Building Meals Under $1.25: Using 10 Pounds of Chicken in 5 Recipes to Make 26 Servings and Feeling Good About It

Whether a person is a gourmet chef or someone trying to provide a tasty nutritious meal for their family, chicken is the most versatile meat source available today. Chicken that is grilled, fried, poached, boiled, broiled or roasted, and combined with other ingredients, especially a variety of herbs and spices, is able to provide a wide range of wholesome and flavorful meals. With all of this going for the humble chicken, it should not be surprising to find that chicken is the world’s number one source of animal protein, and a healthy alternative to red meat.

Four ounces of chicken is an excellent source of protein providing 67.6% of a person’s minimum daily requirements. Eating chicken instead of red meat is a terrific way to go about reducing the amount of fat consumed; however, in order to achieve this goal, the skin should not be eaten. A chicken breast has half the fat as that of a trimmed T-bone steak, but eating the chicken with the skin on it doubles the amount of fat.

Besides lowering a person’s fact intake, chicken has other health benefits associated with it.

• Protein is associated with the ability to preserve bone mass in older adults.
• A four ounce serving of chicken contains 72% of the minimum daily requirements for niacin. Niacin is a B vitamin that has cancer-protective properties. Niacin deficiency has been directly tied to genetic DNA damage.
• A four ounce serving of chicken provides 40% of the minimum daily requirements for selenium. In addition to the body’s need for selenium in metabolic processes, it has also been found to have cancer-protective properties.
• Research indicates frequent consumption of foods rich in niacin provides protection against age-related cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s disease.
• In addition to niacin, chicken also contains vitamin B6. This vitamin B combination supports energy metabolism. A four ounce serving of chicken provides 32% of the minimum daily requirements for vitamin B6.
• The vitamin B6 found in chicken is also able to reduce homocysteine levels that occur in blood vessels as it accumulates.

For chicken’s nutritional information, click here.

Besides lowering a person’s fact intake, chicken has other health benefits associated with it.

• Protein is associated with the ability to preserve bone mass in older adults.
• A four ounce serving of chicken contains 72% of the minimum daily requirements for niacin. Niacin is a B vitamin that has cancer-protective properties. Niacin deficiency has been directly tied to genetic DNA damage.
• A four ounce serving of chicken provides 40% of the minimum daily requirements for selenium. In addition to the body’s need for selenium in metabolic processes, it has also been found to have cancer-protective properties.
• Research indicates frequent consumption of foods rich in niacin provides protection against age-related cognitive decline including Alzheimer’s disease.
• In addition to niacin, chicken also contains vitamin B6. This vitamin B combination supports energy metabolism. A four ounce serving of chicken provides 32% of the minimum daily requirements for vitamin B6.
• The vitamin B6 found in chicken is also able to reduce homocysteine levels that occur in blood vessels as it accumulates.

Whole chickens should have a solid and plump shape with a rounded breast. Chicken, whether whole or cut-up, should feel pliable when pressed gently. If the sell-by date on the label has expired, do not purchase that chicken. The skin on the chicken should appear opaque and uniform in color – not blotchy.

When purchasing frozen chicken, ensure that it is frozen solid with no ice deposits or freezer burn. Avoid packages which contain frozen liquid as this may be an indication that the package has been defrosted and then refrozen.

Consider purchasing chicken breasts with the skin still intact. If the skin is removed after cooking, the moisture content and flavor of the chicken will be improved and the fat content will not be increased significantly.

After bringing your chicken purchase home, it should be stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Raw chicken can keep in the refrigerator for two or three days.

Be very careful while handling raw chicken making sure it does not come into contact with other foods, especially foods that will be served uncooked. Cutting boards and utensils used with raw chicken should be washed with hot soapy water before using with any other food item. Hands should also be washed with warm soapy water after handling raw chicken.

Chicken should always be marinated in the refrigerator. A chicken should always be defrosted in the refrigerator, sitting on a plate to catch any liquid as it thaws.

For the recipes that will be shared with you this week, we will begin with a ten pound bag of chicken legs and thighs. To prepare the chicken for this week’s recipes, rinse pieces under running water and place in a large pot. (The ten pound bag of chicken contained ten legs and thighs.) Cover the chicken with water and boil for one hour.

After cooking, remove chicken parts from water, place in a bowl and allow to cool. Do not discard the chicken broth. Place chicken broth in a covered container and store in the refrigerator overnight.

After chicken parts have cooled, remove skin and bones from two legs and thighs. Chop meat into small pieces and place in a separate container. Repeat this process four more times. You should have five separate portions of chopped chicken with no skin or bones.

These are the recipes that I will be making this week using the above portions of chicken and the broth. Portions of chicken that you will not be using in the next couple days should be frozen until ready for use. I suggest you make the Chicken Noodle soup first so that you do not have to freeze the broth.

• Chicken Noodle Soup - 6 servings
• Chicken Spaghetti - 6 servings
• Chicken Fried Rice and Egg Drop Soup - 4 servings
• Chicken Pot Pie - 4 servings
• Mexican Chicken Casserole - 6 servings

Each of the above links will be activated as the recipes are published. The ten pounds of chicken cost $5.90; therefore, each of the 5 batches of chicken costs $1.18 each. Each portion/batch of chicken is equivalent to approximately two cups each.

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Copyright © 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)

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