Diabetes is a group of diseases that results in people having too much sugar in their blood. There are three main types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational. Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Managing and treating high blood sugar is important over the long-term to prevent any damage to the body, organs or tissues.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 34.2 million people have diabetes (10.5% of the U.S. population) and 34.5% of the adults in the U.S. have prediabetes. No matter how you slice it, National Diabetes Month is a chance for millions to share what life with prediabetes or diabetes is like and bring awareness to this disease.
For people diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, or for those who want to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes making good nutrition decisions and choosing a healthy eating pattern, can go a long way.
That said, according to a report from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there is no one “magic” diet for diabetes. From Mediterranean to flexitarian to low carbohydrate eating patterns, it’s all about mixing up food choices to keep things tasty and exciting. Trying new foods can also help find the right balance of flavors that works for the long-term.
So, in trying to bring awareness to diabetes prevention and management for National Diabetes Month, what does all this mean and how does chicken fit in?
This National Diabetes Month, think of chicken as an affordable, convenient, family-friendly and versatile “blank slate” for culinary exploration that makes sure eating is enjoyable, delicious and flavor-packed.
When it comes to building healthy meals that help with blood sugar management, the ADA supports making lean protein foods fill a quarter of the plate (e.g. chicken).
Eating enough protein is an important part of any diabetes eating plan as it can help control blood sugar, increase feelings of fullness and support weight loss in those with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
Lean protein foods, such as broiled, baked, roasted, steamed, or grilled chicken breast, can be lower in fat and saturated fat, making them a healthier choice to include as part of any meal.
But, planning meals and snacks daily while trying to find ways to mix things up can be challenging.
Check out these sample plates for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack inspiration from the ADA (HINT: we love the Lemon Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic for an easy weeknight meal).
For even more mouthwatering recipes, the ADA has nearly 300 easy and delicious possibilities that feature chicken as part of their Diabetes Food Hub, which can be filtered by different cuisines or meal types. We challenge you to find a healthy and tasty substitution for your favorite food!
Don’t be afraid to check in with chicken and try something new this National Diabetes Month!
Washington, D.C. – Throughout the last year, as home kitchens took center stage, Americans have been relying on chicken as a healthy and convenient protein that can be enjoyed by everyone. In fact, three-quarters (75%) of Americans who eat any chicken say they prepare chicken at home at least once a week. During the past 9 months of COVID-19, retail chicken sales have increased $1.3B, up 19.5% from the same period last year, according to IRI and 210 Analytics.
Today the National Chicken Council (NCC) unveiled the findings of a new survey fielded with the goal of better understanding chicken consumption trends and preferences in the United States. Along with a host of interesting metrics, the survey includes insight into the impact of the pandemic on chicken consumption habits, showing that half (50%) of Americans who eat chicken say they have eaten it more than any other protein during COVID-19.
Chicken has been popular during COVID-19 because it’s easy to prepare and great for meal prepping.
A staple of many diverse meals, it is no question that chicken is a versatile protein. Nearly half (48%) of survey respondents say they increased the amount of chicken they prepared at home during the pandemic, while 39% said they increased the ways they prepare chicken. No matter how Americans prefer it, chicken is an easy meal to prepare and is perfect for meal prepping, especially when we are spending more time than ever at home. Twitter users would agree, as ‘chicken’ has also been the most Tweeted about food during the pandemic months.
Chicken could be the way to a happy holiday, with half of Americans agreeing they’d prefer chicken to other proteins during the holidays.
With the pandemic shifting many holiday plans, people are finding innovative ways to reinvent their traditional celebratory meals. Half of Americans who eat chicken at all say they’d prefer chicken to ham (52%) or turkey (49%) at a holiday meal. And more than half would eat chicken wings as part of Thanksgiving (57%) or Christmas (61%) dinner.
If you are looking for a gift for your family and friends, look no further. The NCC survey shows 56% of chicken eaters would be happy to get chicken as a holiday gift. We recommend keeping it out of the stockings, of course!
Chicken is the preferred protein.
Based on the survey, it is clear Americans prefer chicken. But when it comes to other chicken decisions, Americans are split. Approximately one half (52%) of Americans prefer grilled chicken while the other would opt for fried (48%). Americans also just barely prefer boneless wings (53%) over traditional bone-in wings. Plus, two in five Americans say that the breast is their favorite cut of chicken, but wing (20%), thigh (17%) and drumstick (14%) are also fierce competitors. Three-quarters (74%) of chicken eaters would prefer to eat real chicken over plant-based alternatives.
“With everyone adjusting to a new way of life this year, chicken has been a reliable source of nutritious protein in an unpredictable time,” said Council spokesman Tom Super. “This research shows how the hard work of the entire chicken industry during this challenging time has supported many Americans who are looking for an easy-to-prepare, affordable, and healthy meal.”
High resolution photos of chicken meals are available to download here.
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On behalf of the National Chicken Council, Ketchum Analytics ran “U.S. Chicken Survey” to better understand current trends related to chicken consumption. This study was fielded online by LUCID with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of +/-3.1% and ran from October 24, 2020 to October 27, 2020. The study was derived from a sample of 999 Americans who eat chicken.
This post originally appeared on NCC’s Chicken Check In blog: www.chickencheck.in
