Chicken with Superfood Pesto

  • Time: 20-25 minutes
  • Servings: 3
  • Serving Size: 4.5 ounces
  • Stage: 6 Post-Op (Transition Foods)

INGREDIENTS:

  • Chicken breast, skinless, uncooked - 10 oz (280 grams)
  • Olive oil - 1 tsp (4 grams)
  • Garlic clove, minced - 1 medium (4 grams or 1 tsp minced)
  • Sea salt - 1/8 tsp
  • Lemon pepper seasoning - 1/8 tsp
  • Lemon, juice only - small wedge or to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR OUR SUPERFOOD PESTO (OPTIONAL):

  • Quinoa, cooked - 1/3 cup (60 grams)
  • Olive oil - 1 1/2 tbsp (20 grams)
  • Spinach, fresh- 2 handfulS (80 Ggrams)
  • Garlic clove - 1 medium (4 grams)
  • Nutritional yeast - 1 tbsp (4 grams)(for our favorite brand click here)
  • Hemp seeds - 1 tsp (3 grams)(for our favorite brand click here)
  • Water - 1 tbsp
  • Lemon, juice only - 1/4 medium (12 grams)
  • Basil, dried leaves - 1 tbsp
  • Sea salt - 1/4 tsp
  • Lemon pepper - 1/2 tsp

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. If using store-bought pesto please skip to Step 3. For our superfood pesto recipe: Cook the quinoa if using uncooked (we recommend cooking 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa to have leftovers for other recipes during the week).
  2. Add all the ingredients for the pesto to a food processor and mix properly until it reaches a creamy consistency. Add a couple extra teaspoons of water if desired.
  3. Cut the chicken into small cubes. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and chicken.
  4. Cook the chicken for 8 minutes and then add the garlic, salt, and lemon pepper seasoning. Mix and cook for another minute or until the chicken is fully cooked. Lastly, add the lemon juice to the pan, mix, and turn off the heat.
  5. Serve the chicken together with the superfood pesto. Enjoy!

*Note: Divide equally by the listed number of servings. If using store-bought pesto use 2 tablespoons per serving (given that it will be much higher in calories). Stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Typical store-bought pesto is usually high in calories and sodium, our version is lower in both. However, if you don’t have time to make the pesto yourself, you can use store-bought pesto.

NUTRITION FACTS per serving:

  • Calories 230
  • Protein 23 grams
  • Carbs 8 grams
  • Fat 12 grams
  • Fiber 2 grams
  • Sugar 1 grams
  • Iron 17% DV
  • Calcium 6% DV
  • Sodium 18% DV

DV = Daily Value, Based on diet for healthy adults

Nutritionist notes: Mixing greens into fresh sauces like pesto is a great way to get all their important nutrients!

Tags: gastric sleeve, vsg, bariatric, diet, recipe

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*The picture is meant for illustrative purposes and may sometimes not be representative of the serving size. For a precise serving size please follow the list of ingredients carefully, using grams as the most exact measurement.