Iron Rations: 3 Quick and Healthy Chicken Dishes

Look! A quick chicken. Get it?

One thing I commonly hear when talking to people who say they want to eat better is this:

“I would eat healthier but it takes too long to cook!”

Poppycock!

It just takes a little forethought and kitchen know-how.

The first step to eating healthy is making sure your kitchen is well stocked (here are some kitchen essentials that are always present in my larder). It is very easy to let the temptation of convenience over-ride your desire to be healthier. Don’t fall in the trap of ordering take-out because you let your refrigerator’s contents dwindle!

As I have noted before, I am a big fan of the chicken bird and almost always have some in the house ready to supply me with lean protein goodness. Now, just like everyone, I am often busy and on the go; so the routine of thawing chicken and then preparing it just doesn’t work for me. Instead, once a week I will prepare my chicken ahead of time so that it is ready for me when my stomach starts grumbling!

Depending on how many people you are cooking for this obviously is going to change, but since these quick and healthy chicken dishes generally act as my lunch  this is all based on servings for one person.

I will cube 3 whole chicken breasts (skinless of course) and throw them in a big frying pan or stainless steel wok with 2 tbsp of olive oil, then I season them to taste (I generally add 2 tsps of minced garlic, sprinkle liberally with italian seasoning and grind some black pepper over it all) and cook it all up. Then I toss it all in a Tupperware container in my refrigerator. Voila, chicken to last the entire week in about 15 minutes!

Here are 3 healthy and tasty dishes using that chicken as a base, ranging from a light 275 calorie salad to a hearty 500 calorie meal, that you can whip up in under 10 minutes.

Chicken w/ Avocado and Salsa (approx 500 calories)

Ridiculously easy and tasty!

• 1 cup of grilled chicken (cold or heat it in the microwave real quick)
• 1 medium-sized Haas avocado
• 1 cup fresh salsa (most stores sell containers of fresh garden salsa in the produce section)

Split the avocado open, toss the seed and scoop out all the green goodness into a bowl (if you are watching your calories you can shave 100 off of this by only eating half the avocado). Toss the cup of chicken in there, dump the salsa on top and then dig in! Full of protein, fiber and vitamins A & C!

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad (approx 275 calories)

A light and quick standby!

• 1 cup of grilled chicken
• 2 giant handfuls of fresh, raw spinach
• 5 or 6 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 a lemon

Lay down your bed of spinach in a bowl, toss in your chicken and your cherry tomatoes and squeeze half a lemon over it all to add a little tang! This is a great source of protein, fiber, iron and vitamins A, K & C! As an added bonus lemon juice is a natural metabolism booster too!

Chicken w/ Sweet Potato and Greens (approx 380 calories)

A hearty dish that will help stave off cravings!

• 1 cup of grilled chicken (cold or heat it in the microwave real quick)
• 1 giant handful of butter lettuce (or any greens of your choice… except iceberg lettuce. Don’t waste your time with that.)
• 1 sweet potato

To save time I like to buy the individually wrapped sweet potatoes all ready to be microwaved. Toss the potato in the microwave for 7 minutes and throw your bed of greens into a bowl along with your chicken. When the sweet potato is done, cut it in half and scoop everything out with a fork and right on top of the chicken. Mash it up a little and get to eating this great mix of protein, fiber and vitamins A, C & B!

So there you go, three quick and healthy chicken recipes that can be prepared in under 10 minutes with a little forethought and planning. Do yourself a favor and remember that not having time is no excuse to let your diet falter!

Let me know how these  dishes work out for you; or even better you let me know what healthy meals you whip up! Also make sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (No spam, I promise!)