Chicken is the new beef, but not really healthy either

Adweek recently ran a story crowning chicken the new beef when it came to fast food and fast casual restaurant fare.

“What’s Slaying the All-American Burger? After 5 years of steady growth, chicken comes home to roost,” was the rather long headline.

This is what a Costco food court Caesar salad looks like when you unwrap it, a giant cup of fat-filled Caesar dressing and a mound of high-salt, high-fat grated cheese — Stick to salad when eating on the run, and take out the high-fat dressing and cheese. Always carry your own oil and vinegar packets to use instead.

While chicken is leaner than beef, white meat chicken anyway, and so carries a healthier image, the type of breaded chicken you’ll find at most restaurants is probably worse than your average burger in terms of fat.

And unfortunately it’s the unhealthy breaded chicken that’s being sold more often now.

“For the first time in a century, Americans are gobbling up more of the humble bird—much of it in the form of fried chicken drumsticks, crispy chicken sandwiches and chicken nuggets—than double cheeseburgers, sliders and T-bones. Chicken consumption, after growing steadily over the last five years, last year finally paced ahead of beef, according to the USDA,” the article notes.

If you find yourself in a McDonald’s, don’t get the breaded chicken anything, opt for a salad and avoid the dressings as well to avoid high salt and high fat. If you can, find a place that offers plain chicken breasts, and ask about whether they cook it salted or not too.
John