Hello everyone! Happy Thursday! I hope you're having a great week!
I didn't forget about this #blogpost! I want to dedicate time to writing these blog posts so they are as informative and helpful to you as possible!
A lot of you voted for this topic on my poll on Instagram and it's about choosing chicken at the grocery store! I know it can be a little overwhelming given that so many brands are out there and each one includes a lot of information on their labels! I promise it doesn't have to be hard! Here are some statements you can check on labels and their meaning:
Hormones: One of the biggest confusions that most of us (I include myself because I didn't know this until I went to school and learned about it!) have is the use of hormones in poultry. When we see on some labels that these chickens don't have hormones, but other brands don't include this statement on their labels, makes you believe that if it's not stated it contains hormones, right? Let me tell you, you can rest in peace because the use of hormones in chickens is against federal law! Even if it is not stated on the label, chickens in the US can't have hormones! If the manufacturer decides to use this statement on their label they have to include the phrase beside it: "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones". This way it's not confusing for the consumer.
Antibiotics: I would suggest you notice this statement on the label. There are regulations stated by the FDA on the use of antibiotics, but if certain farms don't use them with caution on their farm animals, these can develop antibiotic resistant bacteria which can be dangerous if we consume them. Certain farms do use antibiotics and follow the FDA regulations but there are other farms that try to avoid the use of antibiotics on their animals. I would suggest you the options that don't use antibiotics to be on the safe side. By being antibiotic free these chickens don't necessarily have to be organic, that's part of a completely different label. This means that regular non-organic chickens can have the "antibiotic free" statement on their label and still be at an affordable price!
Natural: this is a common statement on many foods, not just poultry. This only means that the chicken is minimally processed. But processing can also include: slicing, cubing or even turning chicken into ground chicken. The word processed doesn't have to involve the use of chemicals or something negative.
Fresh: This can sound very appealing, but the true meaning behind this word is that the chicken has been stored at 26F. If it was stored at lower temperatures it would be frozen, which I know a lot of people are not the biggest fans of buying frozen meats.
Chemical Free: this term is not allowed on labels! It would call your attention if a label states that there are no chemicals on this chicken, but there is no reason for chicken to be full of chemicals.
Certified: This means that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Agriculture Marketing Service evaluated the product for class, grade or other quality characteristics.
Organic: For chickens to be considered organic, they have to follow these standards: poultry has to be fed with 100% organic foods, poultry has to follow the regulations and practices were they will not be treated if injured or sick, at least 30% of their diet has to come from pasture and poultry is required to have access to the outdoors.
Okay, after this quick summary of all the terms you may find on label at the grocery store, I have my final recommendations! Try to focus more on antibiotic free poultry since this can potentially be dangerous if antibiotic resistant bacteria is consumed through chicken. Regarding the other terms, I would suggest that if you can afford organic food and that's your personal preference, by all means you can choose it, but if you're on a tight budget feel free to get regular chicken that states it's antibiotic free or no antibiotics ever. Organic chicken will not be "more nutritious" than regular chicken. You can decide whether you like frozen or fresh chicken but this is mainly a personal preference. I hope this information is helpful to you and solves many of the questions that arise when you see all these claims and statements on labels!
Now the yummy Edamame Peanut Recipe!
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts- cubed
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons liquid aminos
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup edamame
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 small onion- finely chopped
Method:
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, water and spices
Cube the chicken before cooking it
In a large pan with avocado oil place the onion. When translucent incorporate the garlic
When the garlic is fragrant, place the chicken cubes
When the chicken starts to cook, pour the peanut sauce over
Let it cook for a few minutes, then incorporate the edamame and mushrooms
Let it simmer for approximately 10min or until everything is well cooked
Serving suggestions: to build your own bowl combine with quinoa or rice and extra veggies of choice! Enjoy!
If you have any more questions related to this topic, feel free to send me a DM or an email to andreamarro75@gmail.com
References:
Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. USDA FSIS. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms
Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards. USDA. https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards
Phasing out the use of antibiotics in some farm animals. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/phasing-out-certain-antibiotic-use-farm-animals
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