Best macro friendly Waldorf chicken salad recipe
Whether you’re looking for easy lunches, a quick low carb meal, or you’re into meal prep, this Macro Friendly Waldorf Chicken Salad will quickly become your favorite way to satisfy hunger.
This delicious chicken salad harnesses the efficiency of canned chicken, without sacrificing the creamy texture we all love in traditional chicken salad recipes. The great recipe I’m sharing with you today is lean and offers that perfect balance of sweet and crunchy too.
Table of contents
But what makes it macro friendly?
When a food item is considered macro-friendly, it generally means it is composed in a way that helps you meet your macronutrient needs in a balanced and healthful manner. Macronutrients, commonly referred to as macros, are the nutrients required by the body in large amounts, which include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Being “macro-friendly” could indicate that the food:
- Has a balanced amount of carbs, proteins, and fats.
- Is versatile and can be easily incorporated into different dietary regimens without overly skewing the balance of macronutrients.
- Is calorie-dense and provides nutritional benefit without excessive sugars or unhealthy fats.
- Can be portioned effectively to meet individual macro tracking goals, often relevant for those tracking their intake for body composition goals, such as fitness enthusiasts and athletes.
This recipe in particular is macro friendly because it is easy to modify the recipe ingredients to meet your macro goals whether you are following a low carb or regular macro day.
A macro-friendly food helps you nail your specific dietary targets based on your personal goals, whether that be weight loss, muscle gain, or maintenance of general health.
Macros
This recipe makes one large serving. It’s a lot of food. I like to have most for lunch and finish the rest as an afternoon snack. I serve with seed crackers, romaine leaves, celery, carrots or on Ezekiel bread!
Calories: 474 kcal
Carbohydrates: 22g
Protein: 36g
Fat: 29g
Fiber: 3g
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Ingredients:
- Canned chicken breast
- Crunchy celery
- Walnuts (toasted for the best flavor)
- Mayonnaise (light mayonnaise for a low-calorie option)
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh dill (or other fresh herbs for an aromatic twist)
- Green or red grapes
- Green apple
- Lemon juice, optional (for some zesty flair)
- Onion powder and garlic powder, optional (to spice things up)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Quickly drain the canned chicken breast. I find the Costco brand offers great quality, perfect as the main ingredient for this recipe.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken with 1.5 Tbsp of light mayonnaise, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1/2 ounce of crushed toasted walnuts, 1/2 cup halved red grapes, and 1/2 cup of chopped crunchy celery, 1/4 cup chopped apple for that classic flavor profile.
Preparing Your Salad
When you’re finished mixing up this easy chicken salad recipe, store it in an airtight container in your fridge. It’s a super easy way to dig into a macro friendly meal throughout the week, especially if you’re looking to reach your macro goals on a low carb day. Serve this salad as lettuce wraps, which is not only a great option for a gluten-free dish but also keeps it low carb and fresh.
And if you’re counting macros, here’s a healthy salad recipe tip for you: before digging in, measure the total gram weight of your serving to stay on track. If you’ve served yourself a 100g portion, simply enter 100 as the serving size when logging your meal.
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The Best Things About This Chicken Salad
- Versatility: You can enjoy it on a bed of lettuce, stuffed in avocado halves, or as a filling for bell peppers.
- Convenience: It’s the perfect make-ahead lunch to enjoy throughout the week.
- Customization: Feel free to add hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions, and fresh parsley to add more flavors and textures.
- Ease: If you want to use freshly poached chicken breast: With the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, shredding chicken becomes effortless, giving you the creamy texture without much fuss.
- Nail Fat Macros: If you follow the FASTer Way to Fat Loss you may notice, there are some days that fat macros may be difficult to reach. This recipe will help you get there!
- Family Friendly: While it will help you reach your goals- your family will probably like it too! Check out this post for how to prepare macro friendly foods they all will love.
Above all, the best way to discover this great recipe is to try it yourself! Enjoy the process of mixing and matching, maybe even adding a bit of tangy buffalo sauce if you’re looking for that kick.
Bonus: Looking for an easy chicken salad recipe that feels gourmet? Add a hint of poppy seeds and apple cider vinegar to the mix and experience a new take on a beloved classic!
Nutrition, flavor, and satisfaction – it’s all here in this Macro Friendly Waldorf Chicken Salad. Enjoy and happy healthy eating!
Waldorf Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Kirkland Chicken Breast
- 1.5 tbsp mayonaise
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup grapes halved
- 1/2 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 ounce walnuts toasted
- 1/4 cup green apple
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix.
Nutrition
