Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes For Weight Loss , Some of us adore salads. While some feel that they are trying to avoid salads when they attempt to shed weight. No matter what your reason is, Chef Gia by having a variety of simple and straightforward healthy recipes can create an amazing variation to your everyday diet. Have a sneak peak over these eight health chicken salad recipes for weight loss which will let you enjoy every bit of your harvest season and come out as the winner on the scale too!
Best Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes for Weight Loss
Whether it be on a sandwich or with a bed of greens, these recipes are great for lunches—and for losing weight
When someone says chicken salad, there are two types that probably come to mind. The first is a chicken salad mixed with all kinds of fun ingredients—grapes, celery, you name it—all held together with creamy mayonnaise. The second is your typical chicken salad, maybe with grilled or shredded chicken, on a bed of lettuce with all kinds of delicious salad toppings and dressings. Either way, chicken salad recipes are great when you’re looking to lose weight, so we rounded up some of our favorites to make.
Whether it is an open-faced sandwich or a big salad in a bowl, here are some delicious chicken salad recipes you can make that will no doubt help you in your weight loss.
1
Chicken Salad Sandwich With Raisins and Curry Powder
We use a modest amount of olive-oil-based mayo, then punch up the flavor with plump golden raisins and the complex savory notes of curry powder in this chicken salad sandwich recipe. Make a big batch of the salad as part of your weekly meal planning and work it into other sandwiches, stuffed in pitas, or crowning a bowl of mixed greens.
2
Grilled Caesar Salad
This recipe transforms the high-calorie dressing into a lighter vinaigrette and adds substance, flavor, and nutrition in the form of sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Think of this as the Caesar salad, reimagined.
3
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Salad
This recipe is rich in protein, and it is guaranteed to cut the number of calories you’d have on a salad you order in a restaurant in half.
4
Asian-Inspired Chicken Salad
Between the sweet mandarin oranges and the crunchy sliced almonds, this chicken salad recipe is bound to be one of your new meal prep favorites.
5
Chicken Greek Salad
This Greek salad recipe is both hearty and healthy without adding any heavy, high-calorie ingredients. It’s great for a big dinner party (or shall we say a Toga party?), or for meal planning as it will keep well in the fridge for a week.
6
Cinnamon-Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Wild Rice
Think Mason jars are just for drinks or packing lettuce-based salads? Think again. This sweet potato salad puts a new spin on the term, layering cinnamon-roasted sweet potato pieces with shredded chicken, carrots, and plenty of seasoning. Combined with a serving of wild rice, this is a full meal in a jar.
7
Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad
This Mason jar salad only takes around 30 minutes to prepare, and you can keep it in the fridge for up to three days. In this case, the extra time will only make the dish even more flavorful as the lime juice, cilantro, and garlic soak into the chicken and quinoa.
8
Whole30 Chicken Salad with Creamy Dressing
This Whole30-compliant riff on classic chicken salad is also an easy-to-pack lunch. Chicken salad may seem basic because we’re all familiar with it, but this recipe is really anything but.
Crock-Pot Chicken Taco Salad
This Crock-Pot chicken tacos recipe is great for making huge taco salads. Simply add it to a bed of greens with some other vegetables, taco cheese, salsa, and sour cream. And if you’re missing the crunch of a hard shell taco, sprinkle on some crushed tortilla chips as well!
10
Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad with Triple Citrus Vinaigrette
Instead of being breaded and fried, this crispy chicken is coated with pecans, keeping this salad low-carb. So if you’re in the mood for something crunchy in your salad, but would prefer to skip on the croutons, this chicken salad recipe is for you.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE
- Chicken salad is a rich source of protein and iron. Protein is essential for healthy weight loss.
- It helps in regulating appetite and also aids in the healing of the body. Moreover, it provides great muscle strength and aids in bone health.
- Lime juice is filled with nutritional benefits as it reduces heart-related problems and boosts your immunity.
- Black pepper shows excellent results in lowering cholesterol levels.
- Also, black pepper plays an important role in slowing down the replication of cancer cells.
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Usually you add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to make a chicken salad recipe traditional… that is nearly 50 grams of fat, just for the mayo!
