Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Grapes

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“Skinny” Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Grapes is the perfect alternative to the traditional version. It’s easy, delicious, healthy, and you certainly won’t miss the calories!

There’s comfort in traditional recipes that you’ve been making for years. But sometimes “mixing it up” is a good thing. Today I’m “mixing it up” with my chicken salad…and I think you’re going to like the results!

I’ve been eating a lot of chicken salad lately. You can make so many delicious variations! But my experimentation lately has been taking me away from the mayonnaise based chicken salads that I’ve been making for years.

I recently tried making chicken salad with cottage cheese, which was a huge hit with my family. Then I got to thinking “why not try making it with Greek yogurt?” I love the tangy flavor of Greek yogurt. It’s thick consistency makes it a great substitute for mayonnaise. It’s also an excellent way to lighten up your chicken salad. Greek yogurt has far fewer calories and fat than even light mayonnaise.

Plus, Greek yogurt is packed with nutrients and has about double the protein of regular yogurt. For anyone that exercises, protein is absolutely essential. When you exercise, you’re breaking down your muscle fibers. Protein helps repair them. My husband and I are runners, two of our kids are runners, and my oldest plays soccer. To top that off, we also purchased a health club in July.  Working out is part of our routine every day. What we eat after working out is important for our overall health. I want to make sure that I have healthy choices available to my family for their meals and post workout snacks.  This Greek yogurt chicken salad is the perfect choice.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

This is a very simple recipe.  You can add or subtract ingredients as you’d like. Feel free to try a different fruit. If you don’t like celery, leave it out. I personally like the crunch it adds. I throw spinach into a lot of things that I am cooking because I like the taste, and it’s such a rich source of so many vitamins and minerals. You can use rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken.

But if you’re going to follow this recipe exactly, combine the chicken, celery, grapes, spinach, almonds, green onion and fresh dill in a bowl.  Then mix together your Greek yogurt, lemon and honey, and add it to the chicken mixture.  Add a little water for some extra moisture. I’ve made it both with and without water, and when you’re using Greek yogurt in your chicken salad, it really seems to need that extra moisture.

I like to add avocado slices to my sandwich. They add great flavor, and have lots of health benefits too.

Remember how I talked about the importance of protein for muscle repair after working out? Avocados help there too. They contain healthy monounsaturated fat, which aids in muscle repair plus they’re high in B vitamins, which helps get your metabolism going.

But you can also serve this Greek yogurt chicken salad plain, or eat it with crackers.

OTHER DAIRY RECIPES INSPIRED BY NEW ENGLAND DAIRY & FOOD COUNCIL

• Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
• Spinach Quiche with Artichokes and Roasted Red Peppers

Now for the recipe!

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

"Skinny" Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad is the perfect alternative to the traditional version. It's easy, delicious, healthy, and you won't miss the calories!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups grilled or rotisserie chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup grapes, quartered
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, julienned
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped (or more, to taste)
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey, preferably local
• 1 tablespoon water
• Avocado slices (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine chicken, celery, grapes, spinach, almonds, green onions and fresh dill in a bowl.
2. Combine Greek yogurt, lemon and honey; add to chicken mixture.
3. Add water for more moisture.
4. Serve plain, on sandwich bread or crackers. Add avocado slices if you would like.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 12gCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 9g