Hearty Chicken Salad

For the paleo folk that need a quick and affordable lunch you can prepare ahead and make in minutes day-of.

$ – SAVVY: If you haven’t checked out our “Detailed Paleo Week” (or our “Detailed Week“) posts, you’re missing out. We spell out step-by-step how to create an A grade week of food in only 2 to 2.5 hours! Calendar, menu, play-by-play cooking process, pricing, Calories, you name it! This recipe is included: nourishing, cheap and easy to bulk prep and quick to build at meal time.

Hearty Chicken Salad

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute minute

BULK Pre-prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 560kcal

Author: Dana Ketter

Cost: $2.30 – $2.50

A quick and easy paleo lunch for just you, or the whole family.

Print Recipe

Equipment

• knife, cutting board, steamer or pot with a steamer insert, grill or skillet, stove, measuring spoons/cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Sweet Potato (0.5 lbs or 1 small potato)
• 1 cup Cabbage Raw, chopped
• ½ cup Raw Spinach
• 2.5 oz Free Range Chicken Breast (size: 0.15 lbs or almost a deck of cards)
• 2 tbsp Walnuts shelled, hand crushed
• 5 Kalamata Olives
• 2 Large Carrots washed/trimmed, whole
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (dressing)
• 1 tbsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (dressing)

Side or as topping

• 1 Small Orange

Instructions

SEE my "Week in Zoom" or "Paleo Week in Zoom" and SAVE TIME! Prep in bulk.

• When Bulk Prepping, total time at lunch to prepare this is just 3 minutes!

Preparation Break-down

• Start with Sweet Potato: In a steamer or a pot with a steamer insert, add 1" of water. Wash, peel and slice the sweet potatoes into medallions or cube them (1" pieces). Steam on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes or until just soft. If you prefer al-dente crunchier sweet potatoes, cook for less time.
• As Sweet Potato Cooks, cook your chicken: Cook chicken breast per your preferred method. For bulk prep for an individual, I recommend buying and cooking half a pound of chicken, then slicing off of it during the week for salads. Be sure to reheat it to a minimum of 165°F. We use a George Foreman grill to cook ours with turmeric and black pepper. *See below
• While these are cooking: Wash and slice about 1/3 of both the purple and green cabbages, save 1/2 cup of each for the salad, cover remainder in a bowl. Refrigerate for later use in a salad or side veggie.
• Wash and peel the carrots. Either continue to peel it into the salad, or use as a side veggie.

Building Your Salad: bulk pre-prepped method

• Reheat the cooked chicken so that minimal internal temperature is 165°F. (food safety)
• Layer bottom to top: cabbage, sweet potato, spinach (washed), chicken (2.5 oz, sliced), hand-crushed walnuts and olives. Drizzle with olive oil and Apple Cider Vinegar. Serve with carrots and orange slices (or as a part of the salad).

Notes

WHOLE RECIPE:

Total Calories: 580(v) or 560 kcal . Total Cost – $2.10(v) – $2.50  .  Grade – A(v) & B  .

*Monthly Cost – $432 (vegan version, no breaded mug) or $510(original salad, no breaded mug)

Programming Notes:

• Turmeric and Black Pepper are a powerful combination to help decrease carcinogens in grilled meat. Here are a few pointers. 
• YES! This recipe is Paleo, Lectin-free (- the orange), Wheat & Gluten Free, Lactose & Dairy Free. Remove the chicken and add more nuts or seeds and it’s a vegan/vegetarian paleo salad!
• Adding a side of the breaded mug increases Calories by 175kcal (v) and 220kcal (original) and cost by $0.30 (v) and $0.40 (regular):
  • Totals with The Breaded Mug: Vegan: 755 kcal and $2.40. Original: 780 kcal and $2.90 total.
  • Adding a side of the breaded mug makes this a high calorie meal. If you eat two meals a day plus a small 150 – 200 Calorie snack, this is an idea for you. Or, if you have a growing athlete who needs substantially more Calories per day, this is an affordable idea for them.
  • Adding The Breaded Mug means adding an A-grade item. Therefore, the grade won’t diminish but will likely improve.

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*This refers to the monthly grocery bill if TWO PEOPLE ate cumulatively 4,000 Calories per day, and only ate this meal all month long. If you’re running calculations for one person, divide “monthly cost” in half.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Hearty Chicken Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 560 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 1.5g9%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 257mg11%

Potassium 1382mg39%

Carbohydrates 52g17%

Fiber 12g50%

Sugar 22g24%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 36732IU735%

Vitamin C 64mg78%

Calcium 171mg17%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s a table with external links for each recipe ingredient (plus a few alternate ingredient ideas). As previously mentioned, prices vary per region, season, city, store and personal preference for brand or specific type of food item.