Healthy Crispy Chicken Salad

Healthy crispy chicken salad with ranch dressing is an easy and healthy take on the classic fried chicken salads. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, air fried or baked - not deep fried, and full of protein, veggies and healthy fats! 

The biggest game changer for this recipe is the crispy chicken! I honestly should make a post on its own because once you master the cooking and preparing method, you will never look at chicken the same! 

To make a mouthwatering, juicy chicken: 

• Slice the chicken breast halfway through in a crisscross pattern. You can use chopsticks on both sides as a guide to not cut completely through the chicken. 

• This allows the chicken to absorb the marinade, sauce, and seasonings when cooking as well as making the chicken get cooked evenly and quickly. 

It’s that easy! And what is more easy, is preparing this salad! If you grew up in the south like I did, you know the chicken frying method by memory. But for this recipe, you are tweaking it using gluten free alternatives with a healthy fat focus and using the air fryer or baking method - whichever you prefer. 

I also want to mention that if you are following the Nourishment Program, you will see that this crispy chicken salad is considered a Six Senses Nourish Meal! 

Six Senses Nourish Components: 

Non-starchy carbs | lettuce, corn, carrots, tomatoes

Starchy carbs | chicken breading

Protein | chicken breast, pork rind

Fats | chicken, pork rind, avocado, dressing

Probiotics | pickled red onions

Flavor | herbs, seasonings on chicken and in dressing

If you would like more information on how to build more six senses nourish meals and why it’s an easy and seamless way of getting nutrient dense, whole foods into your diet, then check out the Nourishment Program for more information! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Healthy crispy chicken salad with ranch dressing is an easy and healthy take on the classic fried chicken salads. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, air fried or baked - not deep fried, and full of protein, veggies and healthy fats! 

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 6 min

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 lb chicken breasts or tenderloins

• 2 large eggs

• ¼ cup plant based or milk

• 1 cup pork rind bread crumbs

• ½ cup GF baking flour

• 1 Tbsp of your go-to spicy or chicken seasoning

• 1 tsp salt

• Avocado oil spray

For the ranch dressing 

• ½ cup mayo (primal kitchen, chosen brand)

• 1 tsp fresh or dried dill

• 1 tsp fresh or dried parsley

• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp mustard powder

• S+P

For the salad

• 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

• ½ cup pickled red onions

• 1-2 avocado, sliced or chopped

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 1 cup corn 

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• For the pickled onions: 

• ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup

• Filtered water

Directions

1. Start with making the crispy chicken! Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and make diagonal slices. You can use chopsticks on both sides of the chicken to make sure you are not cutting straight through to the bottom. (look at IG reel or description above). Sprinkle salt and your go-to seasoning on both sides of the chicken - making sure you are massaging the seasonings in the diagonal cuts.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined. In a separate bowl or plate, whisk the panko, flour, and seasonings. If using an air fryer, make sure you have it preheated. Now, you are ready to dip a chicken breast or tenderloin in the egg wash, and then in the dry mixture - making sure you are getting in the crannies of the chicken! Shake off any excess flour mixture and place in the air fryer rack. Repeat. Once your rack is full, but not cramped - spray avocado oil spray and cook for 400 degrees 4-6 min (flipping halfway). Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and set aside. 

2. To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a small dish and whisk until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to serve. 

3. To make the pickled onions, combine all ingredients into a mason jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. If you want them to pickle faster, heat vinegar, salt, maple syrup and 1 cup filtered water over medium high heat until fully dissolved. Pour liquid mixture over the sliced onions in a sealed container (mason jar). Seal and shake the jar a few times and let sit for at least 20 min for onions to pickle. 

4. While your chicken is cooking, prep the rest of the salad. Add the lettuce to a large bowl and top with sliced avocados, carrots, pickled onions, cherry tomatoes, corn and additional toppings. Place the chicken breast or tenderloins on top of the salad and serve with prepared dressing. *What’s great about preparing the chicken in this way - you don’t have to pre-cut! You just fork off a bite size chicken piece and that’s it!

Apple Pie Granola

Apple pie granola is naturally sweetened, gluten-free and full of fall flavor! Enjoy with milk, yogurt, kefir, smoothie or just by the handful as a snack! 

Summer is over and fall is here so what better way to kick off the fall season than with an apple spice inspired recipe!? 

I truly love this recipe as I have made it a few times last year and never came around to posting it - mainly because I couldn’t stop eating it! Haha I was also distracted by how it made my kitchen smell like a freshly baked apple pie! 

This apple pie granola is made with items you probably have in your pantry - oats, nuts and seeds, spices from last fall, an applesauce jar that you forgot was there! haha.

Making homemade granola is super easy to do - and once you get down the mix, spread, bake method - you can create a myriad of flavorful granola combinations! 

Here are a few tips that makes the perfect granola each and every time: 

• Spread your mixture super thin! The thinner you can get your granola to spread, the more crispy and crunchy you can get it.

