How Many Calories Are In 8 oz of Chicken Breast?

Many people opt to eat chicken breasts as a major part of their diet. Why? Muscle builders love them for their protein content, and weight-loss enthusiasts enjoy them for their low-calorie content.

The default chicken breast serving that active people prefer to consume is around 8 ounces. This amount is just enough to complement most weight-loss-friendly foods such as boiled potatoes, whole grains, or leafy greens.

Calorie content of 8 oz chicken breast

The calorie count of chicken breast can vary, depending on whether you eat it with or without the skin, which is very fatty. According to different sources, 8 oz of chicken breast without skin provides from 260 kcal to 375 kcal. By contrast, an 8 oz of chicken breast with skin contains around 448 calories. The skin adds about extra 70 calories from fats.

Almost 80% of chicken breast calories are protein and 20% are fats. How about carbohydrates? Chicken breast contains zero carbs!

Since sources vary on the exact nutrition information, if you are looking for more accurate chicken breast nutrition data, be sure to scrutinize product labels before making your purchases.

The role of chicken breasts in weight loss

First of all, high-protein foods reduce appetite and they mostly make you feel full faster. This prevents you from eating excess calories throughout the day.

Additionally, it is a great source of protein. Protein is an essential nutrient to retain muscle while you’re dieting. The more muscular you are the higher metabolism you will have.

After you consume food, your body spends some amount of energy to digest and metabolize it. Usually, we need to spend more energy to digest high-protein food comparing to high-fat or high-carb food. At the end of the day, it all results in extra burned calories.

Of course, it is not recommended to eat only chicken breasts, or only one food in general. This can cause key nutrient deficiencies in your body. For instance, chicken breast doesn’t contain fiber which is beneficial for our digestive system. Keep all nutrient intake in balance, and remember to eat at least 0.9 lb (400 grams) vegetables and fruit per day!

Reference

1. Product nutrition fact labels.