# Boiled chicken



## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

I've recently been eating one boiled chicken breast a day, along with some boiled veggies and starches, and some wheat bread and a glass of water... For dinner... But I heard someone say it's healthier if you fry it in extra virgin olive oil... That sounds ridiculously disgusting to me and he says that this kind of fat is good.... What truth is there to this, if any? I'm pretty sure the chicken has enough fat in it...


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## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

If it's just a breast and you're boiling it then it probably has very little fat. Sauteeing it in olive oil would probably make it have a little more fat I guess but not significantly so, it's still a pretty lean piece of the chicken (which isn't terribly fatty anyway). A chicken breast cooked like that is really not very bad for you at all, I wouldn't worry about fat in and of itself so much. Obviously you don't want to start cooking everything in bacon fat or something but a little oil isn't going to hurt you, and browning the chicken in some oil would definitely give it more flavor than boiling it (though even then I personally find it a pretty dull meal to have day in and day out, your mileage may vary though).


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## Diphenhydramine (Apr 9, 2010)

Boiling is the least interesting of all the cooking methods


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## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

Shahada said:


> If it's just a breast and you're boiling it then it probably has very little fat. Sauteeing it in olive oil would probably make it have a little more fat I guess but not significantly so, it's still a pretty lean piece of the chicken (which isn't terribly fatty anyway). A chicken breast cooked like that is really not very bad for you at all, I wouldn't worry about fat in and of itself so much. Obviously you don't want to start cooking everything in bacon fat or something but a little oil isn't going to hurt you, and browning the chicken in some oil would definitely give it more flavor than boiling it (though even then I personally find it a pretty dull meal to have day in and day out, your mileage may vary though).


Could I just throw a bit of oil on top once it's cooked? I have no problem with eating boiled chicken. It tastes great to me. I started working out recently so I wanna eat healthy as well.



Diphenhydramine said:


> Boiling is the least interesting of all the cooking methods


Thank you for your noteworthy input.


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## Diphenhydramine (Apr 9, 2010)

ISFjosue0098 said:


> Could I just throw a bit of oil on top once it's cooked? I have no problem with eating boiled chicken. It tastes great to me. I started working out recently so I wanna eat healthy as well.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for your noteworthy input.


 In terms of health, if you fried your chicken but otherwise ate everything healthy, it'd be fine


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## peabrane (Nov 1, 2009)

Olive oil contains Linoleic acid (an essential omega-6 fatty acid), Oleic acid (an omega-9 acid associated with lower LDL cholesterol and possibly lower blood pressure), and a relatively low omega-6mega-3 ratio (ideally people should consume more omega-3, but modern day diets tend to contain a lot more omega-6). 

So if you're choosing between olive oil and another kind of oil, it might make sense to go with olive oil. If you weren't using oil at all, you don't need to add it (unless your diet is otherwise completely free of vegetable oil). If you do use it, try to avoid cooking with it on high heat.


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## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

ISFjosue0098 said:


> Could I just throw a bit of oil on top once it's cooked? I have no problem with eating boiled chicken. It tastes great to me. I started working out recently so I wanna eat healthy as well.


I mean yeah, I guess you could, but it kinda defeats the point...the point of cooking it in oil is to give it a flavorful browning. If you're fine with the boiled chicken then keep on keeping on but seriously, if your primary concern is being healthy you really don't need to worry about a chicken breast sauteed in olive oil, there's practically nothing unhealthy about it.


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## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

peabrane said:


> Olive oil contains Linoleic acid (an essential omega-6 fatty acid), Oleic acid (an omega-9 acid associated with lower LDL cholesterol and possibly lower blood pressure), and a relatively low omega-6mega-3 ratio (ideally people should consume more omega-3, but modern day diets tend to contain a lot more omega-6).
> 
> So if you're choosing between olive oil and another kind of oil, it might make sense to go with olive oil. If you weren't using oil at all, you don't need to add it (unless your diet is otherwise completely free of vegetable oil). If you do use it, try to avoid cooking with it on high heat.


Thanks. I take omega pills and I'm pretty sure they contain more omega 3 than 6. 



Shahada said:


> I mean yeah, I guess you could, but it kinda defeats the point...the point of cooking it in oil is to give it a flavorful browning. If you're fine with the boiled chicken then keep on keeping on but seriously, if your primary concern is being healthy you really don't need to worry about a chicken breast sauteed in olive oil, there's practically nothing unhealthy about it.


I see. Thanks  Maybe I'll occasionally treat myself to some fried chicken.


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## dpt727 (Jul 16, 2012)

peabrane said:


> Olive oil contains Linoleic acid (an essential omega-6 fatty acid), Oleic acid (an omega-9 acid associated with lower LDL cholesterol and possibly lower blood pressure), and a relatively low omega-6mega-3 ratio (ideally people should consume more omega-3, but modern day diets tend to contain a lot more omega-6).
> 
> So if you're choosing between olive oil and another kind of oil, it might make sense to go with olive oil. If you weren't using oil at all, you don't need to add it (unless your diet is otherwise completely free of vegetable oil). If you do use it, try to avoid cooking with it on high heat.


