You don’t have to have a good reason to eat chicken nuggets. Day and night, even for breakfast, everyone eats delicious boneless pieces of chicken food. And, especially, children love them. Even, it has been associated with the Olympians.
Have you ever wondered what is in these nuggets we eat every day and how they are made? Are they nutritious and healthy? Or why do people even need to produce them?
In this article, we have researched the history and development of tasty chicken nuggets. Along with revealing some controversies about this chicken product, we want to satisfy your curiosity. Join us, and let’s dive in…
1. Who Invented Chicken Nuggets?
You might assume that chicken nuggets were produced by one of the famous fast-food companies like McDonald’s. Well, nuggets have a deeper history socially and economically.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that they were invented due to growing food demand and a cure for elevating proper diet in the US.
The nuggets as we know them today were produced by Robert C. Baker in a laboratory at Cornell University in the early 1960s. With this, Baker made it possible to enter more poultry products into the lives of many Americans, who had been consuming too much red meat, which caused severe health problems.
2. What’s in Chicken Nuggets?
First of all, you need to browse the website of each food chain to see what exactly is in their chicken nuggets. Or take a closer look at the packaged nuggets and read what the ingredients are. But you are right to assume that nuggets are made from chicken breast.
Well, the reality is there might be tens of different ingredients that make chicken nuggets. Therefore, don’t get surprised to see a variety of constituents such as soybean, modified cornstarch, and preservative EDTA in addition to chicken parts.
3. What Part of the Chicken is the Nugget?
Many different parts of the chicken can be mixed up and ground to make nuggets. The delicious nuggets you are served at the restaurants are usually composed of chicken parts such as breast, muscles, fat, connective tissues, and tendons. A batter of these parts is prepared before getting into the pieces we eat.
4. How Many Calories Are in a 4 Piece Chicken Nugget?
Although it may vary depending on the frying style, a typical bite (1 nugget) may contain 45 to 50 calories. So, a portion of 4 pieces of nuggets roughly gives you around 180 calories, though you need to check each food industry separately to see the nutrition facts and their chicken nuggets calories.
5. Are Chicken Nuggets High in Protein?
A plain chicken is full of protein. It provides us with the necessary amino acids that our body needs to maintain its vital activities. In parallel with this, nuggets will give you a certain amount of protein with each serving.
Presumably, a portion of chicken nuggets with six pieces will make approximately 20 grams of protein, making about 35 to 40 percent of daily use.
6. Is Chicken Nugget Healthy?
Chicken is white meat, and we know that it is super healthy. Now that chicken nuggets are made with chicken pieces; we may assume that nuggets are healthy. However, nuggets are not like plain chicken as they are processed, packaged, and usually frozen for a longer time.
Plus, we need to look closer at the ingredients of each brand or company. Therefore, the degree of healthiness for nuggets is not as specific as the chicken itself. So, it would be wiser to prefer nuggets free of unwanted ingredients and made locally.
7. Are Chicken Nuggets Gluten-Free?
Gluten is a type of protein found in a large variety of different foods. There is gluten in wheat, and nuggets are usually coated with certain types of wheat.
Therefore, unless you pay special attention to what is in the coating, the chicken nuggets you are served will not be gluten-free.
However, you may choose to make nuggets using gluten-free ingredients. Yet, there is always the risk of cross-contamination. So, you need to be picky while choosing the perfect chicken nuggets restaurant to enjoy real gluten-free ones.
8. How to Make Chicken Nuggets at Home?
Though there is not the perfect chicken nuggets recipe, you can make nuggets at home using everyday ingredients. And kids will love this idea!
To make your favorite chicken nuggets, you need pieces of boneless chicken breast as the main ingredients; and spices such as black pepper, paprika, and salt, though you may choose to season chicken breasts with many other different sauces to your taste. Besides, you will need milk and pickle juice (our advice) to have a tangy taste.
If you don’t like pickles, no problem. What’s more, some all-purpose flour, a large egg, and bread crumbs will help get the desired density and perfect crunch for the coating. Add some hot sauce of your taste if you want to set your mouth on fire.
When the mixture is ready, you know what to do. Here we go…You may choose to fry the chicken nuggets using vegetable oil, or you can bake them, too. It is up to you.
Bon Appétit.