Chicken Salad Makeover – Bariatric Friendly
Chicken Salad Makeover – Bariatric Friendly
It’s the time of the summer when I start moving towards meals that don’t need to be cooked.
I mean, ya know what I mean??
More meals that are served cold. Or in a slow-cooker. Or on a grill. I start steering away from stovetop or even baked. I still use them on occasion, but not nearly as much as the lighter, cooler, summer fare.
Thus I’ve made a few delicious chicken salad recipes. My current favorite is really a classic chicken salad. Instead of creamy mayo, I used Greek yogurt. I tossed in some red onion and a few sliced red grapes.
I know my weight-loss surgery friends love meals like chicken salad. The key here is to use cooked chicken and not canned chicken..and to go easy on the yogurt. Avoid letting the chicken salad get too soft, which leaves you hungry sooner.
***Time Saver Tip!!!! Put your chicken in a slow cooker the day before you want to make this and in the refrigerator overnight. Having the chicken cooked already is awesome. Even better when it’s already cold and you can cut it super fast. If you didn’t get a chance to get it in the slow cooker, buy precooked chicken strips to cut up and toss in the mixture.
Chicken Salad Makeover - Bariatric Friendly
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup red seedless grapes
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup no calorie sweetener of choice (optional)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix together chicken, celery, onion and grapes.
- In a separate bowl mix together Greek yogurt, splenda, garlic powder and salt.
- Toss dressing and chicken mixtures together to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
cooking novice question….what do you put in the slow cooker with the chicken to cook it? I would think you would need some sort of liquid in there? water? chicken broth?
Oh ya good question! I used chicken broth. Water would work but the broth gives a little more flavor. I filled it with broth until the 4 chicken breasts I used were half covered.
Hey Jenny…you can even put the chicken in the crockpot frozen! I’ve used the bag of frozen chicken and picked out a few pieces to cook in the crockpot for that evening meal or for the next day.
What about the rotisserie chicken from the grocery store?
For sure!!
I chopped everything up a lot to make tiny bites. And I also added some apple I had left over and a pinch of onion powder bc I didn’t have any onion. It was a perfectly light dinner right before cheer practice! I need something light and energy packed to handle 13 12yr old girls!!! ;) bravo!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! I’m tired just thinking of cheer practice.
I have been told to stay away from celery because of its string Consistency and the fact that it would be difficult to digest. BTW. I’m just 3 weeks out and looking forward to a chicken salad recipe.
I haven’t rated it yet.
@Nor Hean Yes, I agree the stringy veggies are best to wait on as you learn your pouch! You can make several varieties of chicken salad and omit those types of veggies. You can also use the search bar on this site to search for other chicken salad recipes!
Can we use canned chicken for the salads?
Sure! It will make a softer texture which is fine but it may not keep you full for as long. You can try and see if it fills you up and keeps you full!
I’m close to my 4 week anniversary for VSG and made the the chicken salad today for lunch. I cooked my chicken breast in the instapot and chopped it up once it was done with my mixer. Refrigerated it for a couple hours before I added 1 cup of light mayo, all the spices mentioned above + 1/2 tsp of celery salt. It turned out well, maybe a bit saltier then I expected. The celery gave it a great crunch, I chopped it up fine, and the grapes added the perfect blend of sweet. It turned out great and my stomach isn’t fussing at me so overall a successful recipe! Thanks for posting!
I’m so glad to hear this report! How exciting to move ahead and enjoy your protein focused meals!!!! Congrats!!!!
I WILL BE 6 YEARS OUT VSG THIS COMING MARCH. MADE THIS FOR MEAL PREP THIS WEEK AS WRITTEN ABOVE. I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A GOOD BARIATRIC FRIENDLY CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE AND THIS IS IT!!! THIS IS THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD EVER!! HAD THIS FOR DINNER LAST NIGHT AND AM HAVING NOW FOR LUNCH AS WE SPEAK. THIS IS GOING ON MY REGULAR MEAL PREP ROTATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL RECIPE. CANT WAIT TO TRY OTHERS FROM HERE.
I’m so excited to hear this great report! Thank you for taking the time to leave a positive review!
Amazing recipe that was quick and easy. My 15 yo made it for the whole family served on lettuce boats.
Yay! I’m so excited to hear this!