Winner Winner Chicken....Salad.

         
            I have found myself way too busy lately. Between running kids around, working late at a dentist office, trying to get my career as a wellness advocate moving and fighting autoimmune disease I feel like my days blur together and weeks pass and the next thing I know it has been six months since I have even attempted going for a run and oh guess what you gained the 5 pounds you had lost. Dang, it really is a constant struggle.

              Realizing that the handle I had on my life is slipping, I once again have committed to grabbing the wheel a steering myself back on course. I recently picked up The Daniel Plan book and have been reading it on my lunch breaks. I am reading it slow and letting it all sink in as I marrinate in the reality of the truths that have slapped me in the face. While I take pretty good care of myself compared to many people out there; I have not been taking such great care of myself compared to what I know in my heart I am capable of. I value wellness over a skinny body, let's make that clear now. This is and isn't about the scale. This for me is about my energy level and managing pain. If I allow myself to slip into even moderatly bad habbits, even for a short time, my well being spirals out of control and I have intense pain that can have me in bed for days. I cannot even go there since I am, for the moment, my family's sole provider and money is tight.

            Whole foods, single ingredient foods, nothing fake. Simple right? Well.....yes, and no.I have 3 kids for crying out loud! Kids are pros at complaining about healthy food. My 5 year old is probably the best eater out of all of them because my journey toward better health really began shortly after she was born.  My 14 year old, I have begun to understand, will probably never fully accept that certain things are just off limits in this house. Sorry baby but food coloring and sugared crapola and white flour (wheat in general) really don't have a place in this house. I have slipped a little recently and we are all suffering so back to what is normal for us. Sigh....I really like chocolate.

          As I begin to kick start any new program or implement a change in the way we eat. I let the fridge get just about empty. The kids start whining that there is nothing in there. Then I do a big shop and fill it with beautiful produce and some healthy meats and eggs and coconut milk and suddenly we settle in to our new normal. At least it seems that way for a moment but then the kids realize there is not much to just grab and eat unless they want a fruit or veggie. They are still learning to enjoy snacking on things that are good for their bodies and I am still learning that these ketchup addicts need something to dip their veggies or fruit in. We are works in progress. I have come up with a few recipes for some healthy dips for their fruit and veggies but I will share those another time.

        In all the chaos that goes on in getting kids to school, packing lunches I had often turned to the old stand-by PB and J. I love a sugar sandwich as much as the next person but when you find yourself hungry less than an hour after you had your sandwich it should tell you a bit about your food choices. It is hard with kids to find something that packs nicely and is easy enough to throw together and you know they will eat it and be satisfied until their next meal. Same goes for me. If it turns brown forget it. My favorite sandwich is a chicken salad sandwich. YUM! I really don't eat bread anymore or if I do it is a very rare occasion. I have found that gluten is not my friend and when I have it my body does all kinds of horrible things. Soy does the same thing to me so many GF products are off limits. I have come to understand that if I didn't make it from scratch myself or if it has questionable ingredients I probably should just stay away from it. I find I am often stuck with salads where ever I go. This is fine for a while but eventually I get bored and fall off the wagon again.

        What do you get when you cross chicken salad with actual salad? Lots of options if you are creative and creative I am. I have made a couple of pretty great chicken salads in the past and served them up in lettuce boats and all was well with that but I am a girl who enjoys options and a bit of change. So here are my two most recent creations. Hope you enjoy and feel free to ask questions.

Each recipe starts with 3 whole chicken breasts pan cooked in olive oil with salt and pepper then cooled and diced into small bite sized pieces.

Salad#1 Chicken and Avocado Salad:

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts cooked
2 avocados
1/2 fresh pineapple
5 green onions
1 large bell pepper
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 drop cilantro essential oil
3 drops lime essential oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Dice all ingredients into small pieces. Mix and store in a glass or metal bowl. You can use fresh cilantro or lime juice in place of essential oils but the oils (in my opinion) help the salad stay fresh longer and for whatever reason the avocados don't brown as quickly.

Serve: I like to serve mine over a bed of romaine lettuce but you could serve on any type of green salad or quinoa or eat it with veggie crips. If you eat chips or tortillas or bread I am sure it would be great served that way as well, haven't tried it myself.




Salad#2 Broccoli Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1/2 bellpepper
3 green onions
5 stalks of celery
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 large head of broccoli or the equivalent volume in bagged raw broccoli
fruit flavored vinegarette (I love pear) use about 1/3 cup and I add a drop of lemon essential oil
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Dice all ingredients into little bits and mix together in large bowl. Place in fridge and allow veggies to soften. You do not need much dressing and it may seem like it is not enough but the produce will release water and you will find yourself glad you didn't add more dressing.

Serve: Eat it like it is as a snack or simple lunch or enjoy over a bed of lettuce instead. You could also serve it in a tortilla which is something my kids really enjoy. If you do eat dairy it tastes really good with a little sharp cheddar on top.

      I hope you enjoy these simple recipes. With a little of work ahead of time you can have some healthy meals to grab and go during your busy week. These salads should keep for several days in the fridge.

*As I was finishing writing this post my oldest came in having won in a logo design art contest. My 12 year old said "winner winner chicken dinner."  Made me laugh. Love those girls, they are the best. I am a proud mama.