How Many Chicken Wings Can A Diabetic Eat? 

Chicken wings coated with flour contain carbs and saturated fat, which raises blood sugar and is bad for people with high blood sugar. KFC and Popeye serve the chicken with coating, and the coating contains wheat and flour. It is better to have chicken wings 2-3 times a week, and each serving of 85 grams is counted as ideal.

Food Item Pre-meal After Meal
Coated Chicken Wings 96 grams 127 grams
Roasted Chicken Wings 127 grams  103 grams

A diabetic patient has shown the result of blood sugar after having chicken wings and roasted chicken. The chicken wings he took were coated. After having the chicken wings, his blood sugar rose significantly. But after consuming roasted chicken, there was no significant change in his blood sugar level. You can watch the video here.

There is one thing to be mentioned: the chicken he ate was coated with bread or cereals, which were the only source of carbohydrates there. The chicken itself is a carb-free food item and is a very friendly diet for a person with diabetes.

So, if you have diabetes, you can take chicken wings as well, but it has to be coating-free. Let’s see some alternatives to coated chicken wings.

A person with diabetes can easily enjoy a chicken wing meal. Baked chicken wings are better than deep-fried ones. Also, it is recommended to use dry seasonings like smoked paprika and ground cinnamon instead of sauces.

Deep-fried chicken contains four times more calories than baked chicken wings as it contains oil and sauces.

How Many Chicken Wings Are Healthy For Diabetics?

Chicken wings in 4.4 ounces or about four wings are healthy for diabetics. However, you must also consider the chicken wings’ ingredients and the coating type. Let’s see some substitutes for coated chicken wings for diabetics.

Healthy Substitutes of Coated Chicken Wings for Diabetics

Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings 

Lemon pepper chicken wings are a great substitute for coated chicken wings. It contains lemon juice, chicken wings, black pepper, and salt. The ingredients do not make the blood sugar rise. It is a better substitute for coated chicken wings.

Oven-Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings

Oven-baked lemon pepper is served with vegetable oil and cooked in a microwave oven, and it is safe for a person with diabetes. Consider using diabetic chicken wing sauce to make it delicious.

Diabetic Buffalo Chicken

These chicken wings are served with garlic powder, celery sticks, and dried parsley and contain only 1 gram of carbohydrates. It is a great substitute for coated chicken and chicken wing tamales.

Health Benefits of Chicken Wings

The chicken itself is a healthy diet. It is white meat which is healthier than red meat. Also, it is a great source of protein which is important for a diabetic patient.

Chicken wings contain a high amount of protein and also a wide range of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Chicken wings are good for diabetics, and they can enjoy them easily. Just need to make sure the chicken wings are not coated with sugary bread and cereals.

There is no problem eating baked chicken wings.

The amount of chicken a diabetic can eat depends on the size of the chicken wings. 4.4 ounces or about for wings are good.

FAQs about How Many Chicken Wings Can A Diabetic Eat? 

1.  Are Chicken Wings Okay for Diabetes?

For people with diabetes, chicken wings are a great choice of protein. The wings are fatty meat and taste great. Also, chicken wings are made of white meat, which is healthier than red meat. Chicken wings are diabetic friendly meal because they are low on carbs. However, if it is coated with bread and cereal cramps, avoiding them is better. Diabetics can eat chicken wings easily 2-3 times a week unless it is not coated and baked rather than deep fried.

2.  Can Chicken Wings Raise Your Blood Sugar?

Chicken wings do not contain any carbohydrates. It is a perfect low-glycemic protein meal. It has very little effect on blood sugar unless it is coated with sugary bread or cereal crumbs.  

3.  Are Air Fryer Chicken Wings For Diabetics Healthy?

Air-fried chicken wings are keto-friendly and also a healthier option for diabetics compared to traditional deep-fried wings. However, it is important to choose a healthy oil to keep the overall fat content in check. 

4.  Is Chicken Skin Bad For Diabetics?

Chicken skin is high in unhealthy saturated fats, affecting blood sugar control for diabetics. Thus, you must remove it before cooking or eating chicken wings or limit consuming chicken skin.

Conclusion

So let’s recap: how many chicken wings can a diabetic eat? Well, the chicken wings coated with bread or cereal contain carbohydrates that will increase your blood sugar. A diabetic needs to avoid coated chicken wings. A diabetic can easily enjoy chicken wings 2-3 times a week; the ideal serving is 85 grams each. Also, the chicken itself does not carry carbohydrates. The ingredients used to make chicken wings make it full of carbohydrates.  

Baked chicken wings are healthier than deep-fried ones. As a white meat, chicken wings are a great healthy choice for any diabetic person.

Marzia Khan
Marzia Khan

Marzia Khan is the director of content and operations at RobustAlive. She contributes to content strategy and process management across product initiatives, RND, and the editorial. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Frontline, and the PBS. Before joining RobustAlive, she also co-authored award-winning research on health and wellness and participated in various initiatives to increase awareness about healthy living and chronic disease prevention. She acts as the co-editor for RobustAlive and brings an expansive network of connections to the table while managing activity execution where required.

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