Moving into the New Year, I’m really trying to make a conscience effort to snack more wisely. Sometimes at work I get so busy that I might not have time for lunch until 3 or 4 p.m. – and that makes for a cranky me AND the act of heading to the fastest place to get food once I have a break – healthy or not. I know that planning is key to success, so I’m making a little more effort to prepare more healthy snacks and have them at my disposal during the day. So far this week it’s helped (I feel better about my diligence if nothing else), and that just makes me all the more motivated to keep going!
Here’s my favorite (healthy) recipe for chicken salad so far. Combined with 4-6 all natural water crackers, this snack is less than 200 calories (according to my calculations in the SparkRecipes.com Recipe Calculator).
Light Dill Chicken Salad
Two 7 oz. packages of White chicken cuts (I used Valley Fresh because they were the most natural ingredients) – Fresh roasted or rotesserie chicken would be even better
2 stalks of celery, cleaned and cut into thin half moons
1/2 medium white onion, chopped (or shallots if you have them – 1/2 cup)
1 T. fresh dill, chopped (you can do more to taste)
2 T. light mayo
1 c. (approximately) plain greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
fresh lemon juice – about half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
sliced almonds (optional)
water crackers
In a food processor, combine chicken, celery, onion and greek yogurt. Pulse until combined. Transfer to a medium bowl and add dill, mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add almonds if desired, and stir until combined. If the mixture isn’t bound enough, add small amounts of greek yogurt and stir until you reach the consistency you desire. Portion into small containers for snacking size ( I like the Glad mini round ones), and pair with 4-6 water crackers for a healthy, tasty snack on the go!
