Simple Chicken Sammiches



Tasty little buggers, these.



Here's a simple dinner idea - home made grilled chicken sammiches.  Did this the other night, and I was very happy.

I used one large chicken breast, butterflied and grilled with just a bit of pepper and some of the very tasty Kirkland Brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning which Leslie discovered at Costco (but you can buy it online).

I sliced some fresh tomato, butter lettuce, and added a bit of these healthier choices for condiments:

The final touch here is using buns that take a serious cut out of the carbs and calories you get with a sandwich normally.  Dawn and I have used 100-calorie sandwich thins for a long time to make burgers and sandwiches and I always go for whole grain or whole wheat.  These things are great if you toast them just slightly on a grill before using them.

Making small changes to how you prepare a dish you already like is a pretty awesome way to keep calories and nutrition under control.  Here I have low calorie buns, lean chicken breast, fat-free mayo, reduced sugar ketchup, and fresh tomato and lettuce. All quite healthy, and tasty.  You could add a bit of salt to the chicken while cooking if you like, I didn't.  I had 2 sandwiches for dinner to get up to my minimum calorie count for the day, but one is pretty filling and would go awesomely with some grilled zucchini or asparagus, or a side salad.

Now the non-recipe part of this post. Someone at work the other day asked me this question, watching me eating a simple lunch:

"Do you miss eating other stuff at lunch, instead?"

I told her,

"That's like asking me if I miss the 60+ extra pounds I was carrying around a handful of months ago. No, I don't miss it." And I meant it. I've reached the point where I've changed my eating habits on a more permanent basis.  I no longer think, "This is a diet, someday I'll be able to go back to eating XXXXX and XXXXX things."

I'm not missing it much, and I know if I do, I will eat a bit and then keep it moderate.  The most important thing to me is that I am getting more exercise, which was totally missing from my life before with the exception of halfhearted time spent at the gym a few days a week.

All I can say is, the hardest part is starting out and then sticking to it for more than a week. So many times before this, I steeled myself and said I was going to begin a diet, and exercise, and in less than a week I was already failing at it.  And once you do that week - you do another. Then somehow it is 4+ months later and you can say, "Wow. Hey, I did it. I'm doing it. I'll keep doing it."

I will admit I have stopped strictly following the Dukan Diet.  It was exactly what I needed to help me learn better structure in my life in terms of eating and exercise, though. I'd recommend it to anyone - the book has pretty good info in general that helps you understand food a bit more, and the message it passes on is fantastic - this is a permanent change, not a diet.  His information is presented in an easy to understand and follow manner. 

Very importantly to me as well, it gives you very specific lists of foods to eat, and foods to avoid. It opened up a door for me to get interested in nutrition, and in a short time, I was making smarter selections while shopping, and steering clear of choices at restaurants.  Because of that diet book, I have what I had been lacking for a long time - the basic structure to base a big dietary change on, and I have run with it.

I have added some of the stuff from the 'phase 3' section of the book early. I still don't eat much fruit, but I will have a little bread. I have fat-free cheese.  I use sauces, but I use them lightly and on the side. 

So far, so good. I really don't feel I am suffering any hardship, and I am losing weight, feeling much more energetic and healthier.

Makes me think back on my same mantra I've had. Why didn't I do this earlier?

Why indeed!



Works great for burgers, too!