Chicken breast

Chicken breast is the lean muscle of the chicken's breast, used as a protein source in some foods and treats and as a cooked supportive food during mild digestive upset. It supplies protein of high biological value, rich in essential amino acids, with a low fat content (USDA FoodData Central). This leanness gives it moderate energy density, which is why a piece of plain, unseasoned cooked breast alongside white [rice](/glossary/rice) is a classic stopgap during a passing digestive episode. Chicken breast differs from whole chicken or by-products by being purely muscular: no bone, offal or skin, so it is a more defined ingredient than the generic word chicken. A balance point matters here, and it is easy to miss. Lean muscle alone does not make a complete diet; it notably lacks the calcium and other minerals found in bone and offal, so a [home-cooked diet](/glossary/home-cooked-diet) built solely on chicken breast would be unbalanced without supplementation and professional formulation (NRC, 2006). On a label, chicken breast is more precise and more flattering than chicken, but its real share still needs checking. The honest marker: chicken breast is a lean, quality protein, useful for a digestive transition, but insufficient on its own as a complete ration. See also [egg](/glossary/egg) for another high-value reference protein.

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