Meat and poultry
Chicken thigh on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 26 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, skinless, for around 209 calories. Two small thighs, about 120 g (4.2 oz), give roughly 31 g of protein for 251 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from chicken thigh alone you would need about 115 g (4.1 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How chicken thigh sits on a GLP-1
Thigh carries about five grams less protein per 100 g than breast and considerably more fat, and on a GLP-1 that trade is usually worth it. The fat keeps it soft, so it survives reheating, and it is far more forgiving if you cook it and then cannot face it until the next day. The extra fat does slow the stomach further, so if reflux is your problem rather than dryness, breast is the better choice.
When your appetite is small
Thigh reheats without turning to rope, which makes it the best batch-cooked meat for a small appetite. Cook a tray on Sunday, portion it at 100 g, and you have four protein stops that need no decisions.
Three ways to prepare it
Bake a tray and forget it
Thighs at 180C, about 355F, for 30 minutes, skin off, with paprika and lemon. Nothing in the fridge reheats better.
Slow cook it in stock
Two hours in stock and it falls apart. Shredded thigh in its own liquid is soft enough to eat on a nausea day.
Dice it small before you cook it
Two centimetre pieces, about three quarters of an inch, cook faster and land in a bowl rather than on a plate, which matters more than it sounds.
What to eat it with
Thigh goes with anything sharp: lemon, vinegar, pickles, tomato. Acid cuts the fat and makes a small serve easier to finish than the same meat served plain.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken thigh | about 26 g | 209 kcal | this page |
| Chicken breast | about 31 g | 165 kcal | See the page |
| Pork loin | about 27 g | 180 kcal | See the page |
| Lamb | about 26 g | 215 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, skinless, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Sold as chicken thigh fillets in Australia and the UK, and usually as boneless skinless chicken thighs in the US. Bone-in thighs are cheaper everywhere and carry the same protein once you take the meat off.
Questions people ask
Is chicken thigh as good as breast for keeping muscle?
Yes. The protein quality is identical, there is simply a little less of it per gram. A 120 g serve of thigh still gives you about 31 g, which is a full protein stop.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.