Five Minute Pasta

Macros / Serving Size

Protein 35 g | Fat 25 g | Carbs 36 g

% Calories of Macros / Serving Size

Calories 492 | Protein 27 % | Fat 44 % | Carbs 29 %

Nutrients / Serving Size

Fiber 10 g | Sodium 825 mg | Sat. Fat 9 g

Ingredients (Servings 4)

• 1 lb. frozen boneless skinless chicken breast 
• Cooking spray
• 10 oz. frozen pepper/onion mix
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 6 6-8-inch whole wheat tortillas
• ¼ cup salsa
• 4 oz. shredded cheese
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt (optional)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions

• Cut the tortillas into wide strips and zest the lime.
• In a microwave safe dish, thaw the frozen chicken breast according to package directions.
• Cut chicken into strips and heat a skillet to medium high heat.  Coat skillet with cooking spray
• Brown the strips on each side and then add the frozen pepper mix with 2 tbsp. of water, the garlic, spices, the juice of half the lime and salsa.  Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.  Add a little water if needed and once the chicken reaches 165 degrees F (or is no longer pink) and the peppers are tender, add the cut-up tortillas, gently mix in, remove the pan from heat, cover and let the tortillas heat through.
• Place ¼ of the spinach in a bowl, top with 1/4th each of the chicken mixture, lime zest, cilantro, cheese, avocado, and if using the Greek yogurt.  Repeat for the remaining servings.

Notes

• To make the dish a heartier while adding more fiber, add additional fresh vegetables, drained and rinsed canned black or pinto beans.
  This dish, less the fresh toppings, freezes well.
• Consider freezing individual servings and for an easy office lunch.
• Just pack the toppings in a separate container and them after heating the mix in the microwave. Or freeze the whole batch of the chicken in a freezer bag and have at the ready for a dinner later in the month.
• Nutrition analysis is based on the use of 6 tortillas and excludes optional ingredients.

Nutrition Education

The American food guidance system, MyPlate, which is a visual representation of how most meals should be comprised to build a healthy eating pattern, portions out the food groups. Putting this into practice is easier than the plate looks. Your plate does not have to have separate items in the exact proportions and “combination foods” such as casseroles, stews, one-dish meals, etc. are perfect for putting into practice MyPlate.

An easy way to do this, is when making a dish, consider that separate ingredients used in the recipe. Group the ingredients in to food groups and then consider the proportions of each. Are all food groups represented?  For example, do half of the ingredients consist of fruits and vegetables, 1/4th grains, ¼ lean protein foods?  Is there a source of dairy?  Take note. Could you add a little more vegetables to the recipe?  Is there a nutritious side-dish or a slice of fruit that can be served along side the meal?  

Another strategy is rather than adjusting the recipe or adding a side is to keep note of this meal and adjust your next meal or snack accordingly.  Your total daily intake is like making a recipe.  Does your daily intake total with all things considered look close to the proportions of MyPlate?  Some like to look meal to meal, but some like the flexibility of assessing at the end of the day.  Do what works for you.

Also, a healthy eating pattern consists of a variety of food.  Sometimes, improving the nutrition quality of the meal is adding something like a food group or more of a food group.  Keep this in mind and aim to keep your overall calories in check.

Using the suggestions above, how does this “combination food” meal rate in alignment with MyPlate?

Dietitian Tip

Try recreating your favorite restaurant dish at home and aiming to have at least 75% of the ingredients be either fresh produce, lean meat, and/or Dietitian Approved Thumbs up items.