Are chicken wings really that bad for ya? (yes, the bar kin

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SolidGoaled
SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
in Food and Nutrition
And yes, I"m talking about the bar-food variety.

I mean, if you have a nice big serving of celery with them, not too much dressing, and only 4 or 5 wings? Its hard to find nutritional info on wings - I see everything from 50 cals per wing to 110 per wing.

Replies

  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    As long as they are not fried they are fine! It's just marinated chicken otherwise!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yes, they really are. Chicken skin is one of the foods highest in cholesterol and saturated fat that you can find, and that's a very deadly combination for your arteries as well as your waistline. As tasty as they are, you should rarely eat them.
  • foxxybrown
    foxxybrown Posts: 838 Member
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    Slam packed with sodium!
  • hyde1977
    hyde1977 Posts: 476 Member
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    Look up Wild Wings in the food database- Buffalo Wild Wings will come up! It will give you a better idea of what the calorie/fat in take is.

    yes, they are that bad for you...but if you are not eatting 15-20 of them (say 4-8) You can work it into your day...just don't eat them every day!

    i am going out on Friday night for Wings! You cannot give up the things you love! Just educate yourself. If you are going to particular restaurant you might be able to find their nutritial information on line! Many places are now publishing it! It helps to make the better choices....but don't deprieve yourself either!
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
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    They are my favorite food! I use the Buffalo Wild Wings Database, they have a traditional - not breaded chicken wing that is fried. I have also found the the boneless wings give you more food for your calorie. They are still deepfried, but it is breastmeat so you get more actual chicken. I only have them about once a month - if that. So if I work out really hard in the morning, have a salad for lunch, there is nothing wrong with wings and beer for dinner :) Just not every day.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
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    Slam packed with delicious. Have a couple, when in doubt lean towards the higher end but try looking up a chain that serves similar wings- I usually use Applebees or Uno's, get in plenty of activity for the day and enjoy. Skin and all :smile:
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    also depends on what aspects of diet you are watching. i do wings just fine so long as the are not breaded, which is fine cause i really don't like the breaded ones
  • Alyosha22
    Alyosha22 Posts: 15
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    I grill some at home every once in a while and come up with my own marinades or sauces (to cut down on the sodium). Are they bad? They are likely on the scale heading towards bad, but lots of things are. Just use them as a semi-cheat meal & count the calories and other nutritional data. I grill them on the weber about once every other month.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
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    Oh, I know they're not the IDEAL food, but, damn, they're so good... and since its chicken - there has to be worse things one could have. ;) Man, I just love them... Especially after a few cold beers and a couple games of pool. We went last weekend and I had 5 wings. I did account for it in my calories for the day, and worked out HARD before going out. It didn't hurt my scale in the slightest - but I wonder if I did it once a week or every other week how it would pan out. Its one of my favorite things to do (beer/pool/wings with husband and some friends) and I just don't think I can give it up completely. I can control the frequency, though. ;)
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
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    also depends on what aspects of diet you are watching. i do wings just fine so long as the are not breaded, which is fine cause i really don't like the breaded ones

    I am concentrating on lowering carbs/increasing protein, so chicken wings sound like the sorta fit... ;)
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    I like using the Pizza Hut wing's when it is unknown b/c that restaurant is really unhealthy so I judge their #'s to be fair.

    It's when you know the nutritional content that you are thrown off HUGE i.e. Kelsey's 1lb of wings (8) is 1200+ calories, booo
  • lclarius
    lclarius Posts: 34 Member
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    They are def not the best for you, outside of the skin, the buffalo sauce itself is mostly butter. If they are one of your favorite things and you are working them into your day, i say go for it in moderation, but def dont eat them every day. I would also check out home made versions, that you can make and reduce some of the badness aka wings with no breading, no skin and reduced amount of butter in the wing sauce. Check out hungygirl.com, she usually has some good alternatives to bad for you food.
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    also depends on what aspects of diet you are watching. i do wings just fine so long as the are not breaded, which is fine cause i really don't like the breaded ones

    I am concentrating on lowering carbs/increasing protein, so chicken wings sound like the sorta fit... ;)

