Today's Tip: Fat Trap #2...

FAT TRAP #2: Remove the Chicken Skin

You hear it almost daily...eat skinless chicken!  Yes, this is true.  Each piece of skin contains 69 calories and 6 grams of fat, so it makes sense to buy skinless chicken, or at least to separate it from the breast before popping it in the oven, right?

Well, let’s talk about that for a minute. The skin locks in moisture, so when you cook it with skin on you get a tender, more flavorful chicken.  So what to do??

The Fix

Just because you cook it with the skin on, you don't have to eat it!  So...try cooking your chicken with the skin on, and just remove it right before serving.  It will be more flavorful, and won't need as much calorie-rich sauce, salad dressing or other topping.  The exception: if you’re making soup or a casserole, the fat from the skin will drain into the dish, so peel it off beforehand.

Source: Amy Myrdal Miller, R.D., director of culinary nutrition at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Saint Helena, CA.