Quick Answer
A bone-in chicken drumstick contains approximately 109-176 calories, depending on the size. A typical medium drumstick with skin contains about 130 calories.
Calories in Chicken Drumstick
The number of calories in a chicken drumstick depends on several factors:
Size of the Drumstick
Larger drumsticks contain more calories than smaller ones. Here are some estimates for different sizes:
– Small drumstick (around 1.5 oz): 109 calories
– Medium drumstick (around 2 oz): 130 calories
– Large drumstick (around 2.5 oz): 155 calories
– Extra large drumstick (around 3 oz): 176 calories
So as a general rule, the larger the drumstick, the more calories it will provide.
With or Without Skin
Chicken skin is high in fat, so a drumstick with the skin on contains significantly more calories than one with the skin removed.
For example, a 2 oz drumstick with skin has about 130 calories. The same size drumstick without skin has only 100 calories.
So leaving the skin on adds about 30 extra calories per drumstick.
Cooking Method
How the drumstick is prepared also impacts its calorie content.
Frying, breading, or battering the drumstick adds extra calories from oil, butter, or other high-fat ingredients.
A boneless, skinless drumstick that is grilled or baked contains the fewest calories.
Here is a comparison of calorie content based on cooking method (for a 2 oz drumstick without skin):
– Grilled/baked: 100 calories
– Pan-fried: 115 calories
– Deep fried: 140 calories
– Breaded/battered: 150 calories
Frying adds about 30-50 extra calories compared to grilling or baking plain drumsticks.
Nutrition Facts for Chicken Drumstick
In addition to calories, here are some of the main nutrients provided in a chicken drumstick:
Protein
A chicken drumstick is an excellent source of protein. A 2 oz drumstick with skin provides about 13g protein.
Protein helps build and repair muscles and bones, and keeps you feeling full. The daily recommended protein intake for most adults is around 50 grams.
Fat
The total fat content comes to about 7g in a 2 oz drumstick with skin. This includes 2.5g saturated fat.
If you remove the skin, the fat content drops to around 4g total fat and 1g saturated fat. Eating drumsticks without skin is an easy way to reduce the fat and calories.
Cholesterol
There are around 75mg cholesterol in a 2 oz drumstick with skin. The skinless drumstick contains closer to 50mg.
The daily recommended limit for cholesterol intake is 300mg or less. So drumsticks can fit into a healthy diet as long as consumed in moderation.
Iron
A chicken drumstick provides around 1mg iron, which equates to about 6% of the recommended daily amount.
Iron is important for transporting oxygen around the body and for energy metabolism.
Sodium
Plain drumsticks are not too high in sodium at around 50-75mg per 2 oz serving. However, takeout, fried, or processed drumsticks can be much higher in sodium.
It’s best to get drumsticks without added salt or sodium-containing flavorings to keep the sodium content down. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 1500mg per day.
Other Nutrients
Chicken drumsticks also provide smaller amounts of:
– Potassium: supports heart health and muscle function
– Phosphorus: aids bone health and digestion
– Magnesium: involved in muscle and nerve function
– Zinc: boosts immune function and cell growth
– B vitamins: support energy metabolism and red blood cell production
So drumsticks deliver a wide range of vitamins and minerals. However, the skin contains more fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A and E. Removing the skin lowers the vitamin content slightly.
Health Benefits of Chicken Drumsticks
Here are some of the main health benefits associated with eating chicken drumsticks:
High in Protein
The generous protein content of drumsticks makes them a smart choice for building muscle, curbing hunger, and providing energy. Protein takes longer to digest, so it keeps you feeling fuller for longer than carbs.
Getting enough protein is also important for wound healing, bone health, and preserving muscle mass as you age.
Low in Fat When Skinless
Eating drumsticks without the skin slashes the fat content considerably. Skinless drumsticks fit easily into a low fat diet.
Limiting fat intake can help lower cholesterol levels and risk of health issues like heart disease, obesity, and stroke.
Source of Iron
Chicken drumsticks provide a small but useful amount of iron in each serving. This makes them a handy iron source, especially when paired with iron-rich side dishes like lentils or spinach.
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies. Getting enough iron prevents anemia and keeps your energy levels up.
Nutrient Dense
Chicken drumsticks contain lots of protein, vitamins, and minerals without too many calories. They are a nutrient dense, high quality protein choice.
Nutrient dense foods provide substantial nutrition with fewer calories. Including them in your diet helps ensure you get all the vital nutrients your body requires.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Healthy?
