Hillshire Snacking Grilled Chicken Bites - Honey Mustard

Browsing the aisles of my local grocery store I stumbled upon some packaged protein snacks that caught my attention. What really caught my attention was the variety of flavors available in the line. With that I opted to try the Hillshire Snacking Grilled Chicken Bites - Honey Mustard.

I found these little gems stocked in the area where the Lunchables and other "kid friendly" meals/snacks would be. These are packaged similar to the Lunchables protein packs where there's a little spot for the container of dipping sauce and the chicken is served in the tray alongside it. One of the bonuses with these is that they can be consumed either cold or warmed in the microwave for 15 seconds.

One might be thinking if you wanted protein why not cook a piece of chicken and take it with you? Sure, that was one of my thoughts but ideally sometimes one needs a grab and go type of snack and protein is one of those staple items that is guaranteed to curb my appetite. I brought this to work with me, stashed it in the refrigerator and one day where I was feeling snacky I took it out, popped it in the microwave (I removed the sauce first) and found it was satisfying.

The chicken isn't the best chicken I've ever had, but it's decent for what you're getting. It's smooth, white meat chicken - perhaps slightly processed feeling, but far better than deli ham/turkey cubes. The honey mustard sauce was a perfect addition to the chicken, providing flavor without being overwhelming. The sauce container is smaller, but it was truly was more than enough for the 3 ounces of chicken in the container. I was able to get a good dip of each piece of chicken without running out of sauce before I ran out of chicken. Overall, I found it to be pretty satisfactory for a grab-and-go type of deal.

The flavor varieties my store carried were as follows: honey mustard, teriyaki, mango habanero and spicy chipolte BBQ.

A serving, 1 package, is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5124237/?claim=xgm3g8n62t4">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips

Every once in a while I like to have a convenience food on hand to make my meal prepping for lunches a little easier. Last time I went to the store I made sure to pick up a package of the Trader Joe's Grilled Chicken Strips. The chicken is fully cooked chicken breast, which is cut into strips and is plain ole chicken - no extravagant flavors present.

 

Since the chicken is already cooked, all that it requires is a couple minutes in the microwave and it's ready to serve up. What I like to do is open the package and weigh out my serving. I put the individual servings in the fridge and microwave what I need for a particular meal before I'm going to eat it. It just makes things easier to prep and divide servings.

 

I'm a picky eater when it comes to chicken and this is real white meat chicken breast, which pairs perfectly with whatever you decide to pair it with. I typically go with a salad or a grilled chicken salad wrap. Since it's plain it'll adapt to whatever flavors you add to it.

 

A serving, 3 ounces, is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

Trader Joe's Grilled Balsamic Vinegar & Rosemary Chicken

During those hot summer months where the last thing you want to do is stand around a hot stove or hot grill and cook something ... I tend to go for convenience items. Something that can give me a boost of protein, fill my belly and not make the house hot and/or make me too hot. I picked up a package of Trader Joe's Grilled Balsamic Vinegar & Rosemary Chicken one trip as my primary lunch for a few days.

 

Initially I wasn't sure if I'd like the flavor of the chicken that much since rosemary can tend to be one of those hit or miss herbs for me. In some dishes it's too strong, whereas in others it's paired perfectly ... and this was one of those dishes where it was paired perfectly with the balsamic vinegar. I packed up my lunches for a few days by measuring out my serving and placing into bowls and heating in the microwave per package directions.

 

I enjoyed the grilled chicken over salad alongside a side of Trader Joe's Balela. What I like most about this chicken is not only that it's convenient but that first and foremost it's flavorful, juicy, and most importantly that it's real chicken! The grill marks on the chicken also gave the chicken some added texture which gave it almost a home-cooked vibe instead of a pre-packaged meal vibe. I'm a self proclaimed chicken snob - partly because I have texture issues with some foods and that I sometimes pick at my food as I eat. This chicken surpassed the test and was quite enjoyable to have as a lunch for a couple days.

 

A serving, 3 ounces, is 100 calories or 2 points plus values.

Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken Strips with Teriyaki Sauce

I have been trying to find this particular teriyaki chicken at Trader Joe’s, but had come up empty handed for a long time ... that is until a couple weeks ago when I got my hands on this! The Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken Strips with Teriyaki Sauce is sold in the refrigerated/prepared food section of Trader Joe’s.

