Are chicken and rice healthy?
In this brief article, we will answer the question, “Are chicken and rice healthy?” and provide information on the benefits of eating rice, some benefits of eating chicken, the downsides to eating chicken and rice as well as tips to prepare chicken and rice in a healthy manner.
Are chicken and rice healthy?
Yes, chicken and rice are healthy. The combination of chicken and rice can increase protein levels in your body.
Eating chicken once a day can be enough to build the lean muscle mass of your body. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who are malnourished or suffer from protein deficiency.
What are some benefits of eating chicken?
Let us look at some health benefits of consuming chicken below:
- Chicken contains very lesser calories. For instance, 85 grams of chicken breast can give you 122 calories. This can be especially beneficial if you are on a weight-loss diet.
Apart from this, chicken contains 0 carbs. This makes them perfect to be consumed as a part of a low-carb or keto diet (a diet less in carbs and high in fats with moderate protein).
- Chicken contains sufficient amounts of protein. 85 grams of chicken breast can give you 25 grams of protein. Protein can build muscles and also provide satiety.
- Chicken is a good source of selenium. A single serving of chicken breast can meet 35 percent of the daily selenium requirement.
Selenium can enhance insulin sensitivity against diabetes. Apart from this, it can also improve thyroid functioning, immunity, and fertility.
- Chicken contains good amounts of B vitamins. Amounts of Niacin are higher followed by B6 and B12. B vitamins are required to metabolize energy. Apart from this B12 can prevent anemia. B6 is also required for DNA synthesis.
What are some benefits of eating rice?
Some benefits of eating rice are given below:
- Brown rice is a good source of fiber. Fiber can help in reducing blood pressure levels. It can also lower bad cholesterol levels. This can further reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or strokes.
- Brown rice can lower blood glucose levels in diabetics. This is because brown rice contains kernels in them.
- There are phenolics present in brown rice. These phenolics are classified as antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals. This can reduce the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or other metabolic diseases.
- Brown rice contains insoluble fiber that can aid in improving bowel movements. People suffering from constipation can consume brown rice for improved bowel movements.
- Rice can be perfect for individuals suffering from gluten intolerance or wheat allergy.
What are some tips to prepare chicken and rice?
Some tips to make chicken and rice healthier are as follows:
- Baking, grilling, steaming, or stir-frying chicken can be healthier. This can reduce the levels of fat present in the chicken.
- If you are stir-frying or grilling chicken, consider adding some veggies to them. This would make chicken and rice healthier. Some veggies that can be added include peas, carrots, tomatoes, onions, corn, broccoli, and bell peppers.
- Avoid deep-frying chicken as you would be introducing too much fat into the food. If you are planning to deep-fry do so in fresh and healthier oils. Some healthier oils include canola oil, rice bran oil, and groundnut oil.
- Do not use chickens that are heavily brined as they are high in sodium.
- Use brown rice as they are a good source of fiber.
- If you are using white rice, make sure to rinse them thoroughly in water till the water becomes clear. This is because rice contains starch that can contribute to weight gain.
What are some downsides to eating chicken and rice?
If you are adding commercially prepared chicken to your rice, then your chicken and rice are likely to be higher in calories and fat.
Commercially prepared ones like breaded chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, and lunch meats can be highly processed. This makes them high in sodium too. Consuming foods high in sodium can increase the risk of developing blood pressure.
Preservatives added to commercially prepared chickens can even contain nitrites which can increase the risk of developing cancer.
White rice has a glycemic index of 64. As a result, if white rice has been used for preparing chicken rice, diabetics are not advised to consume them unless the portion size is less or there are veggies added to them.
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question, “Are chicken and rice healthy?” and provided information on the benefits of eating rice, some benefits of eating chicken, the downsides to eating chicken and rice as well as tips to prepare chicken and rice in a healthy manner.
