Chicken legs question

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spideywebb77
spideywebb77 Posts: 126 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The nutritional information on the package is for 4oz's.

Is that 4oz with the bone in or 4oz of the meat? Clearly I am not eating the bone so I assume its just the meat but..... I know I am overthinking this someone save me! :D

Replies

  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
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    Whatever is the weight on the package is what's in the package. So if you buy a pack of bone-in, skin on chicken thighs or legs, it includes everything. Bone, skin & meat.

    You'd be best off pulling the chicken off the bone and weighing that before you eat it.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If it comes with the bone in, the weight is based on having the bone in. You aren't expected to eat the bone, so the calories that are actually in the bone wouldn't be included, but if you weigh it, you should leave the bone in or you will eat more calories than are indicated on the package.
  • spideywebb77
    spideywebb77 Posts: 126 Member
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    Playdoh and sherbear package says the servings vary. So even though I know the total weight I cant say how many servings it supposed to be.

    Timothy I understand what you are saying but... (incoming hypothetical numbers). If a chicken leg weighs 4 oz's and after you eat it, the leftover bone is 1 oz and its 150 calories per 4 oz. So.. did i just eat 150 calories or 112.5?

    My gut is telling me the bone is in no way included in the caloric content. I just want to know that for sure. (this would make my imaginary leg above 112.5 calories)
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    edited January 2015
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    If the package includes the weight of the bone, you should weigh it with the bone. If you use an entry on here that says meat only, then you should just weight the meat. If you dont' want to pull the meat off the leg before eating you can do a quick weigh before you eat, then weigh the bone after and just subtract. Sounds tedius but doesn't take long.
  • spideywebb77
    spideywebb77 Posts: 126 Member
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    Found an interesting article that touches on this.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/qanda-are-meat-nutrition-labels-based-on-raw-or-cooked-weight/2014/02/04/b6f5e2b4-89c0-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

    It supports my belief.. So in esence i fI were to dbone the leg and get 4 ounces of meat then I would have a whole serving.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    spideywebb77 wrote: »
    Playdoh and sherbear package says the servings vary. So even though I know the total weight I cant say how many servings it supposed to be.

    Timothy I understand what you are saying but... (incoming hypothetical numbers). If a chicken leg weighs 4 oz's and after you eat it, the leftover bone is 1 oz and its 150 calories per 4 oz. So.. did i just eat 150 calories or 112.5?

    My gut is telling me the bone is in no way included in the caloric content. I just want to know that for sure. (this would make my imaginary leg above 112.5 calories)

    When doing the calculations for the hypothetical chicken leg, they would've first weighed the leg with the bone in it to determine that it is 4oz. Next, they would tear into it can determine that it has some number of ounces of protein, some of fat, some of carbs, and some of inedible matter. They would sum the calories from the protein, the fat, and the carbs to get 150 calories, and ignore the inedible matter. So, to answer your question, you ate 150 calories.
  • spideywebb77
    spideywebb77 Posts: 126 Member
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    Timothy I appreciate your answer. Unfortunately now that I have discussed this my brain is doing its best to disagree with this train of thought. I would love to see a plain English article that explains this in detail. Anyone have one?

    Why would you figure calories including a bone that would not be consumed. The weight of which would vary from bird to bird? This is why I am thinking that this information has to be only referring to the edible part of the bird.

    I am looking ... but would love if someone can link to an article or government website that answers this.

    *Note that I am quite sufficiently arguing both ways on this topic with myself. The other issue I am having is that sense this is a government requirement I want to see what they require instead of how I think it should work.

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Use this entry and fuggedaboutit:

    Chicken - Drumstick, meat and skin, cooked, roasted
    (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/update_servings/159651463)

    or this entry:

    Chicken - Leg, meat and skin, cooked, roasted
    (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/update_servings/156961052)
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you look at what the USDA reports, 4.7 ounces of chicken drumstick is 151 calories, but 3 ounces of chicken stew meat is 219 calories. The only reason why the drumstick should weigh more but have fewer calories is because the weight includes the bone, while stew meat has no bones.
  • daynes23
    daynes23 Posts: 94 Member
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    I came into this thread expecting someone to be using chicken legs as a metaphor for their own legs.... :|



    *backs away slowly*
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Solution.......do more squats

    Or just buy boneless chicken.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    edited January 2015
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    You don't have to guess. weigh the raw product, choose the USDA entry for chicken leg, meat and skin raw. Cook, eat, and weigh the refuse to subtract from the starting weight. The bones/refuse won't change much weight from cooking. Another reason for a kitchen scale.
    I do this all the time. Put a plate on the scale. Add the raw food and note the weight. Cook, put back on the same plate, eat and enjoy then weigh the leftovers on the same plate. Subtract.
  • Leyshinka
    Leyshinka Posts: 54 Member
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    daynes23 wrote: »
    I came into this thread expecting someone to be using chicken legs as a metaphor for their own legs.... :|



    *backs away slowly*

    Me too.. I was looking forward to a good chuckle

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