At the turn of the century, American grocers began to see a change in the types of foods and products that were carried within their stores. As Americans searched for healthier alternatives to their favorite foods, companies began to produce said alternatives. Meats and proteins were and still are at the forefront of this craze. Options for chicken and turkey began to replace typical beef and pork options such as ground meats, steaks, and sausages.
Sausage, traditionally made from pork, is notorious for its lack of health benefits. Though delicious, pork sausage is high in calories as well as in fat and other additives. Luckily, sausages made from chicken rather than pork are now available and provide the same great taste as pork sausage, but are a low calorie alternative for those concerned with their health as well as with losing weight.
Most varieties of low calorie chicken sausage contain at least less than half of the calories of comparable varieties of pork sausage. Some varieties of chicken sausage even contain as little as ninety calories per serving as compared to 300 calories or more per serving in some varieties of pork sausage. In many cases, the serving sizes of chicken are a few ounces larger than those of pork sausages. Not only does cooking with chicken sausage save calories, but it also allows for larger portions. This can be considered a benefit to those losing weight by helping them feel satisfied with less caloric intake.
In addition to being lower in calories, chicken sausage is also much lower in fat content than its pork counterpart. Generally speaking, chicken contains less than half the amount of fat that pork contains, which only adds to the health benefits. Studies show that individuals who are on consistent low fat diets are prone to less disease, such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer, than those who are not. A low fat diet is also a key factor for healthy weight loss. Those who want to follow a low fat diet and still eat a delicious protein option can choose chicken sausage.
Chicken also tends to contain higher protein levels than pork. Eating a controlled high protein diet is beneficial for muscle development and can also assist in weight loss and weight management.
Creating dishes with chicken sausage is easy. Because this variety of sausage is offered in so many different flavorings and seasonings, finding a healthy replacement to higher calorie pork sausage is both easy and rewarding. Grocers sell a variety of shapes and sizes of chicken sausage, from bratwurst to breakfast, to spinach and feta, to classic Italian; there is a low calorie/low fat option for every meal and every taste.
Those who are looking for a healthier protein option, or who simply want to try something a little different, can find comfort and satisfaction in chicken sausage. Being low in calories and fat and high in protein and flavor makes this alternative to pork a smart and delicious way to satisfy any palate.