If you are food enthusiastic, you must be in love with chicken. Some only love it to such an extent that they don’t eat any other meat. Well, I don’t blame them because chicken’s taste, benefits, and well-pairing with a wide range of cuisines really make it perhaps the greatest meat ever. You can buy both fresh and pre-packaged chicken from a nearby supermarket.
But, Is pre-packaged chicken bad for you?
Honestly, No. The reality is that the nutritional value of fresh and properly frozen chicken is more or less the same. Chicken, whether in frozen or fresh form, is a better alternative to red meats like pork or beef.
If you want to know more about pre-packaged chicken, then don’t go anywhere.
Table of Content
Is Packaged Chicken Healthy? Know The Details
We often get this question, is pre-cooked chicken safe? While it’s true that frozen chicken might lose some nutrients throughout the freezing and packaging process, it is very minimal.
To ensure the top-quality, commercially frozen chicken is frequently blast chilled or flash frozen.
Quick freezing stops the fluid inside the chicken from crystallizing into big crystals. It is good because it can cause texture and nutrition to deteriorate more quickly.
Home freezers, on the other hand, cannot freeze the chicken, It can only provide the cold effects.. Therefore home-frozen chicken may be less nutritious than commercially frozen chicken.
Here is the nutritional content of frozen chicken
| Energy | 80 calories |
| Total fat | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 60mg |
| Carbohydrate | 0g |
| Sodium | 260mg |
| Protein | 15g |
Moreover, Frozen chicken is frequently less expensive than fresh chicken, and it has the added benefit of longer storage life. You can freeze your fresh chicken if you are not planning to cook it anytime soon.
Is Frozen Chicken Processed?
People ask us, is pre-cooked chicken processed? Well, let me answer it by comparing processed chicken vs fresh chicken.
Fresh chicken is the same as chicken in a freezer bag except it’s frozen. The pre-packaged chicken breast you are about to buy or Frozen chicken is not more processed in any way. Both are all-natural and have never been exposed to antibiotics, but one is frozen at the pinnacle of freshness.
Frozen chicken is coated in a layer of ice to keep the quality up for an extended period. Such chicken is also easy to cook. A skillet on the stovetop is our recommended way of cooking each frozen chicken. This ice layer melts quickly in a closed pan on the stovetop, generating steam for speedier cooking.
How Long Does Pre-Packaged Cooked Chicken Last?
You can store the pre-cooked chicken for three days in the refrigerator and for 12 to 16 weeks in the freezer.
Eating chicken after this time limit might have bacteria that can cause chronic disease in the body.
This might now lead you to think why can’t you just zap it in the microwave.
Microwaves heat food from the outside in, not the other way around. Therefore reheating cooked chicken in the microwave will kill bacteria on the surface but not the toxins created by bacteria growing beneath the surface.
So, five days long chicken is no longer safe to eat, even after microwaving it.
Let’s now formally compare Pre-Cooked chicken vs Raw chicken briefly.
Disadvantages of Using Pre-Packed Chicken
The freezing procedure of pre-packed chicken can cause a change in its taste. To make up for that, the products are processed with more salt and fat to enhance the taste levels. The high salt and fat can lead to high blood pressure and a bigger belly.
In addition, companies have to use preservatives and hazardous vegetable oils to increase their stability and shelf life.
Important Note: Carefully read the “Nutrition label” on the packet before buying it. Check the sodium, salt, preservatives, and other important things and decide whether it is healthy for you or not.
Sadly, most ready-to-eat meals aren’t ideal. Some of them contain too much starch while others have none of it. Similarly, fat content is more while essential nutrients are very less.
So, all you need to do is to check the ingredient list to find out the nutritional value of the prepared chicken you are buying.
Pre-Cooked Chicken vs Raw Chicken
As we all know chicken is the most widely available and consumed meat all over the world, it is also critical that we comprehend the differences between the frozen and fresh chicken.
The biggest difference between fresh and frozen chicken is the time period in which it gets stored. Fresh chicken should be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours before eating.
However, you can keep a frozen chicken in the freezer for months.
So, go for fresh chicken if you are planning to eat it on the same day. If you just want to be done with the grocery list and want to purchase the chicken for the upcoming days, then buy a frozen one.
Another difference between fresh and frozen chicken is the texture of the meat after cooking. Any texture change is due to how the frozen chicken flesh is thawed (thawing is the process in which frozen chicken is cooked at a high temperature until it’s no longer in a frozen state).
If thawed too quickly, the chicken meat is unable to absorb moisture from melting ice as effectively. As a result, it will become harsher and rough when cooked.
Thawing slowly will allow the meat to absorb the water and remain as soft and fresh as a daisy.
Now, it’s time for knowing the bad effects of pre-packaged chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is canned chicken healthy?
Canned chicken is high in protein, vitamins (especially B &D), calcium, and iron, So, it is healthy. However, make sure the sodium content is under controlled levels. Too much sodium can cause dehydration, high blood pressure, hypertension, headache, and many other health complications.
Why is the chicken bag puffed up?
The puffiness of the bags indicates that the packing is correctly sealed. The product (chicken in this case) is put into the bag, and sealer bars apply pressure. This pressure puffs up the ambient air.
What is the healthiest chicken to eat?
Chicken that does not contain trans fat is the healthiest. So, choosing deep-fried chicken is not good for your health.
Plus, the thigh has more calories than the breast. So, order the breast part instead of the others.
Final Thoughts
So, Is pre-packaged chicken bad for you?
No, it’s really not. Both frozen and raw chicken have the same nutritional value and health content.
You should buy frozen chicken if you want to cook it in a day or two. Similarly, you can go for raw chicken if you want to cook it immediately as storing raw chicken without freezing properly might harbor bad bacteria.
What you should do is check the ingredient label to know the nutritional content of pre-packed chicken because different brands have different techniques (beware of those brands that add extra salt) to process and freeze their chicken. Buy it from a reputable company/brand and keep living healthily.
