One Chicken, Three Recipes, Zero Guilt
I don’t like feeling stuck in the kitchen all day. That’s why I try to come up with recipes like these where I can spend less time cooking, but get multiple meals out of it in return.
Of course, I want to do it in a way that won’t compromise my diet, too…
Zero Guilt
Incorporating more protein into your diet is one of the big picture things you can do to manage body composition — whether it be losing fat, or just to prevent gaining it.
My top 3 tips for accomplishing this are:
Plan your meals around having enough protein.
Buy ready-to-eat protein (canned tuna, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.).
Cook protein ahead of time and keep it on hand.
Number three is the main idea behind these recipes.
One Chicken
Start out by cooking your chicken once for the week (then make these bowls all week long!).
If you’re cooking for one female, you’ll need approximately a pound of chicken to make each bowl once. This allows you a palm’s size amount of chicken for each bowl, which gives you the optimal 20-30 grams of protein per meal we recommend.
(Men: if you're cooking for yourself, you’ll want to double that.)
Just remember, the hand guide is a starting point and can always be tweaked depending on goals and results.
I also follow the hand guide when building the bowls. Since 2 out of 3 of these bowls don’t have carbs, I add an extra thumb of fat. That way I can have Kalamata olives and feta cheese in my Greek bowl.
I cook my chicken in an instant pot. You can see how to do that here on Amy + Jacky's Pressure Cook website.
You can also bake the chicken, or use a slow cooker, just be sure you don’t use a lot of high calorie ingredients (like butter, oils, sauces, or premade mixes) when cooking the chicken.
Three Recipes
1. Greek Chicken Bowls
Ingredients:
Cooked chicken
Kalamata olives
Tomatoes, diced
Feta cheese
Homemade tzatziki sauce (see recipe below)
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce (makes enough for 3-4 bowls)
Cucumber, finely chopped or shredded
¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1-3 tsp dried dill
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
In a small, leak proof bowl with a lid, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, garlic, dill; seal lid. Shake well. Pour this mixture over your chopped cucumber and mix in the Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Taco Chicken Bowls
Ingredients:
Cooked chicken
Black beans
Tomatoes
Salsa
Avocado
Shredded cheese
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Instructions:
Put. The. Food. In. The. Bowl. Follow the hand guide to help you portion your meal. Enjoy.
3. Chicken Salad Bowls
Ingredients:
Cooked chicken
⅛ to ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
½ tablespoon to 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
92 grams seedless grapes, sliced
¼ cup green onions, chopped
1 tsp to 1 tbsp curry powder
Instructions:
Mix ingredients into a bowl and stir well. I usually use ½ tablespoon of mayonnaise with ¼ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt. I prefer my chicken salad to not be very saucy so I keep the dressings light. Using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise helps reduce the calories and keep the dish healthier by lowering the amount of fat that mayonnaise brings to the table.
