Healthy Chicken Salad
Easy low fat healthy chicken salad recipe that is a must for hot summer days, lunches and quick family dinner. It’s also low on calories and sodium but big on flavour.
During our Southern California road trip I had chicken salad for lunch at Legoland. While an 8 oz serving cost US $10 and made my teeth cringe from sodium, it was extremely satisfying in 115 degrees F heat. Of course, I kept thinking we can do better, of course.
My goal with this chicken salad was to keep it super simple, so we can pull it off any time.
Is Chicken Salad Healthy?
Traditional chicken salad with mayo contains 310 calories, 25 grams of fat and 700 milligrams of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. Yikes! iFOODreal chicken salad is only 145 calories, 11 grams of fat and 186 grams of sodium. That’s a huge nutrition difference.
Also to use cooked at home chicken breasts vs. store bought rotisserie chicken reduces sodium a lot.
Low Fat and Low Calorie Chicken Salad?
I cut back mayo in half and add 1/2 cup plain (Greek) yogurt to make salad creamy, reduce saturated fat and calories. I recommend to use 2% and higher fat content yogurt because non-fat yogurt lacks flavour and is flat. Healthy fats are good for you, in moderation.
Tip: Buy organic or avocado oil mayo. It goes a long way and you avoid consuming GMO canola oil that comes with “regular” mayo.
Healthy Ways to Serve Chicken Salad:
- Make chicken salad sandwich with sprouted whole grain/wheat bread like Ezekiel.
- Add greens: lettuce, spinach or kale leaves.
- For low carb version I eat this salad on swiss chard leaves or any lettuce.
Tip: Add grapes. As much as I love grapes I know they are expensive. And I would like to keep this recipe simple.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Salad
- In a small skillet, add pecans and toast on low-medium heat until fragrant and brown-ish, stirring often. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool a bit and chop coarsely.
- In a medium bowl, add toasted pecans, chicken, celery, onion, parsley, yogurt, mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix and adjust salt to taste if necessary.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours as salad tastes best cold. Serve with greens, quinoa, brown rice or make a chicken salad sandwich with whole wheat bread.
More Healthy Protein Packed Salads:
- Healthy tuna salad – creamy and tasty with less mayo.
- Healthy egg salad – perfect for lunches and hot summer days.
- Thai chicken salad – you can make it even with chickpeas.
- Grilled chicken salad – delish loaded with veggies and berries.
- Healthy shrimp salad – from everyday lunch to a holiday table versatile.
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Easy, low fat Healthy Chicken Salad that is a must for hot summer days, lunches and quick dinner. It’s also low in calories and sodium but big on flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: North American
Ingredients
- 1 lb (3 cups) cooked chicken, cubed
- 3/4 cup (3 large) celery stalks, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley or dill, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (2+% fat)
- 1/4 cup mayo (I used avocado oil mayo)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp any vinegar (except balsamic)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet, add pecans and toast on low-medium heat until fragrant and brown-ish, stirring often. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool a bit and chop coarsely.
- In a medium bowl, add toasted pecans, chicken, celery, onion, parsley, yogurt, mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix and adjust salt to taste if necessary.
- refrigerate for at least 2 hours as salad tastes best cold. Serve with greens, quinoa, brown rice or make a chicken salad sandwich with whole wheat bread.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
To cook chicken I used my Instant Pot frozen chicken recipe and made 3 meals out of it.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
What do you mean by pale colour vinegar? I goggled it and no help :/
I’m not too savvy in the kitchen … still learning the lingo! But excited to try the recipe!
Any light colour vinegar will work. I mean any vinegar as long as it’s not balsamic. White, white wine, apple cider, rice or red wine vinegar. You are cute.:) I will change that so it’s not confusing.
This recipe is perfect, so yummy.
★★★★★
Discovered the recipe yesterday afternoon and ran to the store to grab chicken, yogurt and celery to make this. Let me say that this is the best recipe I have seen around the web.
Did not add pecans but loved the result anyway.
★★★★★
Glad the drive to to the store was worth it.:) So happy to hear you loved this healthy chicken salad recipe!
I made this using my Ninja, no nuts or salt and pepper added, so consistency is more like tuna salad. Add chunks of chicken, onion, and celery – mix and chop at the same time! mixed mayo, yogurt and other ingredients in a bowl till combined then mixed in the chicken, onion, celery from Ninja. Can also add the “sauce” to the Ninja and let it combine it all. I do not like yogurt but know I need to eat it – this recipe is great! Thank you for making me a little healthier! Husband suggested dried cranberries or cherries….I’ll be grabbing them on my next trip to the store.
★★★★★
Husband’s suggestion is a good one.:) Glad you liked it!
Delicious healthy chicken salad I have been taking to work for the past 2 weeks.
★★★★★