are bare chicken nuggets healthy

Are Bare Chicken Nuggets Healthy? The Truth Behind This Popular Frozen Food

Chicken nuggets are a beloved freezer staple, making them a convenient and affordable dinner, lunch, or snack. But are bare chicken nuggets a healthy choice? With so many brands and ingredients to consider, it can be tricky to determine if bare nuggets are actually good for you.

In this article, we’ll uncover the truth about bare chicken nuggets. We’ll explore the nutritional content, ingredients, and prep methods to help you decide if bare nuggets should have a spot in your freezer.

What Are Bare Chicken Nuggets?

Bare chicken nuggets are breaded chunks of boneless skinless chicken breast. They have a light crisp coating and are not pre-fried. Popular bare nugget brands like Just Bare and Applegate Organics promote their use of simple, natural ingredients.

These nuggets are meant to be a healthier alternative to heavily breaded, fried frozen nuggets. The lighter breading allows the flavor of the chicken to shine. By using whole cuts of breast meat, bare nuggets provide more protein than nuggets containing processed meat.

Nutritional Profile – Calories, Fat, and More

To understand if bare nuggets are healthy, you have to look at the nutrition facts:

• Calories: Just Bare nuggets contain 160 calories per 84g serving. This is considered reasonable for a protein-rich frozen food.

• Fat & Saturated Fat: With 7g total fat and 1.5g saturated fat per serving, these nuggets are relatively low in unhealthy fats.

• Sodium: Just Bare contains 470mg sodium per serving, which provides 20% of the daily value. For healthy individuals, this amount of sodium is considered moderate.

• Protein: At 16g of protein per serving, Just Bare nuggets make an excellent source of satisfying protein.

• Sugars & Carbs: With 9g carbs and 1g sugar per serving, these nuggets are low in carbs and sugar.

Compared to fried, heavily breaded nuggets, bare nuggets like Just Bare are lower in calories, fat, and carbs. The protein and sodium levels are on par with traditional nuggets.

Ingredients – What’s Inside Bare Nuggets?

When it comes to health, ingredients matter. Here’s what you’ll typically find in bare chicken nuggets:

• Chicken breast: The first ingredient is boneless, skinless chicken breast. Choosing breast meat cuts down on fat.

• Whole wheat flour: Most brands use whole grains like whole wheat flour for the breading.

• Starch: Corn starch or tapioca starch helps bind the breading. Starch adds crunch without extra fat.

• Natural flavor: Bare nuggets use natural flavors like vinegar and lemon juice instead of artificial flavors.

• Sunflower oil: A small amount of sunflower oil in the breading provides a crisp, golden texture.

• Sea salt: For seasoning, most bare nuggets just use basic sea salt.

By focusing on whole ingredients like chicken, whole grains, and natural flavors, bare nuggets avoid many additives found in highly processed options.

The Health Benefits of Bare Chicken Nuggets

Given the nutritional stats and simple ingredients, here are some of the top health benefits of bare chicken nuggets:

• High in lean protein to support muscle health and keep you full.

• Lower in fat, calories, and carbs compared to fried, breaded nuggets.

• Free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

• Offer an easy way to incorporate whole grains like whole wheat.

• Provide portion control when you want just a taste of chicken nuggets.

• Antibiotic-free chicken promotes responsible antibiotic use in poultry.

Potential Downsides to Consider

While bare nuggets are healthier than traditional frozen nuggets, here are a few potential downsides:

• Higher sodium content than plain chicken breasts. Check labels if limiting sodium.

• Can be more expensive than regular frozen nuggets.

• Still a processed food, so eat in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet.

• May be higher in carbs if you eat a large portion. Stick to recommended serving sizes.

• Breading may contain allergens like wheat, milk, soy, or eggs.

Expert Opinions – Are Nutritionists Onboard?

Many nutrition experts give bare chicken nuggets a tentative thumbs up. While no highly processed food is perfect, registered dietitians agree bare nuggets are a smarter choice than fried options.

