Are you comfortable eating canned chicken just because you are too busy to cook the regular chicken? So the question is, is canned chicken healthy or not? Do you often think that canned chicken is good for weight loss or not? Or let me make it easier. How healthy is canned chicken? Is that what you think?
Well, these are the questions people might think while eating canned foods but most of us just keep on eating without finding the answers. Do you know why? Because they are too busy to find the answers to these particular queries about canned chicken. If you are among those people, there is no need to worry about it now, because this article will answer all your suspicions related to this particular question: “Is canned chicken healthy?”
Table of Content
Is Canned Chicken Healthy?
Canned chicken is absolutely a healthier alternative to regular chicken unless you have any allergic reactions to the ingredients used in preserving the canned chicken. Very few people are allergic to sodium phosphate that is used as a preservative in canned chicken.
Another ingredient in canned chicken is Bisphenol A (BPA). This particular ingredient can be only problematic for those with heart problems and diabetes.
Otherwise, canned chicken is as healthier as regular chicken. It has the same protein content as the regular chicken has. In addition to protein, canned chicken has the following essential nutrients.
- Iron
- Zinc
- Selenium
- B vitamins
Is Canned Chicken Good for Weight Loss?
Canned Chicken can help in weight loss if it has a reduced quantity of sodium. You can strain it with water to reduce the sodium content in it if you are struggling with weight loss. As the sodium in most processed foods causes water retention and bloating in our bodies. So it is good to choose canned chicken with less sodium content.
Organic chicken is so helpful for weight loss. Most of the people trying to lose weight take a low-calorie and high protein diet. And there is no other food better than chicken having high protein and low calories. Chicken breast is more preferable for weight loss as it has high proteins and low fats in it. However, people may have the following queries regarding chicken and weight loss.
Which Chicken Is Not Good for Weight Loss?
Chicken which is fried in a huge quantity of oil or ghee is not good for weight loss as it contains more fat content. Chicken is only good for weight loss as long as it has very little or no saturated fat. So next time when you think about eating chicken keep the following healthier options in mind.
- Grilled chicken
- BBQ chicken
- Baked chicken
- Steam cooked chicken
Is Canned Chicken Healthy for Weight Gain?
Canned chicken is so good for weight gain and it is easy to consume for people having no time to cook food for them. It is better to eat something rather than eating nothing. So, if you are eating canned chicken for weight gain, try to add some other healthy ingredients such as cheese, cream, and vegetables to make it healthier.
Another reason why chicken is good for weight gain is that, as it has a high quantity of proteins, it helps enhance muscle mass rather than building up the fats in the body. So it helps to gain weight more healthily. So if you want to gain weight, you can add different recipes to your diet.
Is Canned Chicken Good for Diabetics and People With Heart Diseases?
Canned chicken and especially rotisserie chicken is not good for people with diabetes and heart disease. As it contains high content of sodium phosphate that can also interfere with kidney functioning. Diabetics can eat regular chicken only if they are not suffering from Diabetic nephropathy.
Because chicken has a high quantity of protein in it that should be broken down and filtered by kidneys. In patients with diabetic nephropathy, kidneys can not filter out this extra protein and hence the excessive filtration load can lead to high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels.
Similarly, in patients with heart problems, canned chicken can cause high blood pressure due to the extra sodium content present in canned foods. They can eat regular chicken with low-fat content or chicken breast only. It should also be baked or grilled to avoid atherosclerosis due to more fat content.
Canned Chicken Healthy Recipes
Chicken dishes are always mouth-watering. However, some people don’t like the taste and smell of canned chicken. But you can make tasty and healthy recipes even with canned chicken. Here are the top 5 easy recipes with canned chicken.
Buffalo Chicken Dips
Buffalo chicken dip is a classic. The flavors of this delicious dish go perfect with just about anything from corn chips to crackers and even bread!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Chopped cooked chicken breast (1 cup)
- Buffalo wing sauce (1/2 cup)
- Blue cheese salad dressing (1/2 cup)
- French bread baguette slices
- Tortilla chips
Directions
- After preheating the oven to 350°, spread cream cheese into an ungreased shallow baking dish. Layer with chicken, wing sauce, and salad dressing. Next, sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake without cover until cheese is melted for 20-25 minutes. Serve with baguette slices.
Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad
It’s a tasty Asian salad where pasta, chicken, mandarin orange, vegetables all are present. Good for dinner.
Ingredients
- Finely chopped peeled ginger (1 teaspoon)
- Rice vinegar (1/3 cup)
- Orange juice (1/4 cup)
- Vegetable oil (1/4 cup)
- sugar (2 teaspoons)
- Garlic pest (1 teaspoon)
- Pasta (300 grams)
- Cucumber, tomatoes, red bell piper, carrots, spinach, sliced onions
- Canned chicken (2 cups)
Directions
- Whisk together the ginger, rice vinegar, orange juice, vegetable oil, sugar, and garlic until well blended. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
- Bring a large pot of boiled salty water. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes; drain, and rinse under cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl.
