Low Calorie BLT Chicken Salad

 

Low Calorie BLT Chicken Salad

This was just a quick lunch idea that I just randomly threw together, ingredients are approximated. It was really good and I love having something that I can throw on some bread for lunches.

- 1 container already shredded rotisserie chicken

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 1/4 red onion

- 1 container cherry tomatoes

- 1 box already cooked bacon

- 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

- 1/2ish cup non fat mayo

- salt, pepper, dill

- I also added low sugar craisins to mine, but I didn't mix it in because no one else wanted them in theirs

Chicken Caesar Salad

 

Chicken Caesar Salad

This was a super quick and easy meal. I just had some bagged salad, frozen chicken tenders, croutons, shredded parmesan and Bolthouse caesar dressing. My son also had an extra tender (with McDonald's sauce lol) and some garlic bread. Yum!

Tortellini Salad

 

Tortellini Salad

This is another "it's too hot to cook" meal. Super easy and I wanted to use up a few ingredients from the garden. I was inspired by this tortellini salad recipe by Love & Lemons and I just randomly added stuff that I had already. I also used bottle dressing because I really wanted a super quick meal lol

Ingredients:

- 20oz bag of tortellini

- 2 tomatoes from the garden, diced

- 2 zucchinis from the garden, diced

- 1/2 red onion, diced

- 1 5oz container shaved parm

- 1 14oz can of white beans

- 1 14oz can artichoke hearts, diced

- 1 bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 cup maybe of pepperoncini, diced 

- a few handfuls of an arugula/spinach blend

- 1/2 bottle of Kens Zesty Italian dressing. I don't like it too wet so I added garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a smidge of cayenne to taste and mixed it into the salad

I just cooked the tortellini, chopped all the veggies and just combined everything. Super fresh and tasty, it would be amazing with some fresh herbs. The zucchini I diced and air fried with a little EVOO/salt/pepper/garlic at 400 for about 6 minutes. 

Potstickers with Spicy Kani Salad

 

Potstickers with Spicy Kani Salad

Normally when we have potstickers (just the frozen pork ones) I just make a bunch and we munch on that. But I saw this recipe for spicy kani salad that I wanted to make, so I thought it would make a good side for it!

I did make a couple of changes to the salad "dressing", I added some garlic and a bit of chili crunch with a half of a squeezed lime. I also topped it with cilantro because we had some to use up. It's very good! I'd definitely make it again, but I'd make the mayo base before hand so it has some time to meld and be a bit less mayo-e. The store only had a bigger bag of imitation crab meat and a giant cucumber, so I have enough to make another batch this weekend. 

Click here for the Spicy Kani Salad recipe from Al Dente Diva

Edit: so I made this again with a few changes and it's SO MUCH BETTER! I was almost out of mayo so I just used a little bit, and I subbed the rest with nonfat greek yogurt. I also added fresh squeeze tube ginger, some jarlic, and a bit of soy sauce. It's so much better without being full mayo, it's much more light & fresh tasting. 

Cumin Lime Black Bean Lentil Salad

 

Cumin Lime Black Bean Lentil Salad

Terrible picture, I just wanted to save the recipe before I forgot. It's loosely based on the recipe linked below. I chopped up 4 little cucumbers, 2 bell peppers, 3 jalapenos, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, and 1/4 red onion. I also added 1 can black beans and 1 can of lentils. I forgot I wanted to add some corn, so I'll do that tomorrow. I also forgot to order cilantro so I added some squeeze tube cilantro to the dressing mix. 

For the dressing mix I did 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, pepper, a giant glob of jarlic, about a tbs of tube cilantro, 1 lime, 1 tbs dijon and some avocado oil to help it go a little farther. I might add a scoop of greek yogurt when I have a bowl of it tomorrow too just for extra protein.

The flavor is so good! I love the dijon and the extra seasoning. I find sometimes that veggie salads like this can be bland so this is the first time I doubled the seasonings, and I'll be doing that again. 

