In the evening to help out or to give in to the children’s requests, chicken nuggets know how to be appreciated. But not all of them are good for your health! Dr. Jean-Michel Cohen, nutritionist and author of “Buying guide to eat better” shares with us the brand of nuggets that you should no longer buy on the shelves.
Nuggets: necessarily an unhealthy choice?
From Chicken Dips at Quick to Crispy Tenders at KFC: many chains have started to market the famous chicken nuggets, as they are so popular with the French. But behind these little breaded croquettes hide extended recipes, and breading rich in saturated fats.
The quality of the meat also leaves something to be desired: it would be composed of 50% chicken muscles and the rest, nerves, bones, cartilage and fat… finely mixed.
If chicken breast also contains very little lipids – only 3% according to the Ciqual website – supermarket nuggets are full of unnecessary fats and calories (between 200 and 300 kcal per 100 grams).
Finally, the oils used (sunflower, palm oil) are often uninteresting from a health point of view.
Also be careful with the carbohydrates present in the breading of nuggets: refined (i.e. processed), they can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.
Industrial nuggets: here is the brand to absolutely avoid in the supermarket
If, overall, the consumption of nuggets is not recommended, certain bites appear to be more harmful than others on the shelves. The doctor and author Jean-Michel Cohen has precisely spotted an industrial breaded preparation which combines a surplus of lower quality lipids, refined carbohydrates and a superfluous addition of additives.
So, what is this famous product to skip?
These are simply “maxi poultry nuggets” from Le Gaulois. Composed mainly of chicken skin and wheat fiber, with a surplus of flavorings and preservatives, these bites accumulate bad points.
“A preparation based on poultry, wheat proteins treated in salting (and not fillet) and a lot of additives! We also end up with more lipids than proteins”, alert the doctor.
Breaded chicken: what alternatives should you turn to?
In supermarkets, always prefer nuggets whose list of ingredients mentions chicken breast or fillet rather than chicken meat. Then, the shorter the recipe, the better the quality of the meat will be.
And if you are still hesitant about the shelves, here are two alternatives that you can buy with your eyes closed!
-
Chicken nuggets “L’atelier Père Dodu”
“Even if the meat remains cured, the quantity used is satisfactory, the breading is of good quality and without any ultra-processed ingredients or additives. WELL DONE !“, says the doctor.
-
Milanese plain bread crumbs “Le Gaulois”
“A real, simply breaded turkey escalope. A few additives, but it remains a good product without excess fat or salt and which offers a very good contribution of protein”, underlines Dr Jean-Michel Cohen.
Something to enjoy, without compromising on quality!