gluten free chicken salad – Trading Paper Crowns

This chicken salad is refreshing and seriously great. It is so easy to make – like really easy. And will last all week in the fridge (so you can have it for lunch many days!) I like to make my lunches before the work week starts. That way, I can just grab it and go in the morning. This little salad is perfect to take to the office for a quick healthy lunch. You may even have all the ingredients at home already (I did!).

You will need: 1 can of chicken (or you can use 2 whole chicken breasts – cooked and chopped), 3 large celery stalks, ¼ yellow onion, salt and pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds, 3 tbsp. mayonnaise and arugula leaves.

First off, dice your celery and yellow onions. You can use a food processor for this; but, I like a little larger chunks in my salad – so just use a regular kitchen knife and cut them up in small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl.

Dump in your canned or chopped chicken. And mix it into the veggie mix of onions and celery.

Next add in your mayo (if you are vegan – you can use Vegenaise®). Stir up your mixture, making sure the chicken is coated. Add in your spices – garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. You may even want to add in a little onion powder too. If you like it really flavorful.

Lastly, add in the sunflower seeds. I find that adding some kind of nut or seeds adds that earthy crunch you crave. And sunflower seeds remind me of the fall (which, I am so ready for!)

Stir and set on a bed of arugula. This lettuce, also known as, salad rocket is super good for you. Read more about it here. Rather than a peppery taste – the leaves are somewhat sweet. However, you can always use a different type of lettuce.

I like to sprinkle some vinaigrette on top of the salad for additional flavor. Paul Newman’s lite Italian is wonderful. Enjoy.

Hello Beauties and welcome to day 2 of the challenge. How are you feeling? It is normal to feel hungry – but just think about how great your body is going to feel after this cleanse process!? YES. ABSOLUTELY GREAT.

Any way – follow this little eating plan today. This morning was tight on time for me, so I grabbed a Lara Bar. Love these because they are gluten free and are packed with protein. Yum. They will keep you full for a long while. No hungry tummies at work.

I will be snacking on grapefruit and nuts today. It is unbelievable how much these treats fill you up. Love the sweetness of the grapefruit and the crunch of the nuts {cashews are my favorite}.

Today – I made an Apple Chicken Salad {paleo} for lunch with homemade ranch dressing. It is so simple to make and so natural. I actually feel like I am filling up my body with goodness with every bite.

You will need: 2 small apples, 1 large chicken breast {you can use canned chicken too}, 2 tbsp. low fat mayo, romaine lettuce and salt and pepper to taste.

Fab Apple Chicken Lunch!

For the ranch, you will need: ½ cup cashews, 1 cup coconut milk {or skim – have not eliminated all dairy yet}, 1 tbsp. of chives, ½ tsp of garlic powder, ½ tsp of dill.

The salad is simple. Chop up the apples and the chicken in little chunks. Add mayo and fold this in with a large fork or mixing spoon. Sprinkle in salt and pepper {maybe a hint of garlic powder} and put on a bed of lettuce. You are done – and this is your yummy lunch.

For the dressing – you will need a food processor. Dump in the cashews – and pulse until it is a paste. Add in the milk and herbs and pulse again. Yay – your ranch is complete and it’s pretty darn good too.

Tonight, after your salad with veggies and grilled chicken, let’s focus on our legs and caboose.

Here is a good workout that will leave you sore – but the good kind of sore. Enjoy – and remember to drink your water. This is very important.