Click here for the Black Bean Lentil Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing recipe by The Garden Grazer

Another pregnant bell pepper!

For snack I had some with a side of cottage cheese, really good and filling!

Chipotle Tortellini Caesar Salad with Crispy Kale

 

Chipotle Tortellini Caesar Salad with Crispy Kale

This was so good! I had to add extra dressing because I didn't feel like the packet was enough to cover the whole salad with a whole bag of tortellini. Next time I'd also add some white beans for protein so it was a little more filling, and I think a squirt of lemon would be really good. From the "Homemade-ish" cookbook by Lauren McDuffie

Ingredients:

- 6 cups kale leaves

- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

- salt, pepper

- 1 10oz bagged caesar salad kit

- 1 chipotle pepper, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce from the can

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 9 ounces cheese tortellini, cooked per package directions

- shaved parmesan

  Adjust oven rack to the top position, and preheat to 375. 

  Arrange the kale leaves evenly on a large baking sheet, coat with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crispy.

  Meanwhile, put the caesar salad dressing in a bowl and add the chopped chipotle pepper, garlic powder, and about 2 tsp of water. Add any access oil from the roasted kale, and stir to blend it all together. For extra spice add an extra tsp of adobo sauce.

  In a large bowl or on a big platter, toss together the tortellini in the caesar salad greens. Crush p the croutons, turning them into breadcrumbs, and scatter them over the salad, along with any cheese included in the salad kit.

  Add the roasted kale to the salad and shave some fresh parm over top. Add flaked tuna or white beans for protein.

Bang Bang Chicken with Thai Quinoa Salad

 

Bang Bang Chicken with Thai Quinoa Salad

This was so good! I did make a couple of changes just to make it a little lighter. For the Bang Bang Chicken I swapped out half the mayo for half greek yogurt, and I used sugar free Thai chili sauce. I cooked it in the oven but it would be so good on the grill! For the quinoa salad I added a bit more sriracha, added a cucumber and I used a bunch of mini bell peppers that I already had. 

I love having salads like this to grab for lunch!

Click here for the Bang Bang Chicken recipe by Simple Home Edit

                        Click here for the recipe for Thai Quinoa Salad by Tastes Better From Scratch

Creamy Parmesan Tortellini with Nashville Hot Salad

 

Creamy Parmesan Tortellini with Nashville Hot Salad

Super quick and easy meal. It's just 1 bag of family sized refrigerated tortellini with a jar of creamy pesto sauce. After I cooked the tortellini I did sauté some jarlic in the same pot and once I added in the pesto sauce I added a squirt of tube basil and a bunch of black pepper. Then I topped it with red pepper flakes and shredded parmesan. Now that I'm typing this I remembered that I have some spinach in the fridge I could have tossed in.

The salad kit is just the "Nashville Hot" kit from Walmart, I love it...it's delicious. Very quick dinner!

Caesar Protein Chicken Veggie Pasta

 

Caesar Protein Veggie Pasta

   This is super good! 

I just used:

- 1 rotisserie chicken

- 1 bag of mini cucumbers

- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes

- 1 box Barilla protein pasta

- 1 bottle Bolthouse caesar dressing

- 1/4 red onion

- Juice of 1 lemon

- salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry dill

Not pictured:

- Chopped lettuce

I just chopped and mixed everything together. Next time for a higher protein/lower calorie option I might try half a bottle of Bolthouse with half greek yogurt and extra seasoning to make up for the loss of flavor. Bolthouse is already low calorie but more protein is always good. The lettuce I'm adding per bowl so it doesn't get soggy.

I love love love this and need this in my fridge at all times now. 

Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad, Texas Toast & a Baked Potato

 

Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad, Texas Toast & a Baked Potato

    This was just a super quick dinner that was bagged romaine with Bolthouse Farms Caesar, shredded parmesan, and Texas Toast croutons. I then air fried some Tyson blackened chicken and cut it up then mixed it all together. With a microwaved baked potato and frozen Texas Toast on the side. Not very healthy but it's delicious and everyone loves it. Also it's QUICK, perfect for those nights when you don't want to cook.