Chicken drumsticks can be a healthy choice as part of a balanced diet, but there are some things to keep in mind:
– Remove the skin to slash fat and calories substantially.
– Avoid breading or frying, which adds extra calories and fat. Instead, bake, grill, or pan-fry using healthy oil like olive oil.
– Watch your portion sizes, as larger drumsticks contain quite a few calories. Stick to 1-2 medium drumsticks per serving.
– Get drumsticks without added salt or preservatives to limit sodium intake.
– Pair with vegetables and whole grains. Drumsticks lack fiber and nutrients like vitamin C. Serving them with veggies or a salad provides a more complete meal.
As long as you follow healthy preparation methods and keep portions moderate, chicken drumsticks can be a nutritious addition to your diet. The lean protein makes them a satisfying option for meals and snacks.
Tips for Preparing Healthy Chicken Drumsticks
Here are some tips for keeping drumsticks as healthy as possible:
– Always remove the skin before cooking to reduce fat and calories.
– Season with fresh herbs, lemon, garlic, chili flakes, or other spices instead of salt.
– Avoid frying. Instead, bake, grill, roast, or pan sear using a small amount of olive oil.
– Opt for organic and free range drumsticks when possible to minimize hormones and antibiotics.
– Marinate drumsticks in a tangy, low sodium marinade. Try Greek yogurt, vinegar, mustard, or citrus juice.
– For crispy drumsticks, coat with panko breadcrumbs instead of batter before baking.
– Make a healthy drumstick salad. Serve over greens with tomatoes, avocado, and a vinaigrette dressing.
– Pair with roasted veggies like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or carrots.
– Use drumsticks in soups, stews, and chilis. They add protein while absorbing all the tasty flavors.
By following healthy prep methods, drumsticks can be a lean, protein packed addition to many meals.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Keto?
Chicken drumsticks can fit into a keto eating plan:
– They are low carb with zero grams of carbs per serving. Keeping carbs very low is key for ketosis.
– Drumsticks provide plenty of protein. Getting adequate protein on keto is important to maintain muscle mass.
– The fat in the skin can help meet keto macronutrient goals. Keto diets emphasize high fat intake.
However, drumsticks should be prepared without breading or batter, which adds non-keto friendly carbs. Stick to baking, grilling, or pan frying drumsticks simply with spices.
Portion size matters too. A very large drumstick may contain too many calories from protein to fit keto macros precisely. Stick to 1-2 medium sized drumsticks per meal.
So while drumsticks are low carb, their fairly high protein content means they may not always fit keto ratios perfectly. They are best paired with other higher fat options like avocado, olive oil, or cheese.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Paleo?
Chicken drumsticks are generally considered paleo diet approved:
– They contain 100% whole food ingredients – just pure meat and skin.
– Drumsticks come from chickens, an approved paleo protein source.
– There are no grains, legumes, dairy, or processed ingredients.
However, some versions of the paleo diet restrict intake of fatty meats. The high saturated fat content of the skin may be avoided by some paleo followers.
Additionally, paleo diets emphasize organic, pasture raised meats whenever possible. So try to get organic or free range drumstick options.
Simple preparation methods like baking, grilling, or roasting without breading or batter are best to maximize the paleo-friendliness of chicken drumsticks.
So while drumsticks align with paleo principles in general, removing the skin and choosing high quality chicken sources is ideal for stricter versions of the diet.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Gluten Free?
Plain chicken drumsticks without any coatings or flavorings are naturally gluten free.
However, take note of these things to ensure your drumsticks are 100% gluten free:
– Avoid any drumsticks with breading or batter coatings. Flour and breadcrumbs likely contain gluten. Go for plain drumsticks to be safe.
– Skip drumsticks with sauces or seasonings, which may have soy sauce or other gluten ingredients. Get plain drumsticks and flavor them yourself.
– Verify with the manufacturer that no gluten containing additives like soy or wheat were used, especially for processed drumsticks.
As long as you stick to fresh, plain chicken drumsticks without sauces or coatings added, you can enjoy them on a gluten free diet. Grilling, baking or pan frying your own seasoned drumsticks is the best way to avoid gluten.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Dairy Free?
Plain chicken drumsticks are naturally dairy free, since they only contain chicken meat and skin.
However, there are some precautions to take if avoiding dairy completely:
– Avoid drumsticks cooked in butter, cream sauce, or other dairy based seasonings.
– Check for dairy in marinades used for drumsticks, like yogurt based marinades.
