getting bored with chicken... need inspiration!

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i love chicken, but i'm bored with chicken salad, ranch chicken, chicken parm, chicken and rice, chicken tacos... any new ideas? im in college, so my pantry is stocked with a lot of fancy spices or ingredients.. just the basics.

any ideas would be SUPER! trying to plan my dinner NOW so i can make it and enjoy it later without worrying how many cals im getting.


ps, whats the difference in calories and "kcal"? been seeing "kcal" and i'm not sure what that means...

Replies

  • abbylove08
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    i love chicken, but i'm bored with chicken salad, ranch chicken, chicken parm, chicken and rice, chicken tacos... any new ideas? im in college, so my pantry is stocked with a lot of fancy spices or ingredients.. just the basics.

    any ideas would be SUPER! trying to plan my dinner NOW so i can make it and enjoy it later without worrying how many cals im getting.


    ps, whats the difference in calories and "kcal"? been seeing "kcal" and i'm not sure what that means...
  • meg0112
    meg0112 Posts: 344
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    well calories as we know them are actually killocalories (kcal) so its the same.

    Maybe you need a different protein-what about tillapia or egg plant, tuna, pork tenderloin. I'd be pretty bored only eating chicken too :/
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    Or.... beans... I love tossing em into things.
    :bigsmile:
  • mstanley
    mstanley Posts: 121 Member
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    you might try a stir fry, with chicken or another lean meat, or a shish kabob. We did those this past weekend with chicken, lean steak, mushrooms, small potatoes, bell pepper, and onion and they were great. Try marinating them in whatever seasonings you like and then broiling them in the oven. You can get skewers for a little bit of nothing at the grocery store.
  • mrsbuzz
    mrsbuzz Posts: 576 Member
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    i love chicken, but i'm bored with chicken salad, ranch chicken, chicken parm, chicken and rice, chicken tacos... any new ideas? im in college, so my pantry is stocked with a lot of fancy spices or ingredients.. just the basics.

    any ideas would be SUPER! trying to plan my dinner NOW so i can make it and enjoy it later without worrying how many cals im getting.


    ps, whats the difference in calories and "kcal"? been seeing "kcal" and i'm not sure what that means...

    What's your recipe for chicken salad and what is the calorie content...oh ya the same with the chicken and rice.
  • emckinin
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    chicken or turkey sausage is a great way to spice things up without adding more calories from red meat. I like to cut them up with some wheat pasta, fresh tomatoes and spinach. Portion sizing is easy as you can monitor links (ie. cook up three and portion out for three meals). Also - are you just cooking chicken breasts??? Thighs are higher in fat, but with a little BBQ sauce in the broiler it tastes close to guilty wings you might snack on at a bar.
    Just a few suggestions to keep things easy but tasty and healthy.
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    chicken or turkey sausage is a great way to spice things up without adding more calories from red meat. I like to cut them up with some wheat pasta, fresh tomatoes and spinach. Portion sizing is easy as you can monitor links (ie. cook up three and portion out for three meals). Also - are you just cooking chicken breasts??? Thighs are higher in fat, but with a little BBQ sauce in the broiler it tastes close to guilty wings you might snack on at a bar.
    Just a few suggestions to keep things easy but tasty and healthy.

    Oh yum! I LOVE turkey sausage and am sneaking it in when I can!
    I agree with you about using various parts of the chicken, sometimes it's worth a smidge more fat for the flavor!
  • abbylove08
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    For my chicken salad i use:

    10 oz chicken tenderloins
    1 cup grapes
    1 celery stalk
    4 or 5 tbsp fat free hellman's mayo (15 cal/tbsp)


    Cook chicken (I use my George Foreman); shred with fork or put in food processor. Cut grapes in half; cut celery into mini pieces (i use celery for the crunch that walnuts provide.. but with basically no cals!). Mix all ingredients together. It makes about 2 cups, and i think 1/2 a cup came out to be about 173 cals, 1/2 a cup is usually plenty for a sandwich or just to eat plain.
    Sometimes I add a little spicy mustard for an extra kick.
  • tracturk
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    Last night I made a spicy buffalo sauce that went over chicken strips. All you need is some Louisiana Hot Sauce, pepper sauce (like Tabasco), Worcestshire Sauce and a bit of unsalted butter. So good and no salt!

    1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
    1 Tsp Pepper Sauce
    1 Tsp Worcestshire Sauce
    1 Tsp unsalted butter
    In small saucepan bring ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat.

    1 lb chicken breast
    2 Tsp unsalted butter
    Melt butter in a large skillet and cook chicken until browned and cooked through. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and toss. Cook for a couple of minutes.

    Sauce would also be good for other meats as well.

    YUM, YUM, YUMMY!
  • Katgod318
    Katgod318 Posts: 70 Member
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    Try a good fish (ie: salmon, tilapia, or similar) or even lean pork. I use cubed ham in my salad and it is perfect!! As for the fish....a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice and you are good.