Buffalo chicken is a popular dish that combines chicken with a spicy buffalo sauce. It’s a great high-protein option, but many wonder about the macros (protein, carbs, fat) for this recipe. In this article, we’ll break down the typical macros for buffalo chicken so you can fit it into your diet goals. We’ll look at macros for plain buffalo chicken as well as popular buffalo chicken recipes like wraps, pizza, and salads. Read on to learn all about the macros of this fan favorite!
Macros for Plain Buffalo Chicken
Let’s start by looking at the macros for just plain buffalo chicken, without any other ingredients added. This will give us a baseline to understand how the macros change with different recipes.
For 3 ounces or 85 grams of plain buffalo chicken, you can expect:
| Macro | Grams |
|---|---|
| Protein | 25g |
| Carbs | 0g |
| Fat | 4g |
As you can see, plain buffalo chicken is high in protein, with 25 grams per 3 ounce serving. It contains minimal carbs and just 4 grams of fat. This makes it an excellent choice if you are looking to increase protein intake while minimizing carbs and fat. The hot sauce adds lots of flavor without additional calories or carbs.
Macros for Buffalo Chicken Wraps
One popular way to enjoy buffalo chicken is in a wrap or sandwich. This adds in additional ingredients that will change the macros. Here are the macros for a typical buffalo chicken wrap with tortilla, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and ranch dressing:
| Macro | Grams |
|---|---|
| Protein | 32g |
| Carbs | 36g |
| Fat | 24g |
With the addition of the tortilla, vegetables, cheese, and dressing, the protein increases slightly to 32g per wrap. The carbs jump up to 36g, mostly coming from the tortilla. And the fat rises to 24g due to the cheese and dressing.
You can reduce carbs by using a low-carb tortilla option. Opt for light dressing and cheese to cut back on fat. But overall, buffalo chicken wraps make a quick high-protein meal, even with some extra carbs and fat.
Macros for Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Using buffalo chicken as a pizza topping is an amazing combination. But how does pizza crust affect the macros? Here is a breakdown for one slice of buffalo chicken pizza:
| Macro | Grams |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18g |
| Carbs | 24g |
| Fat | 11g |
The pizza crust adds a good amount of carbs, raising this macro to 24g per slice. The protein drops slightly to 18g compared to the plain chicken. And fat comes in at 11g due to cheese and oils used for cooking the crust.
You can adjust macros by choosing a thin, high-protein crust option or cauliflower crust to reduce carbs. Stick to just cheese as a topping and avoid fatty meats to keep fat grams lower. Pizza is tricky for macros, but still do-able in moderation on a healthy eating plan.
Macros for Buffalo Chicken Salads
Turning buffalo chicken into a salad is an awesome way to cut carbs and increase volume. Here are the typical macros per serving of a buffalo chicken salad:
| Macro | Grams |
|---|---|
| Protein | 37g |
| Carbs | 9g |
| Fat | 16g |
With nutrient-dense lettuce and vegetables instead of grains, this salad has just 9g of carbs. Protein is increased to 37g by using a higher amount of chicken. And moderate fats come from the cheese and dressing.
You can further reduce fat by using just 1 tablespoon of dressing and sticking to lighter cheese options like feta or parmesan. Making your own dressing with Greek yogurt is another way to cut fat and calories while keeping flavor. Overall, a buffalo chicken salad is one of the lighter options for enjoying this tasty cuisine.
Best Practices for Counting Macros
When counting macros for buffalo chicken or any other food, keep these best practices in mind:
– Use a food scale to portion ingredients and weigh chicken pieces to maximize accuracy. Measuring cups can be inaccurate.
– Look up macro counts from valid sources like the USDA or product nutrition labels, and calculate based on the grams you are actually eating.
– Track every ingredient and condiment that you use in recipes to account for all sources of protein, carbs, and fat.
– If dining out, look up nutrition information online or request it from your waiter. At restaurants, portions and ingredients may differ from recipes.
– Adjust seasonings like hot sauce minimally to avoid skewing nutrition data. Some buffalo chicken recipes call for up to a cup of hot sauce which can add extra sodium.
Following these tips will help ensure your macro tracking is as accurate as possible. This sets you up for success in reaching your health and fitness goals.
Sample Meal Plan with Buffalo Chicken
Here is a sample one-day meal plan incorporating buffalo chicken to meet certain macro goals:
| Meal | Food | Macro Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 eggs, 1 cup egg whites, 1 cup oats | P: 52g C: 54g F: 10g |
| Lunch | Buffalo chicken salad with 4oz chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion, 1 tbsp dressing | P: 44g C: 13g F: 17g |
| Dinner | 4oz plain buffalo chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup rice | P: 49g C: 29g F: 8g |
| Totals | P: 145g C: 96g F: 35g |
This provides a high protein day with moderate carbs and low fat. You can adjust portions or swap ingredients as needed to align with your own macro goals. Getting a good portion of protein from tasty buffalo chicken makes hitting macro targets effortless.
Benefits of Tracking Macros
Here are some of the top benefits of tracking your macros including protein, carbs, and fat:
– Helps meet fitness goals whether muscle gain, weight loss, or performance. You can set and follow suitable macro ratios for your needs.
– Increases satiety and reduces hunger compared to just tracking calories. Adequate protein and fats help control appetite.
– Allows for flexibility in food choices. You can eat a variety of foods as long as they fit your macros.
– Provides insight into how different foods impact energy, recovery, and body composition. Not just total calories.
– Encourages awareness of portion sizes and ingredient quality for better nutrition. You know exactly what and how much you are eating.
– Promotes long-term sustainable eating habits instead of restrictive dieting. Macro tracking is a lifestyle.
Whether you want to boost muscle growth, fuel athletic performance, or simply eat healthier, tracking macros can help you make lasting improvements.
Conclusion
Buffalo chicken is a high-protein choice that can fit well into macro tracking plans for various fitness goals. Plain buffalo chicken strips pack 25g protein per serving with minimal carbs and fat. When incorporated into recipes like wraps, pizza, or salads, the macros change based on added ingredients. Tracking macros accurately by weighing portions and using valid nutrition data ensures you know the numbers for all foods you eat. This empowers you to adjust portions and ingredient choices to align with your own protein, carb, and fat goals each day. Buffalo chicken is a tasty option to include as part of a balanced macro tracking approach for better health.