The Facts on Chicken Leg Quarters

• Leg Quarters with skin on contain 396 calories, 28 g of fat with 7.8 g of saturated fat, and 34 g of protein. With the skin removed, chicken leg quarters contain 190 calories, 6.3 g of fat with only 1.6 g of saturated fat, and 31 g of protein. They also provide 1.9 mg of the 18 mg of daily iron daily intake that's recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Chicken leg quarters do not contain any carbohydrates, fiber, or sugar.
  
  

The Facts on Chicken Breast Quarters

• Breast quarters with the skin on contain 275 calories, 19.6 g of fat with 5.6 g of saturated fat, and 23 g of protein. With the skin removed, chicken breast quarters contain 128 calories, 3.8 g of fat with 2.7 g of saturated fat, and 22 g of protein. They also provide 7 mg of the 18 mg of iron recommended daily intake by the FDA. Chicken breast quarters do not contain any carbohydrates, fiber, or sugar.
  
  

Health Benefits

• While neither chicken leg quarters nor chicken breast quarters provide a significant amount of any vitamin or mineral other than iron, they can be incorporated into a healthy diet. Chicken leg quarters provide more than half the FDA daily recommended intake of protein (50 g), and chicken breast quarters provide almost half. According to the National Institutes of Health, "our bodies need protein from the foods we eat to build and maintain bones, muscles and skin."
  
  

Health Cautions

• Chicken quarters with skin provide a significant amount of fat, especially saturated fat. While fat is a necessary part of a healthy diet, it should be kept to around 65 g per day and no more than 20 g of saturated fats. Removing the skin from the meat significantly reduces the fat and saturated fat content. Cooking chicken quarters with the skin on, and removing it before eating, keeps the meat moist, while still lowering the fat content.
  
  

Common Cooking Methods

• Chicken quarters are often oven fried, used in soups, baked and served over rice, or as pulled chicken in barbecue recipes.