Dietitians praise the use of whole ingredients like chicken breast and whole grains. They also approve of brands that avoid hormones, steroids and antibiotics. Experts advise enjoying bare nuggets in moderation along with plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole foods.

Tips for Choosing the Healthiest Bare Nuggets

If you want to incorporate bare chicken nuggets into your diet, here are some shopping tips:

• Seek out nuggets made with just chicken breast, not “formed” chicken pieces.

• Compare sodium levels and choose options under 600mg per serving when possible.

• Avoid nuggets with added sugars or sugary dipping sauces.

• Look for whole grain breading as one of the first ingredients.

• Select nuggets cooked only in vegetable oil, not hydrogenated oils.

• Choose antibiotic-free and hormone-free chicken if this is important to you.

• Check serving sizes, which vary from brand to brand.

Top-Rated Healthy Bare Nugget Brands

Based on their ingredients, nutrition stats and rave reviews, here are five of the top bare nugget brands to buy:

1. Applegate Organics Chicken Nuggets

With just 5 basic ingredients, 160 calories and 16g of protein per serving, Applegate Organics Chicken Nuggets earn top marks for health. The nuggets are moist, tender and deliciously crunchy using simple ingredients like organic chicken, whole wheat flour, sea salt and sunflower oil.

1. Just Bare Chicken Breast Nuggets

Just Bare nuggets also feature a straightforward ingredients list with no artificial additives. They have 160 calories, 7g fat and 16g protein per serving. While a touch higher in sodium at 470mg, they make a solid choice for whole food-focused eaters.

1. Trader Joe’s Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets

At just 150 calories and 13g protein per serving, Trader Joe’s nuggets are a dietitian favorite. They rely on tapioca starch instead of wheat for the coating, making them gluten-free. With just 4g fat and 290mg sodium per serving, they beat many competitors’ nutrition stats.

1. Ian’s Natural Foods Chicken Nuggets

Ian’s checks all the boxes for whole food ingredients like antibiotic-free chicken, whole wheat panko breading, and a touch of sunflower oil. With 150 calories, 6g fat and 15g protein per serving, they are lower carb and pack protein. Ian’s are on the smaller side, with about 20 nuggets per 8oz bag.

1. 365 Everyday Value Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets

For an affordable natural option, 365 Everyday Value nuggets are made with whole muscle chicken breast with rib meat along with whole wheat flour and minimal seasonings. A serving of about 8 nuggets nets you 170 calories, 7g fat, and 15g protein.

Healthy Ways to Cook Bare Chicken Nuggets

To get the maximum health benefits from bare nuggets, avoid frying. Instead, try these healthy cooking methods:

• Oven Bake – Place nuggets on a baking sheet and bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

• Air Fry – Mist nuggets with oil and air fry at 390F for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. Air frying makes them deliciously crunchy.

• Microwave – For a quick meal, microwave individual portions of nuggets for 2-3 minutes. Texture will be less crispy.

Serve your nuggets with roasted veggies, a green salad, whole grain pilaf or sweet potato fries. Pair them with condiments like honey mustard, barbecue sauce or ranch made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo.

The Bottom Line on Bare Chicken Nuggets

When chosen wisely and enjoyed in moderation, bare chicken nuggets can be part of a healthy diet. Brands that focus on whole food ingredients like Just Bare offer more nutrition than heavily breaded, fried nuggets.

Stick to reasonable serving sizes, and balance out your nuggets with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils and plant-based protein sources. This ensures you get a wide range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

While no processed food is perfect, bare nuggets made with simple, natural ingredients are a better choice compared to regular frozen chicken nuggets. Their nutrition stats show they are lower in fat, calories and carbs than fried varieties.

With high protein content and options to fit many diets, bare nuggets can be an easy way to add taste and nutrition to your weeknight dinners.

Yes, Just Bare chicken is generally considered to be of good quality. Customers frequently praise its flavor, texture, and lack of artificial ingredients or preservatives.