Is Chicken Salad Healthy?
Traditional chicken salad with mayo contains 310 calories, 25 grams of fat and 700 milligrams of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. This chicken salad is only 145 calories, 11 grams of fat and 186 grams of sodium. That’s a huge nutrition difference. Also to use homemade chicken breast instead of store bought roast chicken reduces sodium a lot.
What Makes This Chicken Salad Low Fat and Low Calorie
The mayo content has been cut in half by adding 1/2 cup plain (Greek) yogurt to make salad creamy, reduce saturated fat and calories. Recommend to a higher fat content yogurt because non-fat yogurt lacks flavour and is flat. Healthy fats are good for you, in moderation.
Recipe
Easy Low Fat Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe that is a must for hot summer days, lunches and quick dinner. It’s also low on calories and sodium but big on flavour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
- 3 large handful kale chopped (approx 150g)
- 3/4 cup (3 large) celery stalks, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley or dill, finely chopped
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (2+% fat) * I prefer FULL fat
- 1/4 cup mayo (any oil) * I prefer olive oil
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp any light colour vinegar
- 1/2 tsp himalayan salt
- Ground black pepper
- Pomegranate for crunch and colour (or finely diced apple)
Instructions
- In a small skillet, add pecans and toast on low-medium heat until fragrant and brown-ish, stirring often. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool a bit and chop coarsely.
- In a medium bowl, add toasted pecans, chicken, celery, onion, parsley, yogurt, mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix and adjust salt to taste if necessary.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours as salad tastes best cold. Serve with greens, quinoa, brown rice or over a sweet potato mash.
- Garnish with 1-2 tablespoons pomegranate (or apple) for colour and crunch.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