- To make the salad, toss the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, carrot, spinach, and chicken with the pasta. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture, and toss again to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Casseroles are easy and simple to cook. You can follow this recipe to make your casserole tastier.
Ingredients
- Rigatoni or Penne pasta
- Marinara sauce
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Flour, eggs, parsley, salt, vegetable oil, butter, breadcrumbs
- Canned chicken
Directions
- Cook the pasta for 3 minutes and rinse well.
- Mix the canned chicken with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Fry it until golden brown. Slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine the cooked pasta and marinara sauce. Pour half into a medium-sized baking dish. Top with half of the chicken and cheese. Mix the other half of the pasta with cheese and chicken.
- Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 minutes. Serve well.
Mexi-Chicken Avocado Cups
There is no cooking required for this recipe. It only takes a little bit of prep to get an appetizer snack or a light lunch like this.
Ingredients
- 3 Canned chicken
- Finely chopped cilantro (1 tablespoon)
- Chili powder (1/2 teaspoon or more)
- 2 Avocados
- Lime juice (1 teaspoon)
Directions
- Together in a bowl, stir chicken, cilantro, and chili powder.
- Mixed some portion of lime juice with chopped avocado. Then mix well with a spoon. Add this mixture into the bowl of chicken, cilantro, and chili powder. Then mix again and serve.
Six Canned Chicken Tortilla Soup
Corn, chicken broth, black beans, sliced tomatoes, is all it takes for the delicious soup to come together.
Ingredients
- 1 can whole kernel corn
- 2 cans chicken broth
- 1 can chunk chicken
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
Directions
- Open the cans of corn, chicken broth, chunk chicken, black beans, and diced tomatoes one by one. Pour everything into a large saucepan.
- Rinse well in medium heat until chicken is heated through. Serve well.
Healthiest Canned Chicken
Though chicken is a healthy item, not all canned chickens are healthy. The best healthy canned foods contain low sodium and little added sugar. Following are the options for healthy canned chicken.
- Swanson premium white and dark chunk chicken.
- Kirkland signature chicken breast with ribs.
- Keystone meats All-natural canned chicken.
- Bumblebee chicken breast with rib meat.
- Valley fresh canned chicken.
Is Eating Chicken Every Day Bad for You?
Well, the answer is no, as long as you are eating chicken breast. Because the breast is the only portion of chicken meat that has 80 percent of proteins and 20 percent of saturated fats. So, if you are on a weight loss diet, you can eat chicken breast daily but not the thighs, as they contain fewer proteins and more fats, which are not good for weight loss.
Bottom Line
Canned chicken is one of those pantry foods staples that are way more versatile than you might think. If you think that canned chicken is healthy or not, then let me tell you with much confidence that it is as healthy as organic chicken. It has the same amount of nutrients as organic chicken has.
The canned chicken originated during the war when the soldiers had nothing to eat. It is packed with proteins and nutrients that are essential for muscle growth. It can also help in weight loss as most of the people trying to lose weight do not get enough time to cook regular chicken.
So if you are on a journey to weight loss and want to have more protein in your diet, add some canned chicken breasts to your diet to feel the positive changes in your overall health and fitness.
FAQs
Is canned chicken cooked?
Yes, canned chicken is cooked and preserved, you don’t need to cook it again. This is the reason most people with busy schedules prefer eating canned chicken.
Is canned chicken breast processed meat?
Yes, canned chicken breast is processed meat. It is sterilized at high temperatures to stop the growth of bacteria in it. It is completely dehydrated so that bacteria may not find a feasible environment for their growth.
Is cold chicken good for you?
Yes, frozen chicken is good for you because it is refrigerated for a long time so that there is no water to accompany the growth of bacteria.
Are chicken bones good for you?
Yes, you can make a broth by boiling chicken bones. It is the most healthy soup that contains so many nutrients and minerals that help promote bone growth.
Is BBQ chicken good for weight loss?
BBQ chicken is good for weight loss as it has no oil in it. Chicken can be healthier if you cook it without using oil.
Is grilled chicken good for weight loss?
Grilled chicken is very good for weight loss because again it has no oil or very little oil in it.
Is baked chicken good for weight loss?
Baked chicken is good for a fat loss diet because baking requires no oil to cook the chicken.
Is canned chicken good for dogs?
You can give the canned chicken to your dogs but after reducing the sodium content in it. Just put it on a strainer and pass some water through it to minimize the sodium present in canned chicken.
Is canned chicken healthy for cats?
Cats are meat-eaters. They have to have protein from meat or fish. Cat’s also need calories which come naturally in the form of carbohydrates (easing stomach issues) as well as fats like butter and oils that ease skin problems caused by dryness after bathing. So why not just make sure they get their nutritional requirements without any additives? Canned chickens are good for cats.
