What's For Dinner: Chinese Chicken & Brown Rice

I have gotten several requests for healthy meal ideas. I am the kind of cook that improvises and never measures anything, so sharing recipes becomes difficult. I have also been making healthy substitutions for so long that it has become second nature to me and I don't even think about it. As you practice cooking healthy and learn what works for you and your family, you will find it becomes second nature to you as well. Until then, I am going to share at least one healthy recipe a week to help jump start your healthy cooking and give you some meal ideas.

Here's a simple recipe for those nights when you've got nothing in the fridge. I call them scavenger meals because you have to scavenge your pantry and freezer to come up with something for dinner. I pretty much always have rice in the pantry, I buy in bulk and keep my supply up. Plus, I almost always have chicken in the freezer. So naturally, this is the perfect meal when your in a bind and low on groceries.

As usual I have adapted the recipe to make it more "clean" and suitable for fat loss. This recipe comes from Allrecipes.com. I have substituted white rice with brown rice. I also recommend substituting soy sauce with Bragg's "Liquid Aminos" a product made from protein that tastes just like soy sauce and contains muscle building amino acids. It is the perfect low-sodium, healthy alternative to soy sauce. It can be purchased online here. If you don't have it on hand, just use reduced sodium soy sauce until you have the chance to purchase it.

Also, I modified this recipe but tried to keep it as close to original as possible to show how easy it is to make healthy substitutions. The original recipe has 255 calories per serving, which is not bad, but with our healthy substitutions, this recipe only has 168 calories! By omitting butter and vegetable oil alone, we make this meal a healthy alternative to family favorite. We saved almost 100 calories! One last note, you could also add veggies to the mix very easily. I usually do, but this time I didn't. I served the veggies on the side. Whatever you choose, don't forget to add veggies to this dish to make it a balanced meal!

Double the recipe if you have kids as I've found that you need a little more for a family. Also, have two servings for a total of only 336 calories and you'll meet your protein requirements for the meal. Served with a cup of spinach (which only has 7 calories) your meal will be perfect!

Chinese Chicken & Brown Rice

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• olive oil spray
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice, cold
• 2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken meat

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Mist large skillet with spray olive oil over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and cut into shreds.
2. Heat oil in same skillet; add onion and saute until soft. Then add rice, soy sauce, pepper and chicken. Stir fry together for about 5 minutes, then stir in egg. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.
3. To complete the meal, serve with a side of vegetables. 

Nutrition Data

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe   4 Servings Amount Per Serving   Calories 168.3   Total Fat 2.5 g       Saturated Fat 0.6 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g       Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g   Cholesterol 62.7 mg   Sodium 37.7 mg   Potassium 210.0 mg   Total Carbohydrate 25.3 g       Dietary Fiber 2.3 g       Sugars 0.0 g   Protein 10.7 g   Vitamin A 1.6 %   Vitamin B-12 3.8 %   Vitamin B-6 17.7 %   Vitamin C 3.5 %   Vitamin D 2.5 %   Vitamin E 0.4 %   Calcium 2.3 %   Copper 5.4 %   Folate 4.1 %   Iron 5.3 %   Magnesium 13.4 %   Manganese 55.6 %   Niacin 22.5 %   Pantothenic Acid     6.4 %   Phosphorus     16.5 %   Riboflavin 5.0 %   Selenium 7.4 %   Thiamin 8.7 %   Zinc 6.9 %