    YEP just got watch them , somplaces and some company bread them, which they really traditionally are not suppose to be.
  • creickson
    creickson Posts: 14 Member
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    Bake them and use Frank's wing sauce (zero calories).
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    I just posted in another thread how I make buffalo shrimp. I love buffalo chicken wings, but I know how bad they are for me. The buffalo shrimp gives me the spice with much lower fat and calories (still high in sodium). Sautee some shrimp in olive oil and then toss with buffalo wing sauce (very low in calories). I serve them with brown rice and a salad.
  • moylie
    moylie Posts: 195
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    I'm a wing-nut, too. Love 'em. Don't eat them nearly as much as I used to. I found this OUTSTANDING recipe to make at home, that taste darn near good as fried. Alton's Brown's recipe requires you to steam them first, which gets rid of a lot of fat, but also insures they get crispy in the oven. I haven't looked up the nutritional info. yet (made them before I joined MFP). http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe/index.html

    I'm also from the "don't give up what you really love" camp. Moderation, small portions. I think if you slow down to eat, you really feel satisfied by much less than you used to eat.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    Bake them and use Frank's wing sauce (zero calories).
    It's not zero calories, it's 23 calories per teaspoon, but yes baking them is a far healthier option.

    Don't like using Frank's wing sauce because it has ingredients I wouldn't use in my own kitchen, like xanthan gum and "natural butter flavour" whatever that is. For my sauce, I used to use a tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Original (70 calories), with a teaspoonful of butter (35 calories). Not a particularly unhealthy meal, if eaten only occasionally, especially if you don't eat all of the skin. :)

    Fortunately for me I like them extra crispy so I used to bake them for a long time - the longer you bake them, the more fat comes out.

    Even better still, use chicken thighs instead of wings - more lean meat and less skin.

    Unfortunately the OP enjoys eating these as part of an evening out, and it's highly unlikely that he'd find a bar which is baking them, so none of that is really going to help - unless they invite their friends round!
  • creickson
    creickson Posts: 14 Member
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    Bake them and use Frank's wing sauce (zero calories).
    It's not zero calories, it's 23 calories per teaspoon, but yes baking them is a far healthier option.

    Don't like using Frank's wing sauce because it has ingredients I wouldn't use in my own kitchen, like xanthan gum and "natural butter flavour" whatever that is. For my sauce, I used to use a tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Original (70 calories), with a teaspoonful of butter (35 calories). Not a particularly unhealthy meal, if eaten only occasionally, especially if you don't eat all of the skin. :)

    Fortunately for me I like them extra crispy so I used to bake them for a long time - the longer you bake them, the more fat comes out.


    Read the nutritional information more closely. You are reading the amount of servings 23 and 70. The calories for both the original and the wing sauce are zero!
    Even better still, use chicken thighs instead of wings - more lean meat and less skin.

    Unfortunately the OP enjoys eating these as part of an evening out, and it's highly unlikely that he'd find a bar which is baking them, so none of that is really going to help - unless they invite their friends round!
  • creickson
    creickson Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    Bake them and use Frank's wing sauce (zero calories).
    It's not zero calories, it's 23 calories per teaspoon, but yes baking them is a far healthier option.

    Don't like using Frank's wing sauce because it has ingredients I wouldn't use in my own kitchen, like xanthan gum and "natural butter flavour" whatever that is. For my sauce, I used to use a tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Original (70 calories), with a teaspoonful of butter (35 calories). Not a particularly unhealthy meal, if eaten only occasionally, especially if you don't eat all of the skin. :)

    Fortunately for me I like them extra crispy so I used to bake them for a long time - the longer you bake them, the more fat comes out.

    Even better still, use chicken thighs instead of wings - more lean meat and less skin.

    Unfortunately the OP enjoys eating these as part of an evening out, and it's highly unlikely that he'd find a bar which is baking them, so none of that is really going to help - unless they invite their friends round!



    You are reading the nutritional label wrong. It is 23 and 70 servings and zero calories for both the wing sauce and the original. I have both bottles next to me. :bigsmile:
  • aflane
    aflane Posts: 625 Member
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    Bar-style buffalo wings are DEEP FRIED before being tossed in the buffalo sauce. The sauce itself isn't bad... it's the deep fried chicken wings that'll do you in. I'd avoid unless you're making them at home. Then follow everyone's receipe hints.

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