How much chicken is in frozen nuggets, tenders and burgers?

We checked out 39 of them, including burgers, tenders, nuggets and stuffed cordon-bleu type products. While we weren’t expecting any standouts in the nutrition stakes, we were surprised at how little chicken some of them contained. Many also pack a sodium punch.

Where’s the chicken?

Only three products in our survey contained 65% or more chicken, and four had less than 40%. While crumbs and coatings accounted for some of the differences, these ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have a long list of ingredients you wouldn’t cook with, or have in your pantry, such as emulsifiers, additives and preservatives.

There’s growing evidence that eating lots of UPFs is bad for your health. Strong associations have been found between high intake and increased health risks, such as being overweight and having obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, breast cancer and depression.

TIP: A lengthy ingredient list is a good indication a product is ultra-processed.

Highest chicken content

Lowest chicken content

Sodium standouts

Ten products packed a high sodium punch (they had more than 600mg per 100g). Children aged 4 to 8 years old should have no more than 1,400mg of sodium per day – for adults the recommended maximum is 2,000mg a day.

While none were low sodium choices (less than 120mg per 100g), three were a healthier choice with 300mg or less per 100g.

Eating too much sodium (the baddie in salt) can increase your blood pressure, the number one cause of stroke in New Zealanders. According to the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand, most Kiwis consume double the maximum recommended daily salt intake – and around 75% of this comes from processed and packaged foods.

Highest sodium content

Lowest sodium content

The cost of convenience

The cheapest products in our survey were the Pams offerings. We paid $10.49 for a 1kg bag ($1.05 per 100g). The most expensive was Waitoa Free Range Chicken Kievs Garlic Butter at $12 for 300g (2 servings). If you’re feeding a family, you might need more than one packet of the smaller ones so the cost can add up.

Instead, it can be cheaper and healthier to make your own crumbed chicken. With a little prep the result is delicious, and you can prep extra and freeze for later. It’s one of my family’s faves.

Belinda’s DIY crumbed chicken

Ingredients

• 500g chicken (I use boneless thighs or breasts depending what’s on special)
• 1 egg
• 1.5 cups breadcrumbs
• Oil for cooking (I use rice bran)

Method

1. Cut chicken into small portions, coat in egg, and toss in breadcrumbs.
2. Heat oven to 200℃. Pour a thin layer of cooking oil in a roasting dish and put it in the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken to your roasting dish in a single layer. Cook for 15 minutes and turn. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 75℃ or until juices run clear).

Frozen chicken products compared