Cookout season has arrived. But did you know June is also Men’s Health Month? One way to support men’s health is to choose lean proteins that are low in saturated fat.

So let’s talk about chicken. We know it’s often a leaner choice than certain cuts of red meat, but knowing the lingo on the label can help you make an informed decision.

Air chilled

During processing, chickens need to be cooled quickly for food safety. In the U.S., this is most often done by soaking the chickens in chlorine-treated water baths, where the chickens end up absorbing some of the water.

Through air chilling, the chickens are cooled rapidly by air, so there’s no chance of water absorption, which can dilute flavor. Smart Chicken farms was one of the first in the U.S. to invest in air chill technology for improved taste and texture, which is why you’ll see “no added water” on their label.

Organic

Organic chickens are fed an organic diet free of pesticides. The label also means the chickens have access to the outdoors and are free from antibiotics. In order to maintain organic certification, chicken farms are inspected annually to make sure a strict set of USDA organic guidelines are followed.

Hormones

Federal regulations prevent the use of hormones or steroids for all poultry—organic or not. So if you see hormone-free on a package of chicken, remember that all chicken is hormone-free.

Antibiotics

If the label says “raised without antibiotics,” it means just that. For farms that use antibiotics, there are measures in place to prevent any traces of antibiotics in processed and packaged poultry. Other farms, using Smart Chicken as the example again, have antibiotics available in the rare case of sickness, but any chicken treated with antibiotics is not sold as Smart Chicken.

Free-range

It might sound like the chickens are frolicking through the fields, but free-range simply means the chickens have access to the outdoors.

Honey Sesame Seed Grilled Chicken

Serves 8

Ingredients

•2 lbs. Smart Chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce

•¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

•¼ tsp. garlic powder

•¼ tsp. ground ginger

•2 tbsp. sliced green onions

•2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium heat.

2. Place chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder and ground ginger. Pour into to plastic bag. Seal bag, place on a plate in the refrigerator, and marinate for 2 hours.

4. Grill chicken, discarding marinade, for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees. 5. To serve, top chicken with green onions and sesame seeds.

Nutrition facts per serving: 160 calories, 4.5g fat,

0.5g saturated fat, 85mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium,

3g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 2g sugar, 26g protein

Recipe courtesy of hy-vee.com