chicken

Nutrition

Chicken offers nearly all of the protein, vitamins and minerals supplied by beef with much less fat. A 3.5-ounce chicken breast supplies nearly half of the daily value of protein for the average man and 62 percent for the average woman. It also provides a fair amount of niacin and iron, and white meat and skinless chicken contain much lower calorie counts.
 
Selection

Check the date on prepackaged chicken for freshness. Frozen chicken should be extremely hard and have no visible ice or freezer burn inside the package. The color of the skin does not affect quality or nutritional value. When choosing fresh chicken, select meat that appears moist and plump and has a clean smell.
 
Storage

Chicken should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator or freezer, and should be kept in its original packaging when possible. Fresh raw chicken can be refrigerated for two to three days, and frozen chicken will keep for up to a year. Do not freeze a whole bird, but cut it into parts and individually wrap. Store whole birds and giblets separately because giblets spoil faster than the meat.
 
Preparation

The foundation for many recipes, chicken can be baked in parchment, fried, oven fried, poached, roasted, steamed or stir fried. To defrost frozen chicken, leave it in the refrigerator for three to four hours per pound of chicken. Do not allow chicken to thaw at room temperature and use a microwave to defrost only when cooking the chicken immediately. Cut away visible fat before preparation.

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