Southwest Chicken Salad

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Click here to submit!

Recipe may vary from photograph Photo: Jupiterimages

Salads can be very misleading. That's Fit reader Dianne must understand this because she wrote in asking for a recipe rehab of McDonald's Southwest Chicken Salad. This salad comes with an option of either grilled or crispy chicken. Even topped with the healthier grilled chicken, this menu item contains more calories and fat than a cheeseburger! Sure, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and black beans seem harmless, but add cheddar cheese, tortilla strips and dressing to the mix and the seemingly-innocent salad is chock full of sodium and has the equivalent carbohydrates of three slices of white bread. I bet you didn't expect that from a salad!

According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control, about 70 percent of adults should be limiting their sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg/day. This is because a high salt intake can increase blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. By using Mrs. Dash seasoning in both the chicken and the dressing, I cut more than 800 mg sodium from the original recipe. Also, by replacing the crispy tortilla strips with sliced Almond Accents, I cut calories, and added heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and fiber while still maintaining the same crunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 3 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle marinade
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 small red pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 ounces shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Almond Accents, original flavor

Southwest dressing:

• 1 tablespoon light mayo
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend
• 1 fresh lime, juice only

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Place marinade and chicken in Zip-lock bag and turn to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Combine lettuce, black beans, red pepper, diced tomatoes, cheese and almonds in large bowl and toss to mix.
4. Combine all ingredients for salad dressing in a smaller bowl until smooth and creamy. Place in refrigerator.
5. Coat Pyrex dish with non-stick spray and place marinated chicken strips in dish.
6. Bake for 40 minutes in oven.
7. Remove from oven and top salad with warm chicken strips.
8. Combine salad dressing and toss to mix.

Serves: 1

Nutrition Content:
320 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 480 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 32 g protein.

Want more tips on cutting sodium from your diet? Check out this AOL Health article!

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.