There is a reason why people respond, “Tastes like chicken” to just about every delicious food. Chicken tastes great! Luckily, it’s extremely healthy, high in protein (about 67.6 % of the daily value in just 4 ounces), cancer-protective B vitamin Niacin (about 78% of the daily value), and Selenium, which is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways. Chicken is also versatile and can help us avoid wasting money on food left uneaten. Avoid food waste by using every part of the chicken. We’ll show you how, it’s easy:
- First, eat the chicken itself. Unwrap it, remove the neck and gizzards (making sure to save them for later) and treat the skin with whatever spices or herbs you prefer. Grilling the chicken is a great way to get a smoky, flavorful effect. Cut off the tastiest parts of the chicken, like the breasts, legs, and thighs, and serve with a side of grilled asparagus, blanched broccoli, or some pasta. Easy as pie.
- The carcass will still have a bit of meat on it — extract the pieces of cooked meat and save them in a baggie in the freezer. This stuff is the perfect base for any chicken dish, like a casserole, soup, or chicken salad.
- Throw the leftover carcass in a big pot with pepper, onion, celery, and carrots, and make homemade chicken stock, which can be used for any of your soups. Homemade chicken stock is substantially healthier than store-bought and you’ll taste the difference when you serve your soups. Just freeze your stock in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and defrost in the fridge when you’re ready to make a risotto, chicken noodle soup, or chicken pot pie.
Check it out: All three meals probably only cost you about $12 total. Wow! Now that’s a deal. All it takes is a little bit of meal planning to use every scrap of the chicken and avoid some major food waste.