Blackened Salmon with Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Broccoli Salad and Mashed Potatoes

 

Blackened Salmon with Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Broccoli Salad and Mashed Potatoes

   The salmon was just already seasoned frozen fillets from Walmart, but I didn't realize when I ordered it online for grocery pickup that it was only 2 fillets. They are delicious though! I air fried them from frozen for the first time ever, it took waaay longer then all the instructions online said so the edges were a little over cooked but other then that it was perfect.

Click here for the Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Broccoli Salad recipe by MakeTheBestofEverything

   The broccoli salad is so light and fresh! It also has protein from the greek yogurt in the sauce. I didn't have any type of seeds or nuts to add to it (and my son is allergic to most nuts), but I did have strawberries so I threw those in. I added extra lemon over top and lemon zest since it was a little bland because I made it right before I served it. I bet it will be amazing tomorrow. 

   The mashed potatoes were just packet mashed potatoes like always lol. 

High Protein Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

 

High Protein Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

  This was SO GOOD. I used Banza chickpea pasta for the extra protein, and you really can't even tell when it's mixed with the rest of the ingredients. The caesar dressing is also delicious, I'm picky with caesar and I'll definitely be making it again! Everyone loved it. I did just eyeball the ingredients for the dressing but it's very forgiving. Oh I also used a rotisserie chicken to make it even easier. 

  Click here for the caesar pasta salad recipe by Pound Dropper
  Click here for the caesar dressing recipe by Pound Dropper

Shake and Bake Chicken Thighs with Cabot Pepper jack Mac & Cheese with Salad

 

Shake and Bake Chicken Thighs with Cabot Pepper jack Mac & Cheese with Salad

  My quick and easy go to meal lately has been shake and bake chicken thighs with a side and a veggie. The thighs are so flavorful and I add some extra seasoning to the shake and bake chicken (garlic, pepper, pickle popcorn seasoning, and parmesan), and it's pretty cheap. This mac and cheese was not good though, I would not ever buy it again lol. It also smells bad.

The salad was just had leftover veggies from the roasted pita the other night, that I tossed with 50/50 salad mix and ranch dressing with a few cherry tomatoes.

Tortellini Salad

 Tortellini Salad

   This was so perfect to cook for summer. It's 97 out and I didn't want to stand in front of a hot stove, and the only thing you cook in this recipe is the tortellini. The changes I made with this recipe was that I switched the olives for a bell pepper since I had one to use up, and none of us like olives. I also used a 19oz bag of tortellini instead of 16oz so I was kind of worried that there wouldn't be enough dressing. But there was! It's so fresh and yummy.

   Click here for the Tortellini Salad recipe from Budget Bytes

Ham & Cheese Sliders with Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad

 

Ham & Cheese Sliders with Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad

  We usually make these sliders for holidays, they are so good. But it's spring break and I thought it would be a great snack to have on hand for my teenager so I don't have to cook so much lol. 

  I paired it with this chicken salad which was AMAZING because that ranch is so incredibly flavorful. I would use a little less milk though since the ranch was a little runny. For the chicken I had some chicken breasts that I just threw a bunch of seasonings on and air fried. Definitely double this recipe because it doesn't make to much. 

Recipe Links:

- Click here for the Broccoli Cheddar Chicken Salad Recipe by BudgetBytes

- Click here for the Hawaiian Roll Ham & Cheese Sliders recipe by Averie Cooks

- Click here for the Ranch Dressing recipe by Barefeet In the Kitchen

Keto Air Fried Chicken Thighs, Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese, Caesar Salad

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 Air Fried Chicken Thighs, Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese, Caesar Salad

Dinner tonight was delicious, although my son didn't care for the salad....he usually doesn't lol. I took some chicken thighs and brushed some brown mustard on each side, and sprinkled each side with salt/pepper/paprika/thyme/rosemary/oregano. Then I air fried at 370 for 18 minutes. 

