Healthy Meal-Prep Chicken Salad Pockets
Summary
First, here’s is suggestions with tweaking the Chicken Salad Pockets. Use chicken (not canned preferably) rotisserie or left over. Another add in would be, celery, craisins, pecans or celery. Greek yogurt is such a good substitute for mayo for chicken salad pockets. I use the pita made with flax seed and bran. Only 5 net carbs for the whole thing. If you are watching your carbohydrate intake, ditch the pita and wrap your salad in the lettuce leaves. 😉 You can also substitute an avocado in place of the sweet relish to make this chicken salad pockets delish!
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces shredded chicken
⅔ cup fat-free or low-fat plain Greek yogurt
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons sweet relish (optional)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Pinch of garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 leaves lettuce
20 cherry tomatoes
4 pita breads
PREPARATION
1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for the pita, tomatoes, and lettuce.
2. Portion the chicken salad into 4 containers
3. Lay the lettuce on top of the chicken salad and add the tomatoes.
4. Refrigerate up to 4 days.
5. Serve inside a pita. (You can also toast your pita first for an added touch!)
6. Enjoy!
Serves 4
TOP 5 REASONS TO MEAL PREP
#1 It Saves a Lot Time
I’m all for saving time – it’s something you cannot buy. First of all, meal prepping comes down to this: spend a few hours prepping food one day, and you save tons of time and agony during the week when you are most stressed.
#2 It Forces You to Eat Healthy
Another, meal prepping, on the other hand, forces you to pick and choose your ingredients. You wind up buying the freshest produce and meat at the markets. You are in control of the entire process and know exactly what you’re putting in your body. There’s no guesswork involved – you will know your exact caloric intake every day. You want to lose weight? Control your diet by planning ahead, so you don’t give in to temptation at your weakest moment (deciding what to eat last minute when you’re hungry).#3 It Frees up Mental Energy
How many times a week do you stress over what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Wait until the last minute and make bad decisions on what to eat? Peek over at what your co-worker is having and think, oh that looks pretty good. You’re not alone!
It makes me feel good knowing that I have all of that covered. I always a delicious, wholesome, meal waiting for me.
#4 It Saves Money
Ok, let’s get something straight. Eating out every day adds up big time! Depending on where you live, breakfast costs between $4-$7, lunch is $9-$14, and dinners are $15+. That adds up to $7,000-$12,000 per year. Have you ever calculated just how much you spend on food every single month?
With meal prepping, I calculate that the average cost of 3 meals in a day comes to about $4, equal to buying one (cheap) breakfast meal outside. That’s money in the bank for a rainy day!
#5 It Cuts Down on Food Waste
Meal prepping is all about pre-planning. Furthermore, you only buy the ingredients you need, you cut down on food waste. That meals less spoiled produce rotting in your fridge. Good for the environment, good for your wallet.
