Does boiling chicken breast remove nutrients (proteins)?

[mchong75]

I’ve Google’d and ask a co-worker who’s a body builder but I’m getting mixed answers.

Does boiling chicken breast (without the skin) remove nutrients (Proteins)?
I’ve read where boiled chicken breast is the healthiest form for the meat since its not damaged as when grilled or fried and most of the fat is dissolved in water so that you can eat it any time without getting too much fat in company.
Also, boiling is the best way to maintain a moist chicken breast.
But, I’m also advised that boiling removes some of the nutrients (Proteins) from the chicken breast.

Any dietitians, nutritionist or chefs out there know the definitive answer? :)

[Rahb]

My wife is a dietician. No, it removes some minerals, but not the protein and healthy nutrients. It IS the healthiest way to prepare chicken.

[iCe]

I would be more concerned with where you get your food from than what happens when you cook it. "Corporate" chicken products, pork products, and beef products are bad news on a lot of levels.

You're fortunate to live in the Dallas area. There are a lot of alternative markets where you can buy pastured chicken and beef. They are true organic sources versus places like Whole Foods where the quality is better than most stores but the definition of "organic" has been grayed by the need to supply high volumes of food.

Check out "The Omnivore's Dilemma; A Natural History of Four Meals." It will change the way you view food and where it comes from.

There are links to places in your area that supply decent food at EatWild.com

[mchong75]

Robert & Michael - Thanks for the info.

[brewercm]

Does breading and frying the daylights out of it after it's been boiled remove the nutrients any more?

Sorry, way too much serious food talk for a Friday.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

If boiling chicken took out the nutrients, man wouldn't be eating chicken soup.

[janikphoto]

Originally Posted by Rahb

My wife is a dietician. No, it removes some minerals, but not the protein and healthy nutrients. It IS the healthiest way to prepare chicken.

This is what I've heard. Boiling food removes some minerals and other nutrients, that's why veggies shouldn't be boiled into mush.

[Imagebuffet]

Protein isn't really all that water soluble at low acidity, from what I know. Inasmuch as the pieces of chicken meat you would be cooking are the muscles, and muscles are made of large amounts of protein, and your chicken meat does not dissolve in water, I feel it is safe to say that you are not losing protein by boiling chicken in water. In fact, protein tends to denature and coagulate when heated; that's what eggs do when you cook them.

Other nutrients are water soluble, and some are also destroyed by extended periods of heating. B Vitamins, in particular, are damaged by heat. That's why you should not cook vegetables into mush. Salts are water soluble, so you may lose them by boiling meat (which is thought to be the reason people started salting food in the first place).

[jfoureyes]

I boil chicken in water, onion, parsley, and a cup or so of dry white wine...yummy stuff!!