In the 2nd installment of our “no-cooking required” meals series, we will look at a recipe that is not only tasty and easy but also can easily be prepared in bulk for future meals. When you find that your schedule suddenly overwhelmed, or that your kids become more demanding and eat up most your free time, you can grab some already-prepared food from the grocery store and take a couple of minutes to assemble meals for a couple of days.
Chicken Salad is an easy meal for when you’re undecided
| INGREDIENT | Calories | Carb |
| Chicken breast, skinless, 6 oz | 276 cal | 0 |
| Baby spring mix, 3 oz | 20 calories | 2 gram |
| Bell peppers, 1 oz | 9 calories | 2 gram |
| Balsamic vinaigrette, 1 tbsp | 15 calories | 2 gram |
| TOTAL | 320 calories | 6 gram |
So what does 6 oz of chicken breast look like? A good rule of thumb is roughly twice the size of the palm of your hand. Also 6 oz of chicken will roughly fit loosely into 2 cups, when shredded or chopped. Alternatively, you can pick up a food scale and get a more exact measurement. One of the benefits of weighing out your food is you can much more accurately track how much you are eating to consistently lose the same amount of weight week-to-week.
You may be surprised to know that 3 oz of baby spring mix (1 serving) can fill up about half a gallon of space. It’s helpful to fill up your stomach with lots of green, leafy vegetables that are low in calories as well as in carbs. Green, leafy vegetables are great resources for the necessary vitamins such as Vitamin K, magnesium and potassium. Eat a lot of greens to fill up space in your stomach to stay satisfied longer.
Combine the chicken with the baby green mix, then add some chopped bell peppers. Stir in 1 tsp of a low calorie, low carb dressing of your choice (we used a Balsamic Vinaigrette).
Serve the chicken salad in a very large bowl. Drink 32 oz of water with your meal.
There are so many creative ways to eat healthier even when your time is limited, or you just don’t have the desire to cook. You just have to WANT to do what it takes to live a healthier lifestyle, and of course we are here to help if needed.
