Chicken is such an excellent option for a lean protein, but after a while, it can get boring. Getting bored with your diet is definitely a trigger to get off track. If you read my Blog Post, Preparing for a Successful Week if Eating, you know that I pre-prepare my proteins in bulk each week. Shredded chicken breast is usually a protein I always have on hand and you can do a million different things with it. I also prefer recipes that are quick and easy! Here are a few of my favorite meals that I can throw together in less than 10 minutes:
1. Soups!! Soup is so easy and generally low in fat. I love that you can basically throw whatever you have available in the pot and have a delicious, filling meal. I also love soup because it takes me longer to eat - it's more of an "experience." I have a tendency to eat quickly and then I'm so sad when it's all gone and the eating is over. Haha!! You know you can relate, admit it! I'm sharing my Tortilla Soup recipe but let me first share my secret ingredient to ANY good bowl of soup: Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or you can use Soy Sauce - basically the same taste). I honestly don't measure, but it's about 1/2 to 1 tbsp of Braggs per 1 1/2 cups of broth. Start with less, give it a taste and then add more if needed. Trust me, you'll think you just got a bowl of soup from a nice restaurant. Today I am featuring my Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe:
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
(Single serving)
1 1/2 cups Organic Chicken Broth
3 oz. Shredded Chicken
3/4 cup (approximate - about 6 heaping tablespoons) of your favorite Salsa
1 cup white or brown rice (If I don't have any made already, I will just heat up a microwaveable package of Uncle Bens- 1 1/2 minutes to cook, you're welcome!)
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or Soy Sauce)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
DO NOT ADD SALT! You'll get just right amount of saltiness from the Braggs.
Choose your TOPPINGS wisely! If you choose every option below, your low-fat meal just became a high-fat meal. I usually go for the tortilla chips and that's it. The soup is delicious on it's own, but I like the crunchy topping.
28g (1 serving) Tortilla Chips. Crumble on top right before eating/serving.
28g shredded Cheddar or cheese of your choice
Avacado or Wholly Guacamole
1 tbsp low-fat Sour Cream
Macronutrients for 1 serving of soup w/tortilla chip topping: (Does not include cheese, guac, etc)
Carbs: 47g
Fat: 11g
Protein: 23g
2. ASIAN NOODLE BOWL
Click HERE for recipe.
3. PIZZA
Tortilla pizzas are my favorite and obviously you can put whatever you like on it. I have 3 styles of pizza that I like: BBQ Chicken pizza: Shredded chicken breast, your favorite BBQ sauce (Measure it out! BBQ is loaded with carbs and sugar. A little bit goes a long way), cheddar cheese and red onion. Italian pizza: Sometimes I go shredded chicken and sometimes ground turkey, your favorite pizza sauce and cheese. Mexican Pizza: Click HERE for recipe.
4. PASTA
Chicken and ground turkey are great in most pasta dishes. Yes, pasta is heavy on the carbs so you'll want to measure it out. Before you cry after realizing how small one serving a pasta is, click HERE to see how you can increase the volume of your bowl.
5. WRAPS AND SANDWICHES
These are my go-to meals when I am on-the-go. Typically, shredded chicken but it tastes good cold, but I don't mind cold ground turkey either. It's easy to take any of those tortilla pizza ideas above and just wrap them up cold instead of heating them.