Today’s blog comes from Valerie Sirois Husky who is currently filling a temporary position at CFC. Valerie has a truly up-beat personality which she probably gets from eating a healthy lunch like this one.
We all know that numerous factors contribute to your energy levels, including your sleep habits, your physical wellness – but nothing works without a proper diet.
Being 20-something and trying to pay off debts, find the perfect job, juggle work and social life, having a well balanced diet isn’t always a piece of cake. The brown bag lunch is an obvious solution, especially if you want to have enough money left over to be able to afford a night on the town on the weekend.
I’ll assume that, like most of us, when the alarm sounds you’re on auto pilot – or still half into that awesome dream you were so rudely awakened from, and that lunch is low on your priority list. To avoid giving into lunchtime temptation and falling for that ‘cheap and unhealthy fast food’ thing, or indulging in that ‘super-expensive but organically perfect and decadent’ thing, I try to make a healthy dish that will last me a few days. This way, I have time to concentrate on the other important stuff in my life.
I’ll call this one the Chicken Mustard Salad:
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (because who has time to do all that work)
- 1 large red pepper (any pepper really, but red just adds a nice element of color to the mix)
- 4 celery sticks
- ½ red onion
- ½ fresh jalapeno pepper (adds a nice zing to the mix, if you like that kind of thing)
- 6 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp of your favorite creamy salad dressing ( I have a weak spot for Kraft’s 3 Cheese Salad Dressing)
- Start by cutting the chicken into thin layers and pan frying it with a little bit of water. Once cooked cube into smaller pieces.
- Dice the vegetables and finely chop the jalapeno and onion, so each bite isn’t overpowered by these potent elements.
- Mix in the mustards and the dressing, pepper to taste.
Voilà! You have a well-balanced lunch that will last you for 2 or 3 days. One less thing you have to worry about.
