BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge for someone who grew up believing a meal consisted of some version of meat, potatoes, bread and cheese. It shocks me that I could go an entire day without eating one fresh fruit or vegetable. That being said, I have never considered sitting down to a green salad a viable meal. I always felt unsatisfied or hungry too soon after eating. This was becoming a big problem. I want to teach the kids what healthy is from a young age so they don't struggle with weight and other health issues that accompany an unhealthy diet. How could I teach them if I couldn't follow through with healthy eating myself? I'm a firm believer in leading by example, so I had to figure out a way to make salads heartier and more filling without compromising the nutrient value. 

How did I do that? Well....truth be told, I went out to eat. I started to pay attention to the ingredients in the restaurant salads I loved and noticed there's a big difference between a "green salad" and what I call a "meal salad". A green salad is a simple salad consisting of some form of lettuce, maybe a bit of onion, celery, cucumber or tomato, topped off with a crouton and whatever dressing suits your mood. A meal salad usually has some meat, beans, nuts, cheese, or pasta added to the basic green salad make it more substantial. The little light bulb in my head went off, and I got creative in the kitchen!

This BBQ Chicken salad is a winning result of that kitchen creativity. 

For this salad I used some leftover grilled chicken breasts coated in BBQ sauce from a gathering with friends the night before. In the past I have made this by simply baking two chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through, and coating them with our favorite low sugar bottled BBQ sauce.

• Take two heads crisp romaine lettuce, rinse and dry with paper towels; chop into bite sized pieces and put into large salad bowl. 
• Chop two green onion, one celery stick, half a cucumber (peeled), and half of a sweet red or orange pepper; add to chopped romaine lettuce; gently toss.
• Cut chilled BBQ chicken breasts into cubes and add to salad mixture.
• Add 1/4 cup diced or shredded cheddar cheese.
• Cut approximately 10-12 canned baby corn and 10-12 grape tomatoes into halves and sprinkle over salad mixture. 
• Top with your favorite blue cheese or ranch dressing to serve.

If your family is trying to green up your mealtime, this is a great way to start. Adding foods like BBQ chicken and baby corn make this a popular dish with the kids. Mine love this salad! 

Enjoy! -- Jenn