• Set it and forget it! This is the most crucial part of granola making. After the granola comes out of the oven, allow it to cool completely before touching it. This will also end in crispy granola. 

Another big thing is storing your homemade granola. Store your granola in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature. Homemade granola will last for about 1-2 weeks!

If you are looking for more apple inspired recipes, check out my cinnamon apple streusel muffins, apple cider churro donuts, adrenal cream cider, beet and cabbage sauerkraut, fall harvest grain bowl and classic healthy chicken salad. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Apple pie granola is naturally sweetened, gluten-free and full of fall flavor! Enjoy with milk, yogurt, kefir, smoothie or just by the handful as a snack! 

Serving: 12 | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 30 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups old fashioned oats

• 1 cup pecans

• ½ cup flaxseeds

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• ½ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

• ⅓ cup coconut oil or ghee (melted)

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cardamom

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp apple pie seasoning blend (optional)

• ½ tsp sea salt

• 1 cup dried apple slices

• 1 cup currants or raisins (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, prepare the wet ingredients (applesauce, oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup) and whisk until combined. 

3. In a larger bowl, prepare the dry ingredients (oats, pecans, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, seasonings, and salt) and until combined. 

4. Pour the wet into the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Ensure all the oats are coated. 

5. Next, spread the granola mixture as thin as possible on a baking sheet. The thinner you spread, the crunchier your granola will be. Optional, but sprinkle coconut sugar on top!

6. Bake for 23-28 minutes, removing halfway to flip. You want to make sure the oats are fully brown without over browning the pecans. On your last flip, remove from the oven and let cool completely before touching it! Once cooled, break up the granola into clusters and add the cup of dried apple slices and optional toppings. Enjoy on its own, with milk, kefir, yogurt, or on a smoothie!

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50 Healthy Travel Snacks and Recipes

Whether you are driving through, U.S. Route 50 “the Loneliest Road in America” or stuck at the airport due to flight delay, having a snack arsenal is a must! 

Key snack items I look for when stocking my travel snack bag include foods that will keep me hydrated, keep my lovely gut happy, are portable, minimal ingredients and that don’t require refrigeration, antioxidants (help fight any free radical damage aka when you are packed in an airplane like sardines) and contains a fat and protein source for optimal blood sugar regulation. 

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Here are snack suggestions that you can find by stocking up at the next gas station, grocery store or make ahead of time:

1. Jerky! It’s safe to say that jerky has moved past its gas station junk food reputation of having highly processed, hidden sugars, high in sodium and preservatives. Instead, look out for high quality ingredients, minimally processed, low in sugar and sodium, high in protein and no preservatives. 

   • Brands I love: Chomps, Paleovalley, Wyoming, Epic, ayoba biltong Chef’s Cut

2. Fruit: It’s convenient, can be found in many places (hello, fresh fruit in gas stations now!), travels well, and can be hydrating! And if you are worried about carrying fresh fruit on a plane, I love making my own dehydrated fruits or packing dried or baked fruit snacks: Bare, Rind (look for brands that contain no added sugars, flavorings, colorings or preservatives)

   • Pair with a fat and protein source like with Jerky to stabilize blood sugar!

3. Vegetables: Think of veggies that are portable like carrots, broccoli, snap peas, sliced peppers. I also like pickled veggies like this brand for a probiotic punch!

4. Protein bars. Yes, protein bars are convenient and are found at any food store, but make sure you are checking labels to identify foods like nuts, whole grains, high quality protein sources (grass-fed whey protein), natural sweeteners like from fruit or cane sugar, healthy fats, low to no synthetic or isolated fibers, no sugar alcohols.

   • Brands I love: RX bar, GoMacro Bar, Thunderbird Bar, Bulk Snack Bars

5. Chips: Road trip snack of the Gods! But it can be deadly if you are prone to eating an entire bag by yourself. *Guilty! To make sure we aren’t killing our guts with gut-irritating corn and inflammatory “veggie” oils, look for tortilla or potato chips that are made with minimal ingredients and use coconut and avocado oil. Plantain chips made in this fashion and pork rinds cooked in their pork fat and sea salt are also fun healthy alternatives!

   • Brands: LesserEvil, Bare Baked Crunchy Fruit Snacks, Jackson’s Sweet Potato Chips, Siete Foods, Barnana Plaintain Chips. Epic

6. Chocolate/sweets: I’m sorry but you can’t have a travel adventure without sweets; it’s just inhumane. So when I look for chocolate or sweets to pack ahead of time, I look for 70-80% or higher cacao and use minimal ingredients (i.e. cane or coconut sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, sea salt). 

   • Brands: Hu Chocolate Bars, Enjoy Life, Bear Real Fruit Snack Rolls

7. Electrolytes - Okay, I know this isn’t a snack but I find that it’s so hard to stay hydrated when traveling. And it is summer time, so it’s better to be safe than sorry! 

