Photo provided
Chicken wings tend to be a staple at sporting events. They are served at most restaurants and bars, easy to eat, delicious, and a great food to share. These little wings may seem harmless, but in reality, they could be your diet killer.
Chicken is normally a lean meat, so your mind was on the right track. But the way chicken wings are prepared adds extensive fat and calories. Buffalo wings, for example, are cooked in a fryer — to give them that crunchy outer texture. If your wings include the skin, that increases your calorie and fat content. According to livestrong, eating 3 or 4 regular buffalo wings provides around 500 calories and nearly 40 grams of fat. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, this is one-fourth of your calorie allotment for the day and more than half your recommended fat intake.
Don’t forget about dipping sauces that are usually included with these diet-sabotagers. Blue cheese and ranch tends to be served with wings. Most often, these dipping sauces will have more calories than the wings! “Consuming a 2 oz. serving of blue cheese dressing contains around 300 calories,” according to livestrong. “And more than 30 grams of fat.”
Swap:
MorningStar’s Buffalo Wings
Serving Size: 5 wings • Calories: 200 • Fat: 8g • Carbs: 20g • Sodium: 640mg • Protein: 12g
Photo courtesy of morningstarfarms.com
These are vegetarian, but I swear they taste amazing! They are easy to make at home and taste just like chicken! Your waistline will be thanking us later.
If you are going out to a restaurant or a bar and wings are ordered, here are some helpful tips for you if you
can’t resist.
• Ask for the wings to be prepared in the oven rather the fryer
• Ask for the buffalo sauce on the side — buffalo sauce is prepared with hot sauce and butter. Then you are in
control of how much sauce goes onto your wings and into your mouth
• Celery and carrots placed on the side are there for you to eat and enjoy, not for decoration. Fill up on these veggies while eating your wings! Make a rule for yourself, for every one wing you consume, you need to eat at least one veggie. You’ll see, you’ll be full in no time!