 I also made some Air Fried Mac n Cheese by OurCountertop,  Click that for the link the the recipe. My cauliflower was very small, so I took some frozen cauliflower and air fried it. That worked great because I've been wondering if you can air fry veggies to look roasted. You can! The only thing I did different was I added a squirt of mustard. 

  Then I just chopped up a head of romaine and tossed it with a chopped tomato and Caesar dressing. My son isin't doing low carb, so he also had a piece of garlic toast. 

Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Keto Breadsticks

 Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Keto Breadsticks

  This meal was excellent. I made these keto "breadsticks" for my husband and I with almond flour, but my son is allergic to almonds so I made his with white flour. The white flour ones turned out lumpy and weird to spread, but my son said they tasted really good and that's all that matters. 

  The chicken was air fried in a bunch of seasonings and a squirt of mustard. They were super juicy and ultra flavorful, I'll definitely be trying it would chicken breasts or thighs. 

  Caesar salad is naturally a low carb salad. I just some chopped romaine, spinach, tomatoes and a handful of parmesan.

Links to the recipes:

Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Wings by Recipe Teacher

Low Carb Garlic Bread by Nicko's Kitchen

BBQ Chicken Salad

 

  This just came together as I went lol. I took a few chicken thighs and seasoned them with Kinder's Blackened Seasoning, and cooked them on a cast iron skillet. I removed them from them from the pan, added a little bit of butter and put in a can of rinsed pinto beans and about a cup of frozen corn. I warmed that up while scraping the bits off the pan. While that was warming, I shredded the chicken and tossed it with G Hughes Sugar Free BBQ sauce.

  I chopped up these ingredients:
- Bell pepper
- Jalapeno
- Hardboiled Eggs
- Cilantro
- Red Onion
- Cherry Tomatoes

  I used some spring mix and cole slaw mix (not with the dressing, just shredded cabbage) as my base then tossed it all together. I topped it with some Bolthouse Farms ranch. Yum!

Kale and Salmon Caesar Salad

 

  I am obsessed with this Kale and Salmon Caesar Salad from Budget Bytes. I love salmon, but we hardly make it because it's so expensive. So this was my first time trying canned salmon and it's perfect in salads and since then I've used it to make salmon cakes. I found a few different healthy caesar dressing recipe I wanted to try out but I couldn't find anchovy paste! So I just bought a bottle from the refrigerated section and it was still good. My family loved it and I'll probably be making it again this week, maybe with a brown rice or higher protein pasta.

  - 3 Minute Skinny Caesar Dressing by Laughing Spatula
  - Caesar Dressing Recipe by Simple Healthy Kitchen

Filled and Fueled Salad for 2 Points

                                              Big Delicious Salad
                                                              2 Points on Blue

  I was starving and almost just caved in to reheat some leftovers, but I decided a big filling salad sounded much better. You could make it zero points if you left out the cottage cheese and just use salsa and lemon juice for dressing.

  I discovered this O'Dang Hummus Ranch dressing at Walmart and it's delicious, only 1 point per 2 tbs!

Ingredients:

- 3 cups greens. I used a mixture of spring mix and romaine. If I had some kale I would of use that to kick up the nutrition. 0 points.
- 3 oz Tyson Blackened Chicken. I just microwaved mine but next time I'll try it in the toaster oven. 0 points.
- 1/4 cup chickpeas. 0 points.
- 1/4 cup pinto beans. I would of preferred black beans but I was out. 0 points.
- 1 tbs chopped onion. 0 points.
- A bunch of hot banana peppers, I used a bit more then 1/4 cup. 0 points.
- 1/4 cup Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese. 0 points.
- 2 tbs salsa. 0 points.
- 1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese. 1 point.
- 2 tbs O'Dang Hummus Ranch Dressing. 1 point.
- I did add a sprinkling of hemp seeds for extra nutrition.

Just mix it all together and be filled and fueled :)