Rotisserie chickens are convenient and make it easy to feed your family on busy days. However, many people would rather buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken than takeout as they believe it to be healthier, but is this true?
Store-bought rotisserie chicken is generally healthy and can be used as part of a well-balanced meal. However, you should look out for the list of ingredients, as some stores add extra sodium, sugar, and phosphate to their chickens with preparing them. These can affect your health if eaten in excess.
What is the general nutrient value of store-bought rotisserie chicken? Can you make rotisserie chicken healthier? This article will examine everything you should know about the healthiness of your store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Is Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken Healthy?
Rotisserie chicken that you can buy at your local grocery store is a convenient way to feed you and your family with less effort on your busy days.
Most people prefer to buy a ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken rather than take out, as they believe the chicken to be a healthier option, but is store-bought rotisserie chicken healthy?
Generally speaking, store-bought rotisserie chickens are healthy, as both the white and dark meat of the chicken has many vitamins and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy. The meat is also packed with protein and will help keep you full for longer.
The problem with store-bought rotisserie chickens is not the chicken itself but the ingredients added to the chicken during the preparation and cooking process. Rotisserie chickens are injected with brine or sorts to help keep them moist through the long cooking process.
This brine can be filled with sugar, sodium nitrate (salt), natural flavors, gums, carrageenan, and added preservatives to keep the chicken moist and to help flavor it and keep it fresh while it’s sitting in the store waiting for a customer to purchase it.
These added ingredients can make the rotisserie chicken slightly unhealthier than you expect it to be. However, store-bought rotisserie chicken is still healthier and packed with more nutrition than takeout foods, so it’s still a better option when you need to feed your family in a hurry.
The Nutrition Of Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken
So, we know that store-bought rotisserie chicken is relatively healthy and can still give you many vitamins and minerals to help preserve your health.
Let’s go through the general nutritional value of store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Keep in mind the chicken sold at your local store might have slightly different nutritional value than the table below, depending on what they put in their brine, but the table does give a good indication of the nutritional value you can expect from the rotisserie chicken.
| Chicken Thigh With Skin | Chicken Thigh Without Skin | Chicken Breast, Skin on | Chicken Breast, Without skin | |
| Calories | 192 | 165 | 149 | 122 |
| Protein | 18 grams (0.6 ounces) | 21 grams (0.7 Ounces) | 22 grams (0.7 ounces) | 24 grams (0.8 ounces) |
| Fat | 12 grams (0.4 ounces) | 9 grams (0.3 ounces) | 7 grams (0.2 ounces) | 3 grams (0.1 ounces) |
| Carbs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium | 550 milligrams (0.019 ounces) | 550 milligrams (0.019 ounces) | 550 milligrams (0.019 ounces) | 550 milligrams (0.019 ounces) |
| Sugar | 1.8 grams (0.063 ounces) | 1.8 grams (0.063 ounces) | 1.8 grams (0.063 ounces) | 1.8 grams (0.063 ounces) |
Benefits Of Eating Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken
Store-bought rotisserie chicken is generally healthy and can offer your body much-needed nutrients you would not get if you went for takeout. There are some great benefits of choosing store-bought rotisserie chicken over your regular fast food options.
Apart from the good nutrient content of the store-bought rotisserie chicken, these chickens are convenient, inexpensive, and can effortlessly feed a family of four, which is perfect for most families. Store-bought rotisserie chickens are pre-cooked, so you can eat them immediately.
You can also shop around your area and find the healthiest rotisserie chicken at all your local stores to ensure you get the best quality chicken without most of the added ingredients.
Downsides Of Eating Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken
Even though store-bought rotisserie chicken has many benefits, there are a few downsides to them that you should know. In some store-bought rotisserie chickens, some added ingredients can cause various health problems if eaten too frequently and in large amounts.
The main cause for concern in store-bought rotisserie chicken is the added phosphate that is generally present in the brine injected into the chicken to keep it moist. People sensitive to phosphate might react negatively to it in the chicken.
However, most people don’t need to worry about this, as excess phosphate will only affect those with chronic kidney disease. The best way to avoid the phosphate in the chicken is to not eat the skin
How To Make Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken Meals Healthier?
Most people are apprehensive about the healthiness of your store-bought rotisserie chicken.
You can do several things to make it more nutritious and healthy. These things are easy and will ensure you get everything you need from your rotisserie chicken meal.
Use The Chicken In A Salad
The best way to make your store-bought rotisserie chicken healthier is to make a delicious salad with the chicken. You can create many flavorful and satisfying salads with your chicken that will keep you full and increase your nutrient intake.
You can make a regular chopped salad with the chicken, or you can make rice bowls, quinoa bowls, roast veggie salads, and more with your rotisserie chicken.
Eat The Chicken As A Snack
Most people have leftover store-bought chicken, especially if they have a small family. Pull the leftover chicken off the bones and use it in other dishes or eat it as a quick protein snack throughout the day.
There are several ways to use leftover rotisserie chicken. You may need to get a little creative or look online for more recipes.
Make Chicken Noodle Soup
The other way you can help increase the health of the rotisserie chicken you buy is to use it to make chicken noodle soup.
This soup is generally filled with vegetables and is a well-balanced meal packed with nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy.
Final Word
Store-bought rotisserie chickens are a convenient way to feed your family a generally healthy meal. Some store-bought rotisserie chickens can be high in sodium and sugar, but they are a lot healthier for you than other convenient meals you could buy.
These chickens are a great source of protein, B vitamins, and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
You should avoid eating the skin of the chicken as this can contain extra phosphate and other additives that you might want to lower your intake of, but in general, store-bought rotisserie chickens are healthy. Enjoy your rotisserie chicken!
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- What Is The Best Way to Reheat A Rotisserie Chicken?
Sources
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a27420968/is-rotisserie-chicken-healthy/