I have tried some of the other various flavors of marinated chicken strips/breast … but this has to be my favorite so far. I’m a fan of teriyaki flavoring in general and this is just a winner because the flavors there and it’s noticeable.  Admittedly if you’re not a fan of teriyaki flavor (that slightly sweet barbecued flavor) then you wouldn’t find this enjoyable. The chicken is of good quality and is real chicken … none of that rib meat stuff that can be seen in other prepared/frozen chicken selections at the grocery store. There is not much else to say about this dish other than its absolutely delicious! The chicken is grilled to perfection, without tasting burnt or too “smoky”. The chicken is moist, juicy, and above all flavorful. The teriyaki flavoring is perfect and not too tangy or sweet. It is one of the best flavored prepared teriyaki chickens I have had … and I enjoyed it so much I had it for lunch for 3-days in a row.

A serving (3 ounces) is 120 calories or 3 points plus values.

Gluten Free Grilled Chicken Breast with Baked Potato & Steamed Broccoli @ The Chateau

On Valentine’s Day my boyfriend and I decided to go out for dinner. Since we had a gift card to a local restaurant The Chateau we decided to go there. Since it was Valentine’s Day we had over an hour wait to be seated (the restaurant wasn’t taking reservations that night).

Unlike the last time I went to The Chateau I was really in the mood for grilled chicken … so after taking a look on the menu offered on the company’s website I decided to order off the gluten free menu. Granted, I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but it was the only menu where grilled chicken was offered except for an option to add to a large dinner salad.

My meal itself was completely delicious. I opted to get the garden salad with fat free zinfandel dressing on the side. Whereas for my dinner I was served 2 large “butterflied” chicken breasts, a baked potato and steamed broccoli. The meal also came with a small container of jellied cranberry sauce, which I decided to not eat since I didn’t quit need the additional flavoring.  Since we were going to get a dessert to share I ate a little less than half my meal … to save room for dessert that is.  Strawberry shortcake was served over a warm biscuit, topped with strawberries in sauce, ice cream and whipped cream. A decadent and delicious treat to the end of a delicious meal.

The leftovers I did take home and enjoyed the following day.

Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Potato and Caesar Salad

This is a unique twist on a typical dinner. Normally, I don’t eat Caesar salad, but the kit was on sale at the grocery store and my boyfriend enjoys it – so Caesar salad it was! My personal request was the potato because for those of us Weight Watchers folks, we know potatoes are a power food.  Power foods mean I’m a lot more satisfied with my dinner and I’m not poking around the kitchen a few hours later looking for a snack.

This dinner was quite filling and delicious.  We cooked the chicken out on the grill and cooked the potatoes in the microwave – which really simplifies the process and leaves you with a firm but soft, ready to eat potato. The salad really threw a curve ball into the staple dinner, completely changing up the flavors. The entire plate pictured is 10 points plus.

4 ounces of grilled chicken

7 ounces of potato, seasoned with black pepper and spray butter

1 cup of light Caesar salad

QUESTION:

What are your favorite sides to have with grilled chicken?

Power Chicken Hummus Bowl @ Panera

Did you know that Panera has a hidden menu?  This menu is hidden because well, it’s not advertised on the Panera menu itself – you have to know what it is you want to order. You can check out the 6 options available off the hidden menu here.  While if you’re wondering what the nutrition facts are (or maybe are interested in calculating the Points Plus values) for these said items, you can find that information here. In order to obtain the nutrition information you need to select “Hidden Menu” from the Choose a Menu Category on the left-hand side drop down menu.

Two of my friends from high school wanted to get together for dinner since one was up visiting from New Jersey.  Panera was decided on, so I did my research and decided I was going to order the Power Chicken Hummus Bowl because it looked the most appetizing to me in that very instance.  According to the Panera hidden menu the salad consisted of all-natural antibiotic-free chicken with a cilantro jalapeno hummus, baby spinach, cucumbers, diced tomatoes and red onions.  It’s supposed to be garnished with chopped cilantro and topped with a fresh squeezed lemon.

When ordering my bowl I forgot the name of it and started saying “I want the grilled chicken….” The girl taking my menu asked “Caesar salad?” I said (having a big major brain freeze) “No, no .. umm… it’s the hummus bowl!” to which she replied, “Oh okay, from that menu.” I do have this odd thing about eating cold poultry (aside from deli meat) so I asked if the chicken was served hot or cold.  I was told cold, but they can heat it if requested.  So, I of course, requested for it to be heated!  My order was put through, I was given my buzzer and I waited for my salad to be prepped.

Picking up my salad at the counter, I thought it looked appetizing. I love hummus and the hummus was drizzled over the whole salad.  The veggies and chicken were plentiful and I was satisfied.  I did find, since it was missing the lemon finish it was a little dry, so I had some fat free poppyseed dressing to dip my fork into to give it a bit of wetness.  The great thing about the fat free poppyseed is 2 tablespoons is only 1 points plus!  Overall, I was quite pleased with my meal and I would definitely order it again.

