Make a healthy chicken salad for summer.
If you're watching your weight, eating chicken does have its merits. After all, a 3-oz. serving of boneless, skinless chicken breast only has about 130 calories and 1.5 g of fat. A real plus is that chicken breast also contains a whopping 28 g of protein, which helps you feel fuller longer. Even though broiling and baking get boring after a while, with a few ingredients, you can turn your serving of chicken into a mouth-watering salad. To save time, buy a rotisserie chicken to take advantage of the herbs and spices used to prepare it. Serve chicken salad on whole grain bread or on a bed of organic lettuce.
Tarragon Citrus Chicken Salad
Tarragon tastes a little bit like sweet basil and grows abundantly in the summer. Pick up a sprig or two from the grocery store or from your local farmer's market. This recipe also includes a dash of extra virgin olive oil for good heart health.
Ingredients
1 cooked chicken breast
1 tbsp of chopped tarragon
½ lemon
2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Dice the chicken breast and fine chop the tarragon. Place the ingredients in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Blend in the mayonnaise and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fruit n' Fennel Chicken Salad
Fennel, frequently used in Mediterranean cuisine, has a fluffy-looking, green stalk. The root, the actual part you eat, has a very mild licorice taste. You can find fresh fennel at most health food stores that sell produce. This salad has a lot going for it, so use dry herbs, which generally are more mild, sparingly.
Ingredients
1 cooked chicken breast
½ cup of grated fennel
½ cup of halved grapes
3 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp of dry basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Grate the fennel root, dice the chicken and chop the basil. Cut the grapes in half and place the ingredients in a bowl. Blend in the mayonnaise and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The USDA wants consumers to be safe and says that you can store your chicken salad in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Sources: USDA, Poultry Preparation Fact Sheet, Wegmans, Chicken Nutrition Facts
