- 100 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast that is roasted contains about 31 grams of protein.
- 100 grams of chicken thigh (meat and skin), roasted has about 23 grams of protein per serving.
- 100 grams of chicken drumstick (meat and skin), roasted has about 23 grams of protein per serving.
- 100 grams chicken wing (meat and skin), roasted has about 24 grams of protein per serving.
WHY IS PROTEIN SO IMPORTANT IN THE DIET?
- Protein is a component of every cell in the human body and is necessary for proper growth and development, especially during childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy.
- Protein helps your body build and repair cells and body tissue.
- Protein is a major part of your skin, hair, nails, muscle, bone, and internal organs. Protein is also found in almost all body fluids.
- Protein is important for many body processes, such as blood clotting, fluid balance, immune response, vision, and production of hormones and enzymes.
CAN I GET MORE PROTEIN FROM OTHER SOURCES OF FOOD?
Chicken has about the same amount of protein as other commonly consumed animal-based meats per standard serving size. However, compared to many plant-based proteins, the protein from chicken is of a higher-quality, meaning it has enough of each of the nine essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein – that are needed in the human diet. You can only get the nine essential amino acids from the foods you eat, and many plant-derived foods have a less favorable amino acid profile, which means they can be difficult to digest and not as usable in the body.