With tasty poultry meat at your disposal, you can easily prepare a delicious meal. Especially since poultry contains a lot of valuable vitamins and minerals, as you will read about in this article. You will learn how to use poultry in the kitchen and why it is worth including it in your regular menu. You will also learn about the advantages of meat from organic farming in the EU.
When we talk about poultry, we mean not only chickens and turkeys, but also ducks and goose. Each type of poultry has its own unique flavor, but they are united by their great culinary usefulness.
Poultry meat forms the basis of many dishes. The most popular cooked dishes are broths served with noodles, as well as dishes and stews. Chicken and turkey breast fillets can be fried (sautéed or breaded) and made into de volaille cutlets or nuggets. From minced meat you will prepare meatballs, pasta sauces and burgers. Poultry meat can also be roasted in whole carcasses, and it tastes best stuffed with a stuffing with plenty of your favorite spices. As you can see, reaching for poultry gives you a multitude of options!
Exceptional taste is only one of its advantages. Read in what respects poultry meat is superior to other types of meat:
- Low fat content. Poultry meat and its products contain about 30% less fat than products made from meat from large slaughter animals.i This is excellent news for anyone concerned about a balanced diet;
- Low calories. There are about 99 kcal in 100 g of skinless chicken breast;ii
- Valuable source of complete protein. Depending on the species, breed, or part of the carcass, the protein content ranges from 18 to as much as 25%;iii
- High digestibility. The digestibility of poultry protein is 97%, which is great compared to the protein of vegetable products with a digestibility of 70-80%.iv
It is impossible to ignore the numerous nutritional values of poultry meat. It contains fat-soluble vitamins (A, D and E), and is a major source of vitamin B12.v Poultry meat contains important minerals such as zinc, copper, selenium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.vi
Introducing poultry products to your menu, preferably in combination with vegetables and other important nutrients, is a good way to create a balanced diet!
When deciding whether to buy food, consider the advantages that EU-certified farms have over conventional agriculture. Research conducted by the Polish Institute of Animal Nutrition and Bromatology has shown that organically raised poultry meat has significantly less raw fat and retains a higher water absorption rate than conventionally raised poultry.vii
The low fat content is a result of the EU's attention to animal welfare. In organic farming, chickens have more living space, can display natural behavioral reflexes to a greater extent and are less susceptible to stress. This, in turn, has a positive effect on their physica lactivity and enhanced resistance to disease.viii Reduced fatness makes organically raised poultry avaluable component of the diet, and consumers describe its taste as more mature and juicy than that of conventionally produced meat.ix
The second major advantage of organic poultry is the higher water absorption rate of the meat. This is one of the most important aspects from a technological point of view and also a parameter that is used to assess meat quality. Poultry meat with a high water absorption rate contains an optimal amount of protein, sodium, potassium and vitamins, as well as substances that positively affect its taste.x
Poultry meat from certified EU farms can become a regular part of your balanced menu. If you want to be sure that you are buying organically raised poultry, look for products signed with the green leaf logo on store shelves. This way you will gain safe, tasty food with high culinary and dietary qualities!
Sources:
iB. Ślaska-Grzywna, D. Andrejko, T. Jaśkiewicz, E. Kowalska, „Analiza spożycia drobiu i jego rola w diecie człowieka spożycia”, Inżynieria Przetwórstwa Spożywczego – Kwartalnik Naukowo-Techniczny, no 4/2019(28), p. 30
iiM. Michalczuk, A. Siennicka, „Właściwości dietetyczne mięsa różnych gatunków drobiu utrzymywanych w alternatywnych systemach chowu”, Przegląd Hodowlany, no 11/2010, p. 26
iiiB. Ślaska-Grzywna, D. Andrejko, T. Jaśkiewicz, E. Kowalska, tamże, p. 29
iv Ibid,p. 30
v Ibid
vi Ibid
viiB. Kiczorowska, W. Samolińska, A. R. Mustafa Al-Yasiry, A. Winiarska-Mieczan, M. Kwiecień, Wartość odżywcza mięsa drobiowego pochodzącego z produkcji konwencjonalnej i ekologicznej, Probl Hig Epidemiol 2015, 96(3), p. 601
viii Ibid
ixE. Rembiałkowska, „Jakość żywności ekologicznej”, Jornual of NutriLife2014, 04, www.NutriLife.pl/index.php?art=147 (access 19.08.2022).
x K.Tkacz, J. E. Rydel, G. Bazylczyk, M. Modzelewska-Kapituła, W. Zduńczyk, „Woda w mięsie. Część 2. Znaczenie technologiczne”, Przetwórstwo z pomysłem 2022, 01, https://informatormasarski.pl/przetworstwo-z-pomyslem/woda-w-miesie-czesc-ii-znaczenie-technologiczne/(access 19.08.2022)
