Happy New Year!

A roasted or rotisserie (organic) chicken is probably one of the best items to buy when you’re looking to meal-prep healthy food for a FULL week. It costs about $7 – $10 (Trader Joe’s or Costco), and will give you just the right amount of animal protein (recommended daily protein 40g) and can be mixed with fiber-rich grains and veggies for a filling and nutrient-packed meal!

Here are my TOP 5 Roast Chicken Recipes:

Mama’s Avocado Chicken Salad

• 1 breast of the chicken cut off bone into small chunks
• 1/2 an avocado sliced into chunks
• 1 tablespoon light (olive oil) mayo
• 1 stalk of celery chopped fine
• Dash of fresh lemon juice
• pinch of sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
• Mix all together and eat on whole grain bread with a slice of tomato and lettuce… or in a lettuce wrap

or make…

Mama’s Napa Chicken Salad

• Mama’s Chicken Salad
• 10 seedless red grapes cut in quarters
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil mayo
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• Mix together and eat on whole grain bread or a lettuce wrap

Asian Spiced Chicken Rice/Quinoa Bowl

• 1 cup cooked brown rice/quinoa (*can cook it in chicken broth for more flavor)
• 1 leg of the chicken cut off bone into small chunks
• 1/2 cup cooked veggies (choose 3): peas, carrots, zucchini, squash, spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peppers, etc.
• 1/4 cup sweated onions and garlic (healthy aromatics)
• Sauce: 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce + 1 teaspoon good olive oil + pinch ground ginger, sea salt, red pepper to taste
• Mix together cooked rice, veggies and chicken. Reserve the sauce for when you’re ready to heat & eat. Toss together and enjoy!

Heart-Healthy Cobb Salad (2 servings – can put in mason jars for fanciness)

• 2 hardboiled eggs de-shelled and sliced lengthwise once then widthwise 3 times (12 half-moons)
• 1 breast of the chicken cut off bone into small chunks
• 2 slices turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 2 cups washed mixed dark greens (or spinach)
• 1 avocado, cut in half then into chunks
• Dressing: 3 tablespoons cup avocado oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider wine vinegar, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, and a pinch of black pepper
• Use one egg, 1 slice of turkey bacon, half tomatoes, and half the avocado in each bowl (2 bowls). When ready to eat, toss all ingredients together and enjoy in a big bowl (twice)!

Mama’s FRESH Chicken Soup (gluten/grain free, low sodium)

• 1 leg, 2 wings and under belly and bones of the chicken (meat shredded, bones set aside)
• 2 cups water + 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock*
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups veggies(choose at least 3): peas, celery, carrots, zucchini, squash, spinach, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peppers, etc. I recommend celery, carrots & zucchini.
• pinch of garlic salt, pepper, and fresh herbs (choose from: parsley, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, fennel, etc. – get creative!)
• Put chicken bones, water + chicken stock in a covered pot for at least 2 hours on simmer (while you prep other chicken dishes for the week). Saute onion and veggies in olive oil until just cooked. Remove bones and strain broth into a bowl. Add chicken and sauteed onion and veggies. Seasoning with salt, pepper and fresh herbs before storing in fridge. 

*You can use the leftover stock to cook the rice/quinoa for the quinoa bowl!

What will you meal-prep this week? Wishing you lots of LOVE & YUM!

XO,

Lindsay “Mama” O’Neill