Americans consume more chicken than any other meat source. It’s a low-fat, high-protein food source that’s affordable and easy to cook. Unfortunately, most commercial chicken farms feed their chickens grains that increase their estrogen profile. These hormones transfer into the meat, and eventually, end up in your kid’s lunch box. No thanks. Our recipe for healthy chicken salad includes free-range chicken with a significantly lower estrogen profile. This family favorite will go down well at any lunch table, yours included. Give your family the nutrition they deserve, with this recipe for a protein-packed chicken salad that tastes fantastic.

Healthy, Nutritious Chicken Salad That’s Easy to Prepare

When shopping for your ingredients, make sure that you choose free-range chicken. It may cost as little more than the grain-fed variety, but it’s worth the investment especially since we don’t really know what goes into mass-produced meats anymore. Why risk your child’s health when you don’t need to and there are better alternatives available?

For this recipe, it’s best to use skinless, boneless chicken breast. It’s the easiest to prepare unless you don’t mind skinning and separating the bones yourself. Most grocery stores will already have this available. To help save, buy in bulk and just freeze the leftovers. This is particularly helpful when buying from a local food market that only sets up shop on weekends. While you’re there, pick up some free-range chicken eggs, too. They taste ten times better than regular eggs!

Once you’ve taken care of the chicken, it’s on to the vegetables. Pick up a few carrots, some cucumber, celery, olives, and tomatoes. Organic produce is full of vitamins and minerals essential for the health of your children without the harmful herbicides and pesticides. Fresh veggies come packed with polyphenol antioxidants which protect the body from free radical damage and environmental toxins.

For the pasta, make sure you choose a whole grain or whole wheat variety. This pasta digests slower than the white variant because it’s less processed and contains more nutrients. Slow digesting carbs ensure that your little ones don’t experience a carb-crash a few hours after finishing their lunch, resulting in stable energy levels throughout the day.

Make from Scratch Without the Hassle

Making this recipe from scratch is easy. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then Bake in the in the oven at 350F for 30-minutes. Since you’re using fresh, organic chicken breast, there’s no need for tons of seasoning since it already has good flavor on its own. Let the chicken breast cool and then shred it into strips. Cut up thin slices of cucumber with some julienned carrots, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped celery. Toss in a few pitted olives and add the olive oil for a bit more flavor.

Olive oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. This fat aids in the digestion of the meal and releases slow-burning energy. The final ingredient is a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. ACV offers a host of health and wellness benefits. It’s an all-natural antimicrobial compound and a great source of prebiotic enzymes that can help boost digestive health. Just make sure to use ACV that contains “the mother” which is the enzyme responsible for all of its benefits.

Once everything’s mixed evenly, distribute it into their lunchboxes, and you’re ready to go. It’s that easy!

More Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids:

Easy Nutrtionally-Balanced Lunch for Kids That Don’t Eat Meat
5-Minute Bento Box for and Easy and Healthy Kids Lunch

Healthy Chicken Salad for Your Kids Lunchbox

Author: misswish.com
Prep Time: 5
Total Time: 5 minutes

Scale

1 cup cooked pasta
½ cup chopped cooked chicken
¼ cup diced cucumber
¼ cup diced celery
2 tbsp sliced black olives
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
¼ cup carrot, julienned
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and Italian seasoning.
In a large bowl place the pasta, chicken, cucumber, celery, black olives, tomatoes and carrot.
Add the olive oil mixture, season to taste with salt and black pepper and toss to combine.
Pack it in a lunchbox with a fresh fruit for a nutritious and satisfying meal.