A few people emailed in response to this post. The consensus and expressed opinion was - chicken skin is “eww” and separately a reader contended that fat in general and the schmaltz in particular is, well, also [implied] eww.
Okay, don’t have a Tofurkey. That isn’t sarcasm – literally don’t have a Tofurkey. Okay maybe a little bit of sarcasm.
Chicken skin is good. It isn’t a big jump from Thanksgiving Turkey and the beautiful brown crisp skin (hopefully) to the occasional crispy skin from fried chicken or roasted chicken. Plus if you eat poultry derivatives like chicken sausage, turkey bacon the previously mentioned nuggets with or without the ‘Mc’, you are eating chicken skin. Perhaps it is better not to know some things, ignorance being bliss and all, but seriously if you are going to eat chicken, enjoy the good parts.
Secondly, fat is good. It tastes delicious; exhibit A – butter, case closed. Fat satisfies, and your body and brain need fat to thrive. There is a strong case currently being made that maybe, possibly fat substitutes are worse for the body than actual fat. There is a good deal of preliminary evidence including this gem that maybe the way body processes food is more complex than a count your calories weight control system.
Besides the difference of the 90 some calories between a 4 oz. portion of boneless skinless chicken breast and a similar sized dark meat with skin left on is not the cause of what is sometimes called the obesity epidemic. Extrapolated, that 90 calories works out to about 21,000 calories over the course of the year – each body pound is approximately 3,500 calories of stored energy – worse case scenario that only explains 6 extra pounds on a person’s body.
If I were fatphobic, I would worry about the 148 calories per ounce of ranch dressing that people dip the boneless skinless chicken in to make it taste like something, but mostly I would be concerned about sedentary lifestyles. Watching TV lowers a metabolism to the point where laying on the couch and reading a book seems like a vigorous workout by comparison. Snark aside, 100 years ago people burned calories working agricultural or industrial jobs. A little over 50 years ago at the advent of the car culture, people walked a little more often, just sayin. I’m not a nutritionist, public health official or a medical practitioner but I don’t think weight gain boils down to the consumption of schmaltz.
1 comments:
A diet of chicken is recommended! Crispy browned chicken fat is great! Crispy brown chicken skin is AWESOMELY tasty as well. You are right though, you just can't go around eating chicken fat without getting some exercise or all that tasty fatty goodness will turn into greasy grossness throughout yer circulatory system! Also, one absolutely MUST eat organic, free range, as happy as possible chicken! I once visited an "Egg Farm" out in Eastern Oregon... Envision 3 football fields lined with 5, 4 story chicken "coops"... One conveyor belt bringing food, one taking away the shit, and another rolling the unhappy hormone laden eggs down the line. The whole thing was HORRIBLE to behold and rocked my idea of eggs and chicken to the core! I didn't eat either for 2 years after that and I am a tough, flesh eating Alaskan so you know I'm not just being squeamish.
Bottom line, chicken is good! Crispy grilled chicken wings are AWESOME, just make sure they're ORGANIC and as happy as can be before you eat them... Then go for a walk!
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