   • Brands: LMNT, Nuun, Good ole pink Himalayan sea salt

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Snack Combos

Not only do I hope this will provide a visual for how to pair your carb source WITH a healthy fat and protein source, but most of these ingredients can be easy to assemble before you head out for your next travel adventure! *Bonus - a great way to clear out the fridge and pantry without having to throw out excess food!

Cantaloupe + prosciutto

Sourdough toast + avocado + nutritional yeast + fried egg + sea salt + sriracha and/or everything but the bagel seasoning

Bone broth + sea salt + seasonings

Ground turkey + veggie + egg muffins

Rice cakes + protein powder + plain yogurt + bluebs + banana slices

Plantain chips + tuna + primal kitchen mayo

Fruit + goat cheese + raw honey + bee pollen

Apple slices + coconut cream + cacao nibs

Piece of fruit + jerky

Medjool date + goat cheese + crushed pistachio

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Make ahead travel snacks

If you want to step up your snack level game, here are some quick and delicious snack recipes that will keep you fueled, satisfied and ready to go! 

Adrenal cocktail

Tropical papaya chia pudding 

Sweet potato toast 5-Ways

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Morning green smoothie

Beet Hummus

Dark chocolate chip protein bites

Curry chicken nachos

Chocolate peanut butter granola and berry parfait

Lemon and coconut energy balls

Peanut butter and jelly protein smoothie bowl

Turkey meatballs

Chai latte donut holes

Chocolate hummus

Java chip almond butter dates

Edible pumpkin chocolate chip cookie dough

Paleo banana nut bread

Chicken Lettuce wraps

Classic healthy chicken salad

Avocado deviled eggs

Carrot cake smoothie

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Lunch and dinner recipes while traveling

Making prepped meals is a must if you are trying to avoid fast food restaurants on the road or in the airport, trying to cut down on food costs, or deal with food sensitivities/allergies. 

*Flight tip: If you freeze your prepped meals ahead of time and are flying domestic, your food will most likely thaw when you arrive at your destination. This helps to eliminate frequent ice melting and replenishing! 

Chicken sausage and harvest veggies sheet pan

Ahi poke bowl and stack

Healthy salmon patties with lemon dill potato salad

Chicken shawarma bowl

Turkey taco spaghetti squash boats

Summer burger salad

Beef bulgogi bowls

Creamy coconut lime chicken thighs

Classic healthy chicken salad

Mediterranean grain bowl and goat cheese and olive dressing

Chicken red curry

Veggie beef stew

Spicy thai tofu with crispy coconut spaghetti squash noodles

Baked hot chicken

Turkey taco spaghetti squash boats

Grilled chicken burrito bowls

Slow cooker verde carne asada tostadas

Turkey meatballs

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Food travel equipment essentials

From meal prep containers to cute cooler bags, here are a few of my favorite food travel gear that I use when traveling! 

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Phew, that was a lot of information!

If you found this helpful, please let us know! Leave a comment and tell us what are your favorite go-to healthy snacks and recipes!

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And if you would like to know more on how to create nourishing snacks and meals, head over to the Nourishment Program to get started today!

White Chocolate Double Strawberry Blondies

These White Chocolate Double Strawberry Blondies are a fun way to elevate the classic blondie while being gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and dairy-free friendly.

I wanted to squeeze in one late summer recipe before moving on to fall recipes so I thought these white chocolate double strawberry blondies would be the perfect finisher! 

When I was in Las Vegas last month for a personal training conference, I so happily indulged in a strawberry shortcake milkshake in between sessions! It was truly amazing! Layers of ice cream, strawberry drizzle, and garnished with an entire slice of strawberry cake and a classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar - the inner child in me was truly content! 

So, in like fashion, I had to create a healthier version that didn’t cause a major sugar crash in the middle of the day! Lol Almost felt like a hangover! 

And I know what you might be thinking…how is a strawberry shortcake milkshake anything like a blondie? And you are totally right - there is no comparison, haha. 

I don’t think it’s practical to recreate a layered milkshake - no matter how “healthy” I can make it, it would still be pretty dense! So to slim it down - this blondie contains two types of strawberries: fresh and freeze dried with white chocolate that cuts into the tartness of the strawberries all while salivating for more as I love pairing lemon with strawberries to provide a bright note at the end. 

Bonus - Breaking freeze dried strawberries down to powder form creates the natural pink color in the blondie batter!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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These White Chocolate Double Strawberry Blondies are a fun way to elevate the classic blondie while being gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and dairy-free friendly.

prep time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients 

• 1 cup oat flour

• ½ cup GF baking flour

• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup

• ¼ cup drippy natural peanut butter

• ¼ cup plant based or regular milk

• 1 egg

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2-4 Tbsp freeze dried strawberries (creates the pink color in batter)

• ½ cup white chocolate chips

• ½ cup sliced fresh strawberries

• Juice of ½ lemon + zest

Optional garnish

Additional freeze dried strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. *Tip - leave some of the paper hanging over the edges for easy removal. 

2. In a food processor, pulse 2-4+ Tbsp freeze dried strawