"Switching to lean, skinless chicken is one of the easiest things you can do to reduce your fat intake."
- Nutritionist and Dietitian Amanda Johnson

It is well known that the key to a healthy lifestyle is balance. We should all aim to take part in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, and have a balanced diet that includes lots of fruits, salads and vegetables and wholegrain starchy foods such as breads, rice or pasta, alongside main meals and as snacks.

Chicken can make a great contribution to a healthy, balanced diet, and can form the basis of light meals such as sandwiches or soups, and main meals such as casseroles or stir-fries.

When served without the skin, chicken is low in fat, and most of the fat is the healthier type (monounsaturates, along with some polyunsaturates).

Look for the Tegel Lean & Lite range of low-fat, skinless, boneless cuts for a nutritious and healthy choice. Chicken mince, schnitzel, tenderloins, breast and thigh fillets and stir-fry all now display the Heart Foundation Tick.

Chicken provides an excellent package of nutrients, including:

• High quality protein, needed for growth and repair of body tissues.
• Iron, which is required to produce healthy red blood cells, for healthy immune function, and for optimal growth and development in children. The iron is in the haem form, which is easily absorbed by the body.
• Zinc, which is needed for the production of numerous enzymes, to promote tissue growth and repair and to help the body to use carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
• Selenium, which acts as an antioxidant (protecting cells from damage) and also plays a role in healthy immune function.
• Niacin and vitamin B6, which are needed for metabolic reactions in the body, and vitamin B12, which helps make red blood cells and maintains the nervous system.

When preparing, cooking and serving chicken-based dishes, remember to keep high-fat and high-salt ingredients to a minimum and add in plenty of vegetables for a healthy meal.

If you're short on time then boneless, skinless chicken is a quick and easy option, and has the added bonus of no waste.

Nutrition Information: Lean, grilled chicken breast*

Note: 100g of uncooked Lean & Lite chicken breast fillet has 2.6g total fat (0.9g saturated fat/1.7g unsaturated fat).
Source: Independent analysis by NZ Labs for Tegel Foods Ltd, July 2007

*Data from: Athar N, McLaughlin J, Taylor G, Mishra S. The Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables. 7th Edition. New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research and Ministry of Health, 2006.