Chicken Salad Makeover – Bariatric Friendly
Chicken Salad Makeover – Bariatric Friendly
It’s the time of the summer when I start moving towards meals that don’t need to be cooked.
I mean, ya know what I mean??
More meals that are served cold. Or in a slow-cooker. Or on a grill. I start steering away from stovetop or even baked. I still use them on occasion, but not nearly as much as the lighter, cooler, summer fare.
Thus I’ve made a few delicious chicken salad recipes. My current favorite is really a classic chicken salad. Instead of creamy mayo, I used Greek yogurt. I tossed in some red onion and a few sliced red grapes.
I know my weight-loss surgery friends love meals like chicken salad. The key here is to use cooked chicken and not canned chicken..and to go easy on the yogurt. Avoid letting the chicken salad get too soft, which leaves you hungry sooner.
***Time Saver Tip!!!! Put your chicken in a slow cooker the day before you want to make this and in the refrigerator overnight. Having the chicken cooked already is awesome. Even better when it’s already cold and you can cut it super fast. If you didn’t get a chance to get it in the slow cooker, buy precooked chicken strips to cut up and toss in the mixture.
Chicken Salad Makeover - Bariatric Friendly
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup red seedless grapes
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup no calorie sweetener of choice (optional)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix together chicken, celery, onion and grapes.
- In a separate bowl mix together Greek yogurt, splenda, garlic powder and salt.
- Toss dressing and chicken mixtures together to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
In my pre-surgery days, one of my very favorite lunches was the Trader Joe’s Wine Country Chicken salad on Triscuits. When I tell you this recipe is the answer to that craving, I’m not exaggerating at all! I made a batch of this for myself on Thursday night and, while I was tempted to eat it right then and there, I let it sit in the fridge overnight (to let all the ingredients get to know each other better) and then took it for lunch with Triscuit thin crisps. It is a flavor BOMB in the very best way! The first bite garnered an audible “Oh yeah” like Kevin from “The Office” eating a candy bar. A coworker looked over and said, “Uh oh, should we be eating that?” After smiling and reassuring her she didn’t need to worry about what’s on my plate, I said “and yes, I absolutely can- want to see the macros?” This is going to be another go-to for me as Summer approaches. If you want to feel like you’re eating something decadent while also hitting that protein goal, I cannot recommend this recipe highly enough!