Chicken as a light meal for your lunch or dinner
Chicken is the most common type of meat in the world. We all love to eat it not only because of its nutritional values, but also because it´s easy to prepare and you have dozens of ways to cook it.
It’s low in fat and calories and high in protein, which makes it ideal food for weight maintenance.
Here are top 5 benefits of eating chicken:
- High in protein – obvious, right? 🙂
- Natural anti-depressant – chicken is high in amino acid called tryptophan that gives you a nice feeling after consuming home made chicken broth. Eating it will increase the serotonin levels in your brain and enhance your mood. Maybe it´s time to switch from chocolate to chicken? 🙂
- Strengthen your bones – it will help you fight against bone loss in elderly age, it´s because of high amount of protein it contains
- High level of phosphorus – it is an essential mineral that supports your teeth and bones, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system function
- Metabolism booster – eating chicken will keep your blood vessels healthy, energy at high level and metabolism faster thanks to the vitamin B
How to cook chicken in a healthy way
Different parts of chicken have different levels of fat and cholesterol. The breast meat is the leanest, 100 g of chicken breast contains only 7 g of fat. Before you cook the chicken, make sure you cut of all the visible fat.
Marinated:
If you´re bored with cooking chicken only with basic seasoning such as salt and pepper, you can marinate it yourself with healthy spices like turmeric and coriander so that it becomes tastier. Another tip for the marinade: combine olive oil, ¼ cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of dried parsley and basil. Then add a ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Marinate chicken for about 1-2 hours, if possible. To have the chicken soft and tender you can cook it in a pressure cooker. Alternatively, you can grill it on a grill or in the oven.
Stuffed:
Stuffed chicken is much easier than you might think. Flatten chicken with a meat mallet, spread olive oil, fresh basil and sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese and garlic powder on top of the chicken. Fold in the sides and secure with toothpicks. Another alternative: spread olive oil, 1 slice of cheese and dried plum and fold in the sides. You can bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes at about 180 degrees celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
Baked:
Wanna have a quick healthy meal? Baked chicken is a good option. Place a chicken in a baking tray, season it with salt, pepper, oregano and parmesan cheese. Top it with diced tomatoes. Bake it for about 25 minutes at Starving after work or post-gym? Place a chicken breast in a baking tray and top with diced tomatoes, plus seasonings like oregano or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Heat in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes180 degrees celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
Stir-fried:
In the mood for an easy delicious dinner? Just toss diced chicken breast and vegetables like peas, bell pepper, baby corn, carrots, broccoli florets and onion, season with garlic, salt and pepper and accompany with rice or salad.
- 400 grams chicken or turkey breast
- 180 grams cheese grated
- 200 grams zucchini grated
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt fat free
- 2 eggs
- salt & pepper
- herbs as needed
Chicken
Instructions:
- Slice the chicken or turkey into small slices and season with salt, pepper and herbs, if you want.
- In a bowl, mix eggs with yogurt and set aside.
- Pre-heat the oven for 200-220 degrees celsius (392-428 fahrenheit), place a baking paper on a small baking form (about 23x17 cm or 9x7 inches)
- On the bottom of the baking form place chicken or turkey, then grated zucchini and on the top the grated cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the dish.
- Bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes.
- Cool down for a bit before serving.
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