400 Calorie Fix’s Island Chicken with Pina Colada Salsa Recipe
400 Calorie Fix’s Island Chicken with Pina Colada Salsa
Going through my weight loss and healthy eating journey, I’ve realized that there is no diet, exercise routine or eating plan that works for all. For some people, they need to go to Weight Watchers and get the support that group meetings offer. Others need to eat clean and combine certain types of food like in the Cinch! plan or with the Flat Belly Diet. For me, it’s about working around my food sensitivities.
Many people don’t need all the frills and instead rely on counting calories. That’s where the 400 Calorie Fix: The Easy New Rule for Permanent Weight Loss! comes in. Written by Liz Vaccariello, author of the Flat Belly Diet, Mindy Herman, RD and the Editors of Prevention magazine, this terrific cookbook and eating plan can help you lose the weight.
The 400 Calorie Fix program
The 400 Calorie Fix program is easy to follow. You can eat anything you want as long as you can consume it as one of four, 400 calorie meals throughout the day. It's not a diet. Instead, it's a food fix that simplifies the guesswork that we all struggle with when it comes to losing weight. It's about going back to basics with easy calorie counting and easy solutions that fit with your lifestyle and busy schedule.
The book features gorgeous photography and recipes for dishes like couscous salad and sloppy joes. What I really liked about the book is that they gave you ideas for dining out or making 400 calorie packaged food meals as well as cooking from scratch – super practical when you live “on the run” as many moms do. There’s also 2-Week Quick Slim jumpstart plan to help you get started.
The 400 Calorie Fix is a practical guide that will work for busy moms and their families and inspire them to eat more healthfully and in the proper portion sizes. Here’s a sample recipe for an easy-to-prepare, tropical chicken dish that the whole family will love.
Island Chicken with Pina Colada Salsa
Prep time: 10 minutes + 24 hours marinating | Cook time: 14 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 11/2 tablespoons curry powder (hot or sweet)
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple (with juice)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions or chives
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
- 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice, prepared according to package directions
Directions:
Place the chicken on a flat pan or in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the orange juice, curry powder, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and 1
tablespoon of the mint. Pour over the chicken. Turn the chicken to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, moving the pieces
around occasionally.
To make the salsa: Strain the pineapple. Combine the pineapple, onion, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, coconut, red pepper flakes, salt, and the
remaining 1/4 cup mint in a medium bowl. Refrigerate.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill or broil for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center. Check by inserting the
tip of a sharp knife into 1 breast.
Place one-quarter of the rice on each of 4 plates. Top with 2 pieces of chicken and 1/4 cup salsa. Serve the remaining salsa at the table.
Nutritional information
1 serving = 2/3 cup cooked rice, 2 pieces chicken, 1/4 cup salsa
Calories: 400
Total Fat:5g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Sodium: 280mg
Carbohydrate: 59g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Protein: 32g
Calcium: 6%
Weight Watchers POINTS = 8
This Mama’s tips
Substitute 1 tablespoon Stevia Extract in the Raw for the honey to reduce the calories.
If you’re like me and have to avoid curry powder (or just don’t like it) you could use another spice like cayenne pepper (use about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon depending on how spicy you want your chicken). I would also recommend using Mrs. Dash’s Caribbean Citrus seasoning blend in this dish.
If you’re eating gluten free, make sure to use a GF soy sauce.
You can find shredded, unsweetened coconut in the healthy food section of your grocery store or at your local health food store. Don’t use the crappy, sugary stuff in the baking aisle!
I have to avoid oranges due to my food sensitivities, so I would use grapefruit juice instead.
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Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of this cookbook.