Healthy Ways to Cook a Chicken Breast

Chicken is a very diverse meat. Because it is so neutral in taste, there are a variety of ways to cook it and get different flavors. A great source of protein, chicken tastes great cooked a number of healthy ways. Remember that it's only healthy if you don't eat the skin, which is largely all fat. You may choose to cook the chicken with its skin on to retain moistness, but don't forget to remove it before eating. No matter which cooking method you choose, always use a food thermometer and cook your chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Grilling is a healthy way to cook chicken because of its natural ability to infuse flavor into the meat without using unhealthy sauces or oils. You can grill the entire breast, cut it into strips or cube the chicken, add vegetables and grill it as kabobs. Using scented wood chips or charcoals provides an extra flavor to your chicken. Use a healthy oil such as olive oil to make marinades to add more flavor to chicken before grilling. Some oil is required to prevent chicken from sticking to the grill, especially if its skinless.

Baking seasoned chicken is a quick, easy and healthy way to prepare it for you and your family. You can cook it simply by lightly seasoning with salt and pepper or you can prepare with a marinade. No oil is generally required to bake chicken because it cooks with its own juices. Using aluminum foil inside the pan can aid in easy cleanup. Once the chicken is tender and done throughout, you can remove it from the oven and drain off any excess liquid or oil. Make some vegetables or brown rice as a side or cut up the chicken and put it on top of a salad.

Roasting chicken is similar to baking except the chicken is cooked longer. The skin is cooked to the point of being crispy but the meat inside is still tender. You can brush the chicken lightly with oil or butter to aid in the crisping process. Because broiling and roasting is a slightly longer process, oil has an opportunity to evaporate.