The Great (Late Night) Dinner Debate!

It’s happened to all of us at some point or another: after a long day at work you come home tired, brain dead, and very, very hungry.  I know the last thing I want to have to think about when I walk in the door late at night is dinner, but there are quick and easy solutions that don't take too long, look and taste good, and are healthy as well.

My favorite late night dinner lately has been a chicken Caesar Salad.  It's so easy, and what's better is I don't feel guilty eating this sort of thing at 9p.  Here's what I use:

• Eating Right™ Classic Caesar Complete Salad Kit (Vons/Safeway brand)
• Tyson™ Grilled & Ready Fully Cooked & Glazed Chicken Breast Fillets

The chicken breasts are already cooked so all you have to do is microwave them for about two and a half minutes (for one).  While that's defrosting I pour half of the bag of the salad mix into a bowl and add between 1/3 to 1/2 of the salad dressing that comes with (I'm a 'less is more' girl when it comes to dressing, so I eyeball it).  I mix that up to coat the lettuce, and usually as I'm finishing that up the chicken is just about done. 

I let the chicken sit a minute to cool down so it doesn't wilt the lettuce and then cut it into small, bite sized pieces and put it in the bowl with the lettuce, tossing everything together to get some of the dressing on the chicken as well.  The salad kit comes with shaved parmesan and croutons too, and I sprinkle half of each of those packages over the top of the chicken and lettuce. 

Voila!  A yummy dinner that only took you about 5 minutes to make!  What's great about this salad kit is it's reduced fat, so even though it's a Caesar Salad (which can be notoriously high in fat and calories from the dressing,) the overall nutritional content is still very reasonable, and this isn't a meal that will be hard for your body to digest at a later hour (if I’m eating late, I tend to eat light so it won’t be hard for me to fall asleep).

One thing I love about salads is how easy it is to make them whatever you want them to be.  Garnishes (such as cheeses, nuts, croutons, or even edible flowers) are an easy way to take your salad from ordinary, to extraordinary!  The fact that this kit comes with the garnishes and looks so appetizing when you put it all together is a big plus.

As with most all packaged foods there is some sodium involved for preservation and flavoring (mostly from the salad dressing), but if you drink plenty of water your body will be able to flush the excess out.  I sometimes add a second chicken breast depending on how hungry I am, or pair the above preparation with a glass of wine (which is usually needed if I’m getting home really late!)  Whatever your nutritional preferences or needs are, this isn’t a meal that will break the bank.

Let me know if you’re able to try this out on your own and what you think of it.  Enjoy! 

  

Nutrition Facts (as prepared above)
1 serving: 247 cal, 5.5g fat, 705mg sodium, 16g carb, 1g fiber, 3g sugars, 29g protein