– Request drumsticks prepared without butter or oil brushed on top if dining out or getting takeout.
As long as you stick to plain drumsticks without sauces, coatings or seasonings that contain dairy, chicken drumsticks can be enjoyed on a dairy free diet.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Low Carb?
Chicken drumsticks are an excellent low carb option. A typical 2 oz drumstick contains zero grams of carbs.
Even when taking the skin and any seasoning or marinades into account, drumsticks provide no more than 1-2g net carbs per serving at most.
They are significantly lower in carbs than other chicken pieces like breasts or wings, which provide a small amount of carbs from glaze or breading.
Drumsticks are one of the best low carb protein choices. Their zero carb content makes them perfect for low carb, keto, or paleo diets. Just avoid any added breading or sugary sauces.
You can enjoy drumsticks freely even if counting carbs or limiting carb intake. Their near zero carb content allows for larger portion sizes compared to other proteins like beef or salmon.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Low Fat?
Plain chicken drumsticks cooked without the skin are relatively low in fat. A skinless drumstick contains around 4 grams of fat per serving.
However, keeping the skin on significantly increases the fat content to 7 grams or more.
So while skinless drumsticks can be part of low fat diet, leaving the skin on provides too much fat and saturated fat to be considered truly low fat.
If limiting fat intake, be sure to remove the skin prior to cooking chicken drumsticks. Pair them with non-fat sides like vegetables or fruit instead of high fat options.
Stick to lean cooking methods as well. Avoid frying or breading drumsticks, as that introduces extra fat calories.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Low Sodium?
Plain chicken drumsticks without any seasoning are relatively low in sodium, providing 50-75mg per serving.
However, takeout, frozen, canned, and processed drumsticks often contain added salt, broth, soy sauce or flavorings that significantly increase the sodium content. A frozen seasoned drumstick may have 300mg or more sodium.
To keep drumsticks low sodium:
– Get plain fresh or frozen drumsticks without seasoning.
– Flavor them yourself at home with fresh herbs, spices, citrus etc.
– Avoid canned, pre-made, and restaurant drumsticks which tend to be high in sodium.
– Check labels and select low sodium options when buying packaged drumsticks.
With the right choice of plain, unseasoned drumsticks and low sodium preparations, you can easily enjoy them on a low sodium diet.
Are Chicken Drumsticks Bodybuilding Approved?
Chicken drumsticks are an excellent choice for those into bodybuilding and strength training:
– They provide plenty of lean protein to build muscle. Getting enough protein is key for muscle recovery and growth after workouts.
– Drumsticks are low fat when prepared without skin, keeping calories in check.
– They are very low carb, allowing them to fit into pre-workout meals or low carb bulking diets.
– Chicken is a versatile protein that’s easy to prepare in bulk. Drumsticks can be grilled, baked, or roasted in big batches.
Aim for organic and hormone/antibiotic free drumstick options when possible. And remove the skin to maximize the protein to fat ratio.
For easy bodybuilding prep, bake a tray of seasoning drumsticks along with potatoes and veggies for a complete muscle building meal.
How to Reduce the Calorie Count of Chicken Drumsticks
Here are some simple substitutions and preparation tips to lower the calorie count of chicken drumsticks:
– Remove the skin before cooking to reduce fat and calories substantially.
– Use a small amount of cooking spray instead of oil when roasting or baking.
– Skip breading or batter and opt for healthier seasoning like fresh herbs.
– Choose grilling, roasting, or baking instead of frying to avoid added oil.
– Prepare drumsticks without sauces or glazes, which add sugar and calories.
– Use fresh citrus juice, vinegars, mustard, and spices to add flavor without calories.
– Portion control is key. Stick to 1 medium drumstick to keep calories in check.
Following these tips allows you to enjoy the delicious flavor and texture of drumsticks while still maintaining a low calorie diet for weight management.
Conclusion
Chicken drumsticks can make a nutritious addition to your diet if enjoyed in moderation. A typical medium sized drumstick with skin contains around 130 calories and provides lots of protein, iron, and B vitamins.
Removing the skin slashes calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially. Choosing healthy cooking methods like baking, grilling, or pan frying avoids extra calories from frying.
Drumsticks are very versatile. They work in salads, soups, stews, and chili recipes for extra protein. Just accompany them with non-starchy veggies or a salad for a well balanced meal.
So savor chicken drumsticks as part of a healthy lifestyle while keeping portions and preparation methods in mind. Their juicy flavor and texture make them a family favorite meal or snack.
