White Meat Vs Dark Meat — Which Is Most Nutritious?

Common knowledge dictates that white meat poultry is a healthier option than dark meat. Yet, another well-known "fact" implies that adding oil to pasta water is the best way to keep noodles from sticking together, which is verifiably false. The reasoning lies in the higher caloric and fat content in thighs and legs compared to chicken breasts, but does less fat equate to being more nutritious overall? When The Takeout spoke with Dr. Roberto Valledor, a collaborating physician at Mochi Health, he pointed out there's more to nutrition than just counting calories.

As a board-certified family medicine physician currently supervising GLP-1-based obesity treatment protocols within Mochi Health's telemedicine platform, Valledor is well-versed on what makes the body tick. He confirmed that pieces of dark meat are nearly twice as fatty as their lighter-toned counterparts. "A 3-ounce serving of chicken breast contains approximately 140 calories and 3 grams of fat, compared to 170 calories and 9 grams of fat in 3 ounces of chicken thigh," Valledor shared.

But the story doesn't end there regarding comprehensive nutrition. "However, dark meat also contains higher levels of iron, zinc, and B vitamins," Valledor added. "The notion that 'white meat is healthier' is based on the fact that it contains fewer calories and less fat, which is relevant for those who need to manage their weight." Barring strict dietary limitations on fat, the minor differences in calories and fat content shouldn't keep anyone from eating thighs over breasts if that's what they prefer, though. "If you enjoy dark meat, and it means you won't drown your meal in rich sauces to make the white meat tasty, so be it," Valledor said.

Forgoing dark meat might save you from ingesting a few extra calories, but you'll also miss out on the nutritious vitamins and minerals it contains — plus, many people feel dark meat chicken does taste better. However, Dr. Roberto Valledor suggested that white versus dark shouldn't be the primary concern for most people trying to eat healthy. Instead, focus on what some folks deem the best part of the bird — that shatteringly crispy chicken skin. "There are 50 to 80 calories in chicken skin per serving," he said. "While moving from skin-on dark meat to skin-on white meat will knock off a few calories, you'll knock off more calories by simply removing the skin from either."

Sacrificing that tasty skin is one way to shave off a few calories, but Valledor argued there's more that people can do to make white or dark meat as nutritious as possible — or rather, not do. Unfortunately, this isn't going to sit well with fans of fried chicken sandwiches. "The important thing is to not fry it, and don't eat too much of it," Valledor said.

Overall, how chicken is prepared outweighs slight differences in caloric content. Opting to avoid frying poultry may sound like sacrilege to some, but Valledor makes his case by revealing that, for those counting calories, eating the fattier dark meat would be a better option. "A fried chicken breast with the skin on is going to be more calories than a skinless grilled chicken thigh," he said. "Cooking method and portion control are more important than the whole white/dark debate."