Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, Co-authors, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers
The Meal Makeover Moms have created a series of online videos featuring cooking demonstrations and mealtime/pantry tips. Discover easy ways to improve your family's diet by watching more of their how-to videos.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced widthwise into 12 to 14 strips
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large omega-3 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil, divided
Place the coconut, bread crumbs, flaxseed, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Place the egg in a separate bowl.
To bread the chicken, dip the strips in the egg, then coat well in the coconut mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the remaining oil, flip the chicken strips, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, an additional 4 to 6 minutes.
Note: If the chicken breast halves are thick at one end, use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to a uniform thickness. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 310 calories, 17g fat (6g saturated, 0.8g omega-3), 12g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 290mg sodium, 27g protein, 10% iron
Kitchen Notes
• Keep Raw Meats and Ready-To-Eat Foods Separate. Here’s why: If the juices from raw poultry or meat come in contact with the ingredients for your dinner salad it could increase your risk of food borne illness. To prevent cross-contamination of dangerous bacteria, keep two plastic cutting boards in your kitchen; one for raw meats such as chicken and fish and the other for ready-to-eat foods like vegetables and bread. Also, if the man in your life loves to hang out by the backyard grill, please remind him that cooked chicken, fish, or meat should never go back on the same plate that held the raw food.
• Flaxseed isn’t exactly a common household ingredient but if we had our way, every family would have it in their pantry. Flax is an excellent source of fiber, as well as the plant form of omega-3 fat (alpha linolenic acid), a type of fat that lowers heart disease risk and may even help in the treatment of depression, ADHD, and rheumatoid arthritis. In order to release the nutrients from the whole seeds, they must be ground first, so look for ground flaxseed at the market. Simply add two to four tablespoons to your pancake, muffin, cookie, or cake batters or mix a quarter cup into your favorite meatloaf recipe! Ground flaxseed is perishable so, once opened, it’s best to store it in the freezer or fridge and use within three to six months.
