You may think that your days of eating things like grilled BBQ chicken are over if you are about to adopt a healthier eating style for reasons of dieting or just because you want your family to eat better for long term health. There are some types of chicken that you do have to avoid, for the most part, but you can make some of your favorites if you make some modifications to the part of the chicken that you use. You don't even have to give up the dark meat to have a healthier chicken dish.
For dieting reasons, most would use chicken breasts for grilled BBQ chicken. This can be great on the grill and even in your oven at times, but there is one thing about breasts that most people do not like. These can dry out very quickly and even with good BBQ sauce on it, it can be like chewing on rubber chicken rather than real chicken. You have to use a meat thermometer and pull the meat the moment it meets the temperature requirements or it will dry out. Don't forget to use low calorie BBQ sauce so you don't add a lot of sugar and calories. You can use bone-in and skin-on chicken breast for grilled BBQ chicken if you wish. The BBQ Competition in Columbia, SC has a category for this. You are going to have a few more calories in there, but it is still an overall good choice. This meat is going to be more moist than the skinless breast, and is probably going to taste better. You can still overcook it though, so make sure you get it off the moment it is done for the best taste possible. If you use bone in, remember not to touch the bone with the meat thermometer that you use, as that can give you the wrong reading on the true temperature of the meat. Some of the best grilled BBQ chicken is the skin on thigh. This is classic, along with the drumstick, for outdoor BBQ and even fried chicken. The problem with this meat is that it does have more fat and if you eat a lot of it, you are not going to lose any weight and will probably gain. Dark meat, however, is the juicy part of the chicken. You can either take the skin off to cut off calories before you cook it, or you can cook it with the skin on to add some moisture, and then remove when the chicken is almost done. Then apply BBQ sauce to the meat. This is a healthier than usual option that is still going to taste really good on the grill. If you go into a restaurant, you have to ask a lot of questions about any of the meals that you want to buy. Many of the entrees that you get are prepared with more calories and fat than you could ever manage to add yourself at home. This means asking questions. If you get a salad or entree with grilled BBQ chicken, ask about preparation, skin, type of meat, and how it was cooked. This is just so that you know what you are eating and even if you think it is a good idea or if you should order something else. Remember, just because something is chicken it does not mean that it is healthy or low calorie.
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