The salad was pretty big, packed with power foods, it was filling AND it was only 8 points plus values!

QUESTION:

Have you tried anything from the hidden menu at Panera? Or did you even know there was a hidden menu?

McDonald’s Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken Premium McWrap

I received a Klout perk to try out the new Premium McWrap’s which are available at McDonald’s.  Before being invited into the perk I had heard about the McWrap’s because they had pretty decent Weight Watchers Points Plus values associated with them (the grilled variety at least).  Granted, when making things at home you can make them for less (points) but I admit when going out to eat sometimes finding point friendly foods can be a pain in the keester.

Prior to the McWrap’s I used to order the grilled chicken sandwich, without mayo.  It’s nice to know there is now a new option, which is a lot tastier in my opinion that I can now choose from.

According to McDonald’s the Sweet Chili Chicken wrap is: The unique mix of juicy, grilled chicken breast filet, crisp cucumber slices, spring greens, shredded lettuce, all drizzled with sweet chili and creamy garlic sauce, wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

The fact that there are actual VEGETABLES in a McDonald’s food item purely excites me!  Between the vegetables, the grilled chicken and the delicious blend of sauce (Sweet chili with a creamy garlic sauce – which reminds me of ranch) is just a straight up homerun.  The sandwich was delicious (granted it took me 2 trips to actually GET the correct sandwich – originally they assumed my grilled request meant crispy).  The grilled variety, as is, without substitutions is 9 points plus and PURE deliciousness.  It’s actually quite massive and VERY filling for something you’d get at McDonald’s.

There are 2 other varieties available – both of which come in grilled or crispy (fried) varieties.  The other two flavor choices are a Premium McWrap Chicken & Bacon and a Premium McWrap Chicken & Ranch.  I have not tried either of these varieties but I typically wouldn’t order either of those anyway because I’m more of a sweet chili fan on chicken sandwiches.

Nonetheless – great new addition, McDonald’s!  And bravo for it being relatively health conscious!

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the new McDonald’s Premium McWraps?  If so, which one is your favorite?

Trader Joe’s Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken

I picked up this package of Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken from the refrigerator section at Trader Joe’s figuring it would be a quick and easy addition to any lunch.  I love grilled chicken, but considering I live in New England and even though the weather is continuously fluctuating it is definitely not grill worthy weather.  I also tend to enjoy a quick and easy lunch especially on days where there 1) aren’t any leftovers and 2) when I just want a simple salad and need something to throw on top of it.

Originally I was looking for the teriyaki flavor I had heard Trader Joe’s sold, but after not finding it, I settled on the lemon pepper.  The chicken itself is already cooked before being placed into the container and the chicken pieces are topped with a few slices of fresh lemon.  The packages houses four, 3 ounce servings of chicken and heating it up is quite an easy task.  The plastic has to be vented and the whole container is microwaved for a few minutes to heat through.

The only downside is, the chicken after re-heating it (if you are not going to eat it all in that one serving) can get a little dry after reheating in the microwave the second day.  Granted, I’m sure the first heat through in the packaging could be skipped which would eliminate the dryness.  I split the chicken into 2 meals – each for two separate lunches.  Straight out of the package the chicken is nice and moist with a charcoal flavoring on it (from grilling), but after the 2^nd reheat it starts to lose that moistness – which is expected when heating foods in the microwave.

A 3 ounce serving is 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus, whereas a 6 ounce serving would be 5 points plus.  Definitely a great buy for anyone looking for a “on the fly” lunch.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the prepackaged, prepared meats at Trader Joe’s?

Hillshire Farms - Garlic & Herb Grilled Chicken Breast

I never knew Hillshire Farms sold prepackaged chicken breast until I spotted these while on at Target run.  I've been checking out Targets refrigerated food section because I've been finding Target stocks the yogurt and the BBQ chicken I like - where if I want those items I have to travel further up to Walmart to get them.  Anyway!  I purchased these prepackaged, precooked garlic & herb flavored chicken breast and I have to say they are REALLY good!  I wasn't sure if they would be good because I'm a chicken snob, especially when it comes to premade chicken because it can sometimes taste artificial, fatty, or like rubber.  These don't taste like any of those things.  The chicken is actually moist, flavorful and quite good.  The calorie count is low - I want to say it was between 90-120 (I finished them & threw the box out).  Each box contains 2 prepackaged chicken breast, that you heat in the microwave for 60 seconds in it's little warming pouch.  Quite good!  If you're in the mood for a quick meal that you can incorporate into a salad or into a sandwich - I suggest you try these out!  The greatest part - they're only 2 points plus values each!