Why Canned Chicken?

Is canned chicken breast meat just as healthy and nutritious as fresh chicken breast meat?  The answer is yes!! Canned chicken breast meat provides the same amount of protein as fresh chicken meat, and it is also low in calories and fat.  The chicken is already cooked so all you have to do is open the can, drain the liquid and start making your dishes. Use canned chicken breast meat for soups, dips, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and pasta dishes; the possibilities are unlimited.

Canned chicken meat is economical, convenient, and versatile. It is easy to store and requires no refrigeration, which makes it great for camping and when there is limited refrigeration. Unopened canned chicken has a long shelf life when stored in clean, dry and cool temperature area. Just make sure to use it before its expiration date. Canned chicken breast meat is great for college students, busy families and people who are on budget.

Choose no added salt or limited added salt products to avoid excessive sodium intake. You can also rinse the canned chicken meat with water to remove some of the sodium. Cutting back on additional salt in your recipes is another way to reduce the sodium intake. For this reason, you will notice that I do not use additional salt in my chicken orzo pasta, chicken fingers, and twice baked potato recipes. I used Kirkland canned chicken breast brand from Costco in all of my recipes; however, feel free to use your own favorite brand.

The chicken orzo pasta recipe is light and refreshing. My spicy cilantro yogurt sauce is perfect for this dish. Although the bell peppers, zucchini and tomatoes are the main vegetables in this recipe, you can use any vegetables that are in season. Mushrooms, celery, spinach, or green beans are just a few of vegetables that would also go well with this recipe. The spicy cilantro yogurt sauce recipe provides plenty of extra sauce for those who like more sauce in the pasta. Serve this dish at either room temperature or cold. Either way is delicious.

This oven- fried chicken fingers recipe of mine are juicy and crispy and only 6 ingredients are needed to make them. No one will know that they are oven baked if you don’t tell them! Because they are oven baked, they are also low in fat. The trick to make these chicken fingers crispy are: 1. toast the panko breadcrumbs before the breading; 2. bake an empty baking sheet in the oven (while preparing the chicken fingers). Don’t skip these steps because they do make a difference for making oven-fried crispness. As always, modify or replace any ingredient in this recipe to your liking.  Add hot sauce, use different herbs or seasoning powders. They will all taste delicious, I promise.

Did you know that my twice baked chicken potato is an easy, tasty and budget friendly meal? Both canned chicken and potatoes are fairly inexpensive which make them an economical choice for college students and people on a budget. You can replace half-and-half with whole milk to reduce the fat content if you like. I do not recommend non-fat milk if you want that creaminess in your mashed potatoes. Mixing horseradish, garlic and onion powders and green onions inside the mashed potatoes added the special flavor that I was going for. Substitute whatever seasoning powders and type of cheese you have on hand. Pair these twice baked potatoes with a salad and you will have yourself a complete meal that includes protein, carbohydrate and vegetables!

Let me know how you like these recipes and share your own ideas with me too.

Happy Eating!