The Nutritional Value Of The Cucumber, Avocado & Chicken Salad
The Ingredients You Will Need (Serves 4)
For the salad:
½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
a dozen basil leaves, torn
1 avocado
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ cucumber, peeled
¼ cup (25g) walnuts
For the chicken:
2 chicken breast fillets (around 150g each)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. mustard
1 tbsp. honey
For the sauce:
3 tbsp. yogurt
1 tbsp. mayo
1 garlic clove, minced
What You Need To Do ~~ Let’s Do This
- Place the iceberg lettuce into a large bowl. Add torn basil leaves and mix. Divide between 2 serving bowls.
- Season the chicken fillets with salt and rub with olive oil. Heat a dry pan and fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side.
- In the meantime, mix the mustard and honey. Grease the top of the fillets with half the sauce, then turn and cook for another 1.5 minutes. Repeat on the other side. Once cooked, cool slightly and chop.
- Cut the avocado flesh into cubes, and drizzle with lemon juice. Peel and slice the cucumber.
- Prepare the garlic sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients — season with salt & pepper.
- Top salads with chopped chicken, avocado, cucumber, and walnuts. Pour over the garlic sauce, and serve.
What Are The Top 5 Benefits Of Eating Salad?
1) A NATURAL SOURCE OF FIBER
Your leafy greens and raw veggies are a superb source of natural fiber, and consuming enough fiber each day has several health advantages:
- Fiber helps to reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
- It helps to control blood sugar.
- Adequate fiber intake helps with weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.
- It normalizes bowel movements and aids in the prevention of bowel disease.
- Proper fiber intake has been shown to reduce the recurrence and prevention of a number of cancers including colorectal, breast, mouth, throat, and esophagus
2. NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
The idea that fresh vegetables and fruits are essential to our good health and well-being isn’t anything we haven’t heard before, but it’s good to be reminded of it every so often. The following quote is from an article at the Harvard School of Public Health:
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar which can help keep appetite in check
It’s important to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, in as many different colors as possible. Combining them in a salad is both easy and delicious! Loaded with vitamins and minerals, eating a salad a day will also increase the level of powerful antioxidants in your blood.
3. LOAD UP ON SALADS FOR WEIGHT CONTROL
Eating a fiber-rich salad before your entree will help you to feel full faster, so you’ll consume fewer calories than you might when a meal is served without this appetizer. The more raw vegetables you can incorporate into your salad, the greater the potential positive effects will be.
4) A DAILY SALAD WILL AID YOUR INTAKE OF HEALTHY FATS
Add a couple of tablespoons of mixed raw or roasted seeds like pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and ground flax or chia to boost your daily intake of good fats. Experimenting with different kinds of oils in your dressings will help with this, too. Slicing a quarter of an avocado and adding it to your greens will also give you a boost. These foods also help the body to absorb all of the protective compounds, phytochemicals, and lutein.
Adding a healthy fat to your salad via the dressing, or by adding healthy raw nuts or avocado will also make it more filling, as fats are among the most satiating.
5. BUILD STRONG BONES
Low vitamin K levels have been linked with low bone mineral density in women. For healthy bone growth, a recommended full daily serving can be found in just 1 cup of watercress (100%), radicchio (120%), or spinach (170%).
Summary
Adding fresh herbs goes a long way toward improving your nutrition, as many are densely packed with vitamins and various phytonutrients. Because these vitamins and phytonutrients are produced so intensely, they’re especially nutritionally dense – meaning they’re thermogenic and may help to naturally increase your metabolism.
Are You Meal Prepping?
What has really helped me lose weight is learning the art of portion control. Learning how to track the calories I put in my body each day. This is why I started to meal prep. Have you ever tried this?
The Benefits Of Owning Meal Prep Containers Are Just Endless!
-It Allows You To Prepare Food In Advance So Cooking Always Works With Your Schedule
-Save Time Each Night By Simply Pulling Out Your Prepared Ingredients Or Meals That Are At The Read
-Save Money By Avoiding Fast Food Since Your Meals And Ingredients Are Already Prepping And Waiting
-Stay Healthy By Sidestepping Junk Food And Regulating Portion Control
-Avoid Food Waste And Keep Food Fresher When You Prepare Ingredients Ahead Of Time
-Protect The Environment By Avoiding Single-Use Plastics And Individual Snack Packs.
Which Meal Prep Containers Do I Use? Check Them Out Below!
Simple glass Meal Prep Bowls: Perfect for reheating your breakfast in the microwave
Meal Prep Bowls with Dividers: I love these when I want to separate ingredients, like fruit, nuts, and my main meal.
Mason Jars: For overnight oats or yogurt parfait.
Glass Bottle: Perfect for smoothies on the go!
I wanted to end today with a thank you. I appreciate you checking out today’s recipe. I offer three different meal prep recipes a week. (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). New Blog posts every single Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. To finish it off, we offer fitness routines every single Friday. To leave you off with a question, What are you making for lunch? Thanks so much, I hope you have an amazing day.
