Chicken salad is one of my favorite low calorie lunches and ever since I ran across the 7-oz. vacuum-packed, foil packages of 100% natural white meat chicken by Valley Fresh in my local grocery store, I keep it on hand for quick, last-minute meals when I don’t feel like roasting my own chicken or picking apart a super market roasted chicken.
I use it for many things including Chicken Quesadillas, Chicken Caesar wraps (using the Low-Carb, Low-Fat Whole Wheat Tortillas by La Tortilla Factory that I love so much at 50 calories per tortilla), homemade Chicken Pot Pie, and for this Chicken Salad.
One of the reasons I like the Valley Fresh vacuum-packed chicken is that I am very picky about chicken and especially about prepared products containing chicken in any kind of sauce. I once got a 1-1/2 inch piece of chicken windpipe in a frozen chicken cacciatore luncheon meal! Thanks but no thanks. I’ll make my own.
With my recipe, you get your fruit and vegetables along with a good serving of protein. Here’s my recipe:
Chicken Salad Recipe
| Ingredients | Calories |
| 2 cups fresh grapes, washed and dried | 224 |
| 1/2 cup (4 oz.) cashews with salt | 680 |
| 1/4 cup chopped green onion (about 3 onions w/part of stalk) | 8 |
| 2 cups diced celery (about 5 stalks) | 34 |
| 2 - 7 oz. packages Valley Fresh 100% white chicken (vacuum-packed, easy, no drain package) | 490 |
| 1/2 c. Kraft Miracle Whip | 280 |
| 1 Tbsp. Gedney Sweet Pickle Relish | 15 |
| 2 Tbsp. orange juice | 15 |
| 1/2 tsp. French’s Classic Yellow Mustard | 0 |
| Garlic salt and pepper to taste | 0 |
| Total calories for ingredients: | 1746 |
| Calories for each of 6 - 1 cup servings: | 291 |
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Method: Place grapes, cashews, onions, celery, and chicken into a mixing bowl. Blend together the Miracle Whip, pickle relish, orange juice, and mustard. Pour over other ingredients and mix well. Adjust the amount of orange juice and the Miracle Whip to suit your taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you don’t have fresh grapes, substitute 1 cup dried cranberries (260 calories); 1/2 cup dried cherries (280 calories), 1/2 cup raisins (260), or 1/2 cup dried plums (220 calories) and adjust calorie count accordingly. When I use dried fruit, I place it in a glass measuring cup, pour orange juice over the fruit, and allow the fruit to rehydrate for 30 minutes or so. Strain off and reserve the juice before mixing with chicken and vegetables. Use the reserved juice to mix with the Miracle Whip. For a nice crunch, substitute a large diced apple for the fresh grapes or dried fruit (about 120 for a large apple) and adjust the calorie count accordingly. And, for a really special taste that unfortunately also adds some calories substitute Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise (90 calories per Tbsp.) for the Miracle Whip and use cream (55 calories per Tbsp.) in place of orange juice. Skip the mustard and pickle relish and add 1 tsp. of fresh chopped sweet basil instead. The calories go up to 378 per serving but it is really good. Use this version when you have guests and want to make your chicken salad extra special. Refrigerate until serving. Plate 1 cup of chicken salad over a bed of lettuce for a delicious 300-calorie lunch. Enjoy a 1-1/2 cup serving and you’re still under 450 calories. If you prefer, enjoy a 100-calorie cookie with your 300-calorie lunch or a 4 oz. goblet of a nice wine. |
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