If you’re stabilizing your blood sugar, you know how important it is to have high quality protein prepared in bulk for the week. I like to make our “Everyday Chicken” (find it in your Recipe Tab).  It’s fast, super easy and gives you tender, roasted chicken that you can toss in any of your favorite dishes for a boost of protein.

To keep my meals fresh, I’ve been using the Everyday Chicken in a variety of fun dishes. Here are a few quick single serving combinations I’ve come up with recently that take only minutes to make if you’ve got chicken already prepared.

1.  In a pan coated with fat free cooking spray, combine chopped cooked chicken, a handful or two of spinach and any other chopped veggies you have on hand. Cook until vegetables are slightly tender.  Stir in your favorite tomato or marinara sauce and seasonings like fresh basil or oregano. Top with parmesan cheese.

2.  Saute chopped cooked chicken with shredded carrots, snow peas, mushrooms or any other veggie you have on hand with some fat free cooking spray.  Add freshly minced garlic and a splash of low sodium soy sauce and sauté until garlic is soft (not browned).  Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and top with fresh cilantro.

3.  Okay, admittedly this combo is not the highest quality (hello sodium) but it sure is good! And it’s got the balance of protein, carbs and fat to stabilize your blood sugar.  If you’ve ever had buffalo chicken dip, you’ll like this one. Just refer back to this one sparingly so you don’t bloat from all the sodium!  Chop or shred cooked chicken very small. Put the chicken in a small bowl, add a dash or two of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and microwave for about 30 seconds.  Stir in a scoop of low fat cream cheese, a pinch of garlic powder and another dash or two of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.  Microwave again for 20 seconds or until heated throughout.  Stir again and serve with carrot and celery sticks.  Add some fresh fruit on the side if you need extra carbohydrates.

Chicken doesn’t have to be boring- the key is having tender, cooked chicken on hand for the week so  you can quickly create a variety of dishes on the fly!  Make sure to use your “Add Meal” feature in your Venice Nutrition Online software to create the dishes described above according to your nutritional parameters.   For more information on how to create balanced meals according to your nutritional parameters, check out the How to Create Your Own Meals video in your Help Support Tab.

Enjoy!

Valerie Cogswell

Head Chef and Lead Nutrition Coach of Venice Nutrition