the way my parents cook them).
  • vismundcygnus27
    vismundcygnus27 Posts: 98 Member
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    I'm a sucker for chicken skin as well. Just balance it with everything else that you're eating, and you should be fine. I tend to get thighs more often than breast because they're cheaper and they're tasty.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i only eat crispy chicken skin so that's only going to be if if it's crisped under a broiler after roasting or after being deep fried.

    also i prefer thighs over breast because it's more economical to buy and since i tend to overcook stuff thighs are better because they are always moist and flavorful
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    I only eat thighs-much richer and more flavorful than breasts.
    I, however get the boneless/skinless ones.

    Yes. Especially for slow cookers, I love boneless skinless.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Boneless skinnless thighs are great for stir frys or shredded from the crock pot. They don't dry out nearly as easily as breasts.
  • mojo501976
    mojo501976 Posts: 62 Member
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    Sorry Tony but any of the dark meat choices are going to be higher in fat and if you are truly serious about dropping weight, you have to avoid this kind of indulgence for now.

    Don't get me wrong, I love the dark meat from chicken - with the skin on.

    I got my weight down to 114 lbs a few years ago so I thought, hey I can start relaxing a little, can't I? Next thing I knew I was up to 120, then 130, then 140 and now I am just below 150. Great I say. What happened???? I did so well. Well, I have accepted that it was one treat after another!! So here I go again....
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Thigh, breast, skin, skinless...None of that matters. Just meet your calorie and macro nutrient goals for the day. I usually don't eat the skin on either breast or thighs simply because I don't like wasting that many calories on skin. If you really enjoy eating the skin then just log it like anything else.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I actually care much more about skin on chicken breasts, which I mostly like roasted bone-in, skin on. Otherwise they can easily become dry or just about the stuff you cook with them, rather than the meat itself. The dark meat has more flavor even without the skin.

    But in any case I usually don't have trouble fitting in the calories from skin on chicken or getting enough protein otherwise to balance out the fat should I have a somewhat fattier meat for one meal.

    According to the USDA estimate in the database, a typical thigh with skin would have about 153 calories, 16 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat. Of course, ideally you should weigh whatever you eat if you want a more precise number.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,280 Member
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    Sorry Tony but any of the dark meat choices are going to be higher in fat and if you are truly serious about dropping weight, you have to avoid this kind of indulgence for now.

    Don't get me wrong, I love the dark meat from chicken - with the skin on.

    I got my weight down to 114 lbs a few years ago so I thought, hey I can start relaxing a little, can't I? Next thing I knew I was up to 120, then 130, then 140 and now I am just below 150. Great I say. What happened???? I did so well. Well, I have accepted that it was one treat after another!! So here I go again....

    Uhh... NO. Just no. If it fits into the calories then it can be eaten. Don't demonize foods. Maybe if you had those little treats while you LOST weight in the first place you wouldn't have gone crazy with them? But seriously, what's wrong with dark meat chicken?
  • TutuMom41
    TutuMom41 Posts: 278 Member
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    Love skinless chicken thighs and they do contain more iron. Dislike Chicken breasts no matter how tender people say they can get them I always think they are dry and tough even in the crock pot
  • TutuMom41
    TutuMom41 Posts: 278 Member
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    Sorry Tony but any of the dark meat choices are going to be higher in fat and if you are truly serious about dropping weight, you have to avoid this kind of indulgence for now.

    Don't get me wrong, I love the dark meat from chicken - with the skin on.

    I got my weight down to 114 lbs a few years ago so I thought, hey I can start relaxing a little, can't I? Next thing I knew I was up to 120, then 130, then 140 and now I am just below 150. Great I say. What happened???? I did so well. Well, I have accepted that it was one treat after another!! So here I go again....

    As far as chicken I only eat the dark meat and it has had no negative effect on my weight loss or me maintaining it for 12 years
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Sorry Tony but any of the dark meat choices are going to be higher in fat and if you are truly serious about dropping weight, you have to avoid this kind of indulgence for now.

    Don't get me wrong, I love the dark meat from chicken - with the skin on.

    I got my weight down to 114 lbs a few years ago so I thought, hey I can start relaxing a little, can't I? Next thing I knew I was up to 120, then 130, then 140 and now I am just below 150. Great I say. What happened???? I did so well. Well, I have accepted that it was one treat after another!! So here I go again....

    LOL....a boneless/skinless chicken thigh has about 20 more calories per suggested serving than the equivalent of chicken breast....skin on has about 60 more calories per equivalent serving. Those aren't substantial differences. Eating dark meat poultry isn't the issue....

    Gummy bears are treats....ice cream is a treat....a big old piece of chocolate cake is a treat...I've never heard of any kind of chicken being a "treat" save for deep fried.

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