With the New Year coming up, resolutions are on everyone’s minds; there are those who want to exercise more, do better in school, but most people have one goal in mind: to eat healthier. This may seem an impossible feat, but with some motivation and the right ingredients you’ll find that eating healthier is pretty easy! This week I am making a curry chicken salad that is super delicious, easy and a great healthy recipe to kick off the New Year with.

Choosing something you enjoy enough to eat for a few days is a very important aspect to maintaining a healthy diet. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make a big batch of one of your favorite healthy recipes before the school week starts so you will have a healthy option for lunches and snacks all week. The chicken salad I am making this week will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days, so if you double the recipe, you could have nutritious lunches or dinners all week!

Chicken is one of the most wholesome and healthy meats to eat. Not only is it one of the leanest meats and full of protein, chicken is also low in fat and it strengthens your bones. Chicken can boost your immune system, strengthen your heart, and increase your metabolism.

In addition to chicken, Greek yogurt is a main component of this recipe that yields amazing health benefits. Greek yogurt is full of protein, as well as vitamin B12, which boosts your energy, mood, and strengthens the brain functions. It keeps your bones healthy and can even assist in weight loss. Usually, in chicken salad, mayonnaise is used as the main component, so the substitution of Greek yogurt makes the chicken salad much healthier; the Greek yogurt has less calories and fat, providing a lighter and more nutritional dish.

Lastly, the grapes and celery in this chicken salad give it flavor, crunch, and of course, health benefits. Celery aids in digestion, reduces cholesterol and blood pressure, and keeps your eyes healthy and functioning without a hitch. Grapes help to strengthen your heart, improve brain function, and even prevent skin cancer.

For this recipe, you can either buy precooked chicken, or buy your own tenders and cook them in a skillet with olive oil for 10-15 minutes (I cook the chicken tenders from Trader Joe’s and they seem to work really well). The dish takes about 30 minutes to make if you cook your own chicken, and is super easy; all you have to do is cook the chicken, mix the yogurt and spices, and cut the celery. Get a head start on your New Year’s resolution early with this healthy meal that tastes great. Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Salad:

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt

-1 tablespoon of curry powder

-1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne powder

-2 cups of cooked chicken, coarsely chopped

-2 stalks of celery, diced

-1/2 cup of red grapes, halved

-3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped

-Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, curry and Cayenne powders until smooth.
2. Add the chicken, grapes, celery, and parsley to the Greek yogurt, folding them in until everything is well-coated.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.