Pheasant is one of the bird species native to Asia which is well known for its brightly decorated colour of the feathers. In Asia, pheasant meat is consumed as one of the alternative meat choice after chicken due to its lower calories content but higher in protein.
Nutritional Facts of Pheasant Meat
Aside from the facts mentioned above that pheasant meat is high in protein but low in calories, pheasant meat is also containing several essential vitamins and minerals which cannot be found in chicken.
Per Serving Size of Pheasant and Chicken
| Nutrients | Pheasant Meat | Chicken Meat |
| Calories | 134 Cal | 263 Cal |
| Saturated Fat | 1 gram | 3 gram |
| Cholesterol | 80 mg | 41 mg |
| Sodium | 45 mg | 451 mg |
| Protein | 22 gram | 15 gram |
| Vitamin A | 4% DRI | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 1% DRI | 0% |
| Calcium | 3% DRI | 2% DRI |
| Iron | 10% DRI | 6% |
Health Benefits of Pheasant Meat
From the comparison of pheasant meat and chicken meat mentioned above you could consider pheasant meat as healthier alterative of chicken meat. Though of course learning more about the health benefits of pheasant meat before you add it to your daily diet is super important.
- Low in Calories
As mentioned in the nutritional fact so pheasant meat you could see that per serving size, pheasant meat only contains around 134 calories compared to chicken meat which is almost two times. If you are currently in low calories diet, pheasant meat is a pleasant source of protein.
- Good for Weight Loss
During a weight loss program you are highly recommended to consume foods that high in protein but low in fats. Meat is one of the excellent sources of protein but most of meat contains high fat content. Finding one that is low in calories and fat but high in protein is a bit tricky but pheasant meat is one that is highly recommended.
- Leaner Meat than Chicken
Leaner meat means healthier meat. Leaner meat means the meat has lower fat content. There are some options of red meat like health benefits of bison meat for leaner option than beef but for poultry, pheasant meat could be a better option.
- Optimizes Muscle Growth
One of the health benefits of red meat is its high protein content. One of the main benefits of protein for human health is optimizing the muscle growth. If you are in a body building program, consuming foods high in protein could help you growing and strengthening your muscles.
- High Protein Content
Though there are a lot of options of plant-based protein but for optimal growth consuming animal-based protein is still highly recommended unless you are a vegetarian. As mentioned in the nutritional fact table above, pheasant meat contains protein higher than chicken and probably other types of poultry.
- Contains High Level of Iron
There are a lot of health benefits of iron. For children during development stage, iron could help them optimizing their growth by promoting the production of red blood cells. For adult, consuming foods high of iron could help fighting the symptoms of anaemia naturally.
- Excellent Source of Potassium
One of the main benefits of potassium is eliminating the excessive sodium content in your system. It means, consuming foods high in potassium could help you maintaining your cardiovascular health.
- Packed with Vitamins
The option of meat where you could find the vitamin C benefits or vitamin B benefits is very small. However, some studies have found out that pheasant meat is packed with some essential vitamins and minerals.
- Good for Cardiovascular Health
There are some reasons why pheasant meat is good for your heart health. First, it is low in calories and saturated fat. Second, pheasant meat is packed with some essential vitamins and minerals. Third, pheasant meat is excellent source of potassium to help you neutralizing the excessive amount of sodium.
- Tastier and Healthier Meat for Family
If you are only serving the best food for your family perhaps adding pheasant meat to your dining table is a good idea because it is not only tasty but also super healthy.
Drawbacks of Pheasant Meat
Aside from the health benefits of pheasant meat, there are also some drawbacks you should know of pheasant meat.
- If you are really concern about from where your meat comes from, consuming pheasant meat is not going to be a good option because most of pheasant meat available in the market place is obtained from the wild unlike chicken which is mostly raised in the farm.
- Though pheasant meat is offered in affordable or cheap price but it is not easy to find this type of meat in the marketplace because this kind of bird is native to Asia. In other words, it is quite difficult to find pheasant meat outside Asia region.
- Though pheasant meat is high in protein and low in calories but you should be super careful with its cholesterol level. If you are diagnosed with specific cholesterol condition, limit your consumption or avoid it at all cost is highly recommended.
The Best Way to Serve Pheasant Meat
If it is your first time to serve pheasant meat for your family there are some tips you should know when preparing pheasant meat.
- The problem with cooking pheasant meat is that it is easily getting dry so instead of juicy meat, you will get tasteless dry meat. So it is important to cook it correctly. The key is you shouldn’t overcook it, instead choosing stew or slow cooking are the best way to cook pheasant meat.
- For tastier option is highly recommended to cook pheasant meat with skin on. However of course the skin will increase the amount of calories you consume but still you don’t need to worry because the amount of calories are still lower compared to chicken.
- Marinade is the most important process in cooking pheasant meat. You could simply marinade it with oil and pepper to have a perfect texture of pheasant meat.
Actually there is no secret about the best way to serve pheasant meat because it is super easy but still cooking it correctly will give you a great taste and leave you no regret of replacing your favourite chicken meat to tasty and healthy pheasant meat.