Grilled Chicken, Quinoa and Spinach Salad

Spring is finally here and so is the time of cleansing of house and yards, discarding the old and welcoming the new. Let’s begin the onset of spring with some healthy PROTEIN PACKED Salads!DSC_0285-001

 

Diabetes is a common disease that is on the increase worldwide. It is a common cause of death in the United States and has no known cure. A healthy well balanced diet along with regular exercise can help diabetics lead a healthy normal life and can even prevent its development.
A very safe and healthy meal option for diabetic patient salads. Salads because generally they are low in fat, high in fiber and if they are packed with Protein, they become a complete meal for diabetics and even weight watchers. This time we the DFT bloggers bring you a bonanza of Protein packed salads. Check out the collage.
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DSC_0290-002Also I am taking this healthy Salad t Fiesta Friday #114 hosted by Angie and this time the cohost is Jhuls of thenotsocreativecook.
Quinoa is on the low end of the glycemic index, meaning it won’t cause a spike in blood sugar.
Most grains don’t have all the amino acids needed to make a protein, but quinoa has enough to be considered a complete protein. Read more in the notes. Spinach is high in fiber and iron and hence it is very healthy option for diabetics.

Grilled Chiken, Quinoa and Spinach

Grilled Chicken, Quinoa and Spinach

To make this delicious protein and fiber packed salad, we need to marinate the chicken first. The marination I used is very simple garlic infused olive oil dressing plus lime juice. You can add any other dressing of your choice, but make sure it is healthy and low fat.
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This is a very health and easy making salad which tastes awesome. If you are a vegetarian, you can replace chicken with Tofu or Low fat Paneer. Let’s have a look on the recipe-

Grilled Chicken, Quinoa and Spinach Salad
Serves 1
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 Skinless Chicken breast
  2. 1 cup of washed and chopped spinach packed
  3. 1/2 cup sliced radish
  4. 1/4 cup Quinoa
  5. 1/2 cup water
  6. 2 cloves of garlic
  7. 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp for cooking chicken
  8. 2 tsp lemon juice
  9. salt to taste
  10. 1/2 tsp pepper
  11. 1/2 tsp cumin powder
Instructions
  1. To make this salad first we need to marinate the chicken breast for 30 minutes. To marinate, wash and pat dry the chicken breast with clean kitchen towel. Using a knife make small slits in the chicken.
  2. Rub 1 tsp of lime juice, salt, pepper. Take 1 garlic clove, crush it with flattened knife and rub it all over the chicken on both sides.
  3. Meanwhile , prepare the dressing. Just crush one garlic and put it on bowl. Pour 1 tsp of olive oil over it and keep aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes add some salt and your garlic infused oil dressing would be ready.
  4. After 30 minutes, heat your grill, or a non stick pan and spray with little oil. Cook the chicken on grill for 10 - 15 minutes on both the sides until the chicken is cooked well. Take it out in a plate and cut it into small chunks.
  5. To cook Quinoa, first wash it thoroughly in a sieve. Take water in a pan and add salt and Quinoa. Cover the lid and cook on medium flame until quinoa is completely cooked. ( Read the instructions given on packet too)
  6. For arranging the salad, in a bowl mix Quinoa, spinach, chicken , radishes , salt, pepper and cumin powder.
  7. Mix everything well and put your oil dressing. Lastly add lemon juice and mix well. A bowl full of protein packed salad is ready to enjoy!
Notes
  1. Health Benefits of this recipe
  2. Chicken-Chicken is good for type 1 diabetics. Since this disease mostly strikes in childhood it is also known as juvenile diabetes. Managing blood sugar levels in children can be quite challenging, especially in times of sickness.Chicken soup is a better alternative to cooked or baked chicken as it is easier to swallow.
  3. Chicken is good diet for type 2 diabetics too, especially those who have been used to a diet with a lot of meat. The low fat content in chicken makes it easier for these diabetics to lose weight, a crucial factor in diabetes management.
  4. Quinoa-
  5. The dietary fiber found in quinoa is also higher than many other grains. This means that quinoa can be particularly beneficial for people with diabetes, because both nutrients are considered important for keeping blood sugar under control.
  6. Spinach
  7. he American Diabetes Association calls spinach a diabetes superfood and recommends that you regularly include this dark green leafy non-starchy vegetable in your diet. Besides being rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, spinach possesses a low glycemic index, which means eating it will help support healthy and stable blood glucose levels.
  8. For information please refer to these links
  9. http://www.m.webmd.com/default.htm
  10. http://www.livestrong.com
  11. http://www.diabetes.orgI
  12. http://www.idf.org/membership/sea/india/diabetic-association-of-india
  13. http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-black-chickpeas-for-skin-hair-and-health/
  14. https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/2014/07/benefits-of-spinach-for-type-2-diabetes/
  15. Disclaimer
  16. I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.
Leafy Life Wellness https://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/
Here are the other Protein Packed Salad recipes from fellow bloggers
SONAL Kosumbari Salad or Raw Mung Salad
SHAILJA Asian Tofu Salad
SARIKA Nam Sod or Thai Chicken Salad
SUCHITRA Horse Gram Salad
PARVATHY 
APSARA Protein Packed Edamame Salad

4 comments

  1. Jhuls says:

    I am trying to include more spinach in my diet, so this a good timing. Thank you for sharing such nutritious meal. I am glad to see you at this week’s Fiesta Friday. Have fun! 😉

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