Comfort food is something we reach for when we’re stressed, tired or bored, but it needn’t be unhealthy. Fried chicken certainly tops the list of comfort food for many, because it is crunchy, delicious, and just plain satisfying. With a few clever tweaks however, you can make it healthy as well:
- Add ground raw cashews and almond milk to your marinade for a creative, healthy twist. Tree nuts have amino acids and tryptophan, which leads to a happier and slimmer you. The almond milk has more bone building calcium than dairy, with none of the saturated fat or cholesterol.
- For the crunch, coat your chicken with quinoa instead of the traditional breadcrumbs. Quinoa provides fiber, and four grams of protein per serving (almost as much as the chicken, which gives you six grams per serving).
- Use white breast meat instead of the darker thighs, remove the fat-hoarding skin, and instead of deep-frying, bake the pieces at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Don’t cancel out all your efforts by dipping the healthy ‘fried’ chicken in honey mustard or ranch dressing, both of which add 140 calories each. Instead, blend raw cashews, onion powder, dill weed, tomato paste, lemon juice and some hot sauce for a dip that racks up a mere 30 calories.
Read More:
Easy Chicken Recipes: A Delicious Source of Nutrition
Chicken Salad: Delicious, Nutritious & Classic
