Category: Snacks & Drinks

Macro friendly snack and drink ideas and recipes

Lunch & Dinner, Snacks & Drinks, Uncategorized

Macro Friendly Chicken Salad

Mary

The classic chicken salad sandwich originated in the mid 1800s when a Rhode Island meat shop owner put together the winning combo of bread, chicken, mayo, red grapes and tarragon and sold them as chicken salad sandwiches. It has since become an iconic mainstay of American cuisine with lots of iterations, secret recipes and even a restaurant chain, Chicken Salad Chick.

Make It Macro Friendly

Despite the chicken salad historically being made with full-fat mayo as the key ingredient, it can be easily modified into a high protein, low-fat, delicious chicken salad. This recipe features plain non-fat Greek yogurt as the replacement for mayo, combined with dijon mustard and red wine vinegar to add a little tang. If you are a big fan of mayo, feel free to sub in half light mayonnaise with half the amount of Greek yogurt. I personally am not a fan of mayo so this recipe is right up my alley.

Tips For Making This High Protein Chicken Salad

Chicken breast is a great lean protein source and you can use leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast. I slapped some frozen chicken and chicken broth into the crockpot for a few hours which yielded very tender chicken. An easy way to make shredded chicken from cooked chicken breasts is pulling it between two forks or mixing it in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.

I like to add in finely chopped green and red onion and celery for a nice, cool crunch, making a perfect lunch meal on hot summer days. I’ve put in an optional ingredient, Kraut brand garlic sauerkraut to pack in some gut friendly probiotics. I don’t think this ingredient makes a huge impact on the flavor of the healthy chicken salad but if you’re looking for ways to add in more probiotics, this is a great way to do so.

How To Eat Chicken Salad

This is a perfect meal prep recipe and I typically make this recipe at the beginning of the week. Both the hubs and I enjoy it for lunch throughout the week in a few different ways. Possibly the best way to serve this chicken salad is the simplest, make it a sandwich on some tasty whole grain bread with a squirt of your favorite mustard and greens. Another great option to eat it is atop a bed of greens or partnered with a crispy cracker or rice cake.

This recipe yields 4 servings (about four sandwiches or rice cake toppers in our household) which clocks in at almost 9 grams of protein, under 4 grams of fat and 2 grams of carbs.

Macro Friendly Chicken Salad

A twist on the classic chicken salad. Swaps high protein Greek yogurt for mayonnaise

  • 1 cup cooked and chopped or shredded chicken breast (Rotisserie chicken works great too! )
  • 3/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 2.5 tbsp nonfat, plain Greek yogurt
  • 1.5 teas red wine vinegar
  • 2.5 teas dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp Kraut brand Garlic Sauerkraut (*Completely optional if you want some additional probiotics)

  1. Add chicken, celery, red onion and green onion to a medium sized bowl

  2. Mix together nonfat greek yogurt, dijon mustard and red wine vinegar and set aside

  3. Add yogurt mixture to the chicken and stir until evenly distributed. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.

Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Snack
American
chicken, chicken salad, high protein, macro friendly meal

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Snacks & Drinks, Uncategorized

Low Acid Coffee Hacks

Mary

If coffee is your love language, the thought of giving it up due to acid reflux, GERD or gastritis is a nightmare. I’ve been there and after lots of trial and error, I can offer some tips on how to enjoy a lower acid version of your coffee. Here are the tips:

Select lower acid beans/grounds:

I personally have had great success with Trader Joe’s Low Acid French Roast. You can also pick darker roast coffees which have less caffeine and can be less irritating. Look for beans from Brazil or Central America which tend to be naturally lower in acid.

Use a coarser grind:

It is better to use a coarse grind vs. a fine grind as less acid is released.

Use a cold brew method or let the coffee sit overnight:

I have used both of these methods, and am currently brewing my coffee at night and letting it sit before I drink it in the morning. I have also used a cold brew Hario coffee maker and this is also a great option. If you prefer a bottled cold brew, I have tested most of the major brands and Chameleon Cold Brew has the lowest acid that I have found.

Mix your coffee with a substitute:

Since I am an all day coffee sipper, I brew in my coffee maker, a scoop of Trader Joe’s low acid coffee with a scoop of Teecino (an herbal coffee substitute). It tastes great and I still get the enjoyment of sipping on my iced “coffee” all day. I prefer the Teecino Java, Hazelnut, Vanilla Nut or Maca Chocolate flavors. I buy mine on Amazon, but you can find it in most natural grocers.

Modify your coffee order:

If you’re ordering at Starbuck’s or another shop, always modify to one shot of espresso vs. the 2-3 that go in a grande. You can even have them substitute some cold brew for the espresso which could have lower acid. Also, try almond milk vs. dairy milk as some have reported that dairy exacerbates their acid issues.

Hope these tips help allow you to still enjoy your coffee habit!