That breaks my heart to type, and I can imagine it shocks you just as it shocks me. But here at Lose Weight By Eating our goal is to make the unhealthy recipes, healthy. Without sacrificing flavor or texture, and without costing more money.
In this article for healthy chicken salad sandwich recipes I have cut calories and drastically cut fat with my healthy ingredient swaps… my healthy secret ingredients if you will
You’ll learn how to make a healthy chicken salad recipe, including a healthier way to make a sandwich chicken salad without blowing your diet!
Easy Chicken Salad Recipe Ingredients
Chicken salad recipes for sandwiches vary in ingredients and flavors. In this article we are working on a chicken salad recipe traditional style… but you can find a cranberry pecan chicken salad recipe in my first cookbook Lose Weight By Eating, and a curry chicken salad recipe in my fourth cookbook Lose Weight By Eating Easy Dinners.
This easy chicken salad recipe has two “secret ingredients” one will drastically cut fat and calories, and another will boost flavor making it the best chicken salad recipe you have ever tasted!
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe Ingredients:
- Shredded chicken (leftover chicken and canned will save you money)
- Greek Yogurt *
- Dijon mustard
- Celery
- Green onion
- Dill
- Celery salt* (or regular salt)
- Pepper
My secret ingredients in my recipe for chicken salad sandwiches are marked above… Greek Yogurt and Celery Salt. Both make this the best chicken salad recipe you have ever tasted!
Now that you have the ingredient list for my homemade chicken salad recipe, we can get on to the chicken salad how to make section.
Make the best chicken salad recipe sandwich, and save fat and calories with my healthy ingredient swap.
How to Make Chicken Salad
I like this chicken salad recipe best at lunch time… it travels well and is a great use for leftover chicken from the night before.
Healthy chicken salad recipes are easy to make. In this section I will show you how to make lunch in under 10 minutes.
How to Make a Chicken Salad Recipe:
- Add all of the chicken salad recipe ingredients to a large bowl.
- Use the back of a spoon or a fork to mix and smash the ingredients together well.
- Serve you chicken salad recipe as a chicken salad sandwich, chicken salad over greens, or chicken salad on crackers… more below!
The most traditional way to eat chicken salad recipes is in a sandwich… so we will outline that recipe next before getting to the printable recipe card.
Healthy preparations
Some common chicken preparation methods are healthier than others.
Here are a few of the best choices:
- Grilled chicken. Grilled chicken can be a quick and healthy way to boost your protein intake. Consider throwing some vegetables onto the grill to help round out your meal.
- Baked chicken. Baking your chicken is a great weeknight dinner option, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. In addition to being low in fat and calories, baked chicken is rich in important nutrients.
- Stir-fried chicken. Try stir-frying chicken with a bit of oil and your favorite veggies for a high fiber, protein-packed meal.
SUMMARY
Grilling, baking, and stir-frying chicken are a few of the healthiest ways to enjoy chicken.
Unhealthy preparations
Although chicken can certainly fit into a healthy diet, some types are loaded with extra calories, fat, or sodium.
Here are a few types of chicken that you should limit or avoid:
- Fried chicken. Because it’s typically deep-fried and breaded, fried chicken is usually high in calories, carbs, and unhealthy fats
- Rotisserie chicken. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is generally brined and heavily seasoned, which can significantly increase the amount of sodium in the final product
- Chicken lunch meat. Processed meats, including chicken lunch meats, are often pumped full of added sodium and unhealthy preservatives to extend their shelf life
SUMMARY
Fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, and chicken lunch meat are a few types of chicken that you should limit or avoid on a healthy diet.
Eating tips
Chicken can be a great addition to a balanced diet.
Stick to around 3–4 ounces (85–113 grams) per serving, which is roughly the size of a deck of cards.
Be sure to also choose healthy cooking methods like baking, grilling, stir-frying, or steaming whenever possible.
Finally, keep in mind that chicken should be enjoyed alongside a variety of other protein sources, such as fish, meat, poultry, and legumes, to ensure that you’re getting all of the nutrients your body needs.
SUMMARY
Enjoy 3–4 ounces (85–113 grams) of chicken per serving and choose healthy cooking methods like baking, grilling, stir-frying, or steaming whenever possible.