I agree with ^-^ Olive oil is good for you. Also, consider varying your diet to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need. Taking a good vitamin supplement would be benefical as well.


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## bluekitdon (Dec 19, 2012)

Deep fry it and slather it with butter. That oughta make it healthier . OK, to seriously answer your question...it isn't going to make a huge difference. Eat it with olive oil if you like it better that way.

Calories in Joy's Homemade Sauteed Chicken Breast In Olive Oil - Calories and Nutrition Facts
Calories in Foster Farms Chicken Breast Boiled Chicken - Calories and Nutrition Facts
Calories in Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - Boiled - Calories and Nutrition Facts

Keep in mind that not all chicken breast packages are the same as evidenced in the last two links, look on the package for specific nutrition info.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

Are you honestly satisfied by that meal? Like you're not starving three hours later? Fats are good for us. They makes us feel full and keep us full and satisfied longer. You're not doing your body any favors by not eating good fats. Try adding more fat to your diet (olive oil's good, or add some [real] butter to your vegetables. Or both...) and see how you feel.


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## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

Devin87 said:


> Are you honestly satisfied by that meal? Like you're not starving three hours later? Fats are good for us. They makes us feel full and keep us full and satisfied longer. You're not doing your body any favors by not eating good fats. Try adding more fat to your diet (olive oil's good, or add some [real] butter to your vegetables. Or both...) and see how you feel.


I take fish oil pills after my meals


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

suggestion from greek: add the olive oil, a handful of barley and lemon IN the boiling. Don't fry it, no need. Just make a soup the way we do


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## brittauzenne (Feb 8, 2013)

hilarious. eat it how you like, is what i think. both methods sound not so appealing if you ask me though but hey. but oh, how do you fry something in olive oil? i dont think anybody would do that... you could sauté it with seasonings in olive oil but fry? i dont get that. recently, i made the mistake of frying my breakfast hashbrown in olive oil and it was hideously disgusting..for the love of yourself avoid frying with olive oil- as in, don't submerse your food in it. olive oil is really not the best thing for that. Veggie oil is.


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## WickerDeer (Aug 1, 2012)

IDK if this has been said, but olive oil changes when you fry it--so does chicken. And I think most people agree that it's not for the better.

Probably, the healthier option would be to drizzle cold-pressed olive oil onto your boiled chicken. That doesn't sound so great though--but some fats are good for you, like olive oil, avocado (IMO), and fish oil. I also like to rub coconut oil onto my skin.


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## Devin87 (May 15, 2011)

Or rather than rubbing that coconut oil on your skin (which is also a good idea-- I've never done it, but I used it on really chapped lips once with pretty good results), you can cook your chicken in that. Much more heat stable than olive oil and has an even better fat profile (I'd stay away from the "vegetable" oil-- watch a youtube video on how they process that stuff-- blech).


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Devin87 said:


> Are you honestly satisfied by that meal? Like you're not starving three hours later? Fats are good for us. They makes us feel full and keep us full and satisfied longer. You're not doing your body any favors by not eating good fats. Try adding more fat to your diet (olive oil's good, or add some [real] butter to your vegetables. Or both...) and see how you feel.


Eating protein will make you feel more full than fats. Chicken breasts have a decent amount of protein so I'm guessing he feels full for a while. The funny thing is I think my grandparents used to boil chicken all the time. I don't think I've ever cooked it that way though. It isn't that bad though.


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## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

I think its fine for soups or if you want to make some generic meat for salad or something and make some stock while you're at it. I can think of few things more bland than boiling a boneless skinless chicken breast though.


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## Cher Zee (Feb 15, 2012)

Eat the boiled chicken. Eat a salad with olive oil dressing with it.


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## yet another intj (Feb 10, 2013)

ISFjosue0098 said:


> I'm pretty sure the chicken has enough fat in it...


Not anymore, because you boiled it.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

brittauzenne said:


> hilarious. eat it how you like, is what i think. both methods sound not so appealing if you ask me though but hey. but oh, how do you fry something in olive oil? i dont think anybody would do that... you could sauté it with seasonings in olive oil but fry? i dont get that. recently, i made the mistake of frying my breakfast hashbrown in olive oil and it was hideously disgusting..for the love of yourself avoid frying with olive oil- as in, don't submerse your food in it. olive oil is really not the best thing for that. Veggie oil is.


Actually, olive oil is MUCH better for high temperature cooking because it contains vitamin E - an antioxidant, that doesn't allow the production of trans fat that easily. Veggie oils are terrible and should never be used for frying except maybe for 1 time.

we use it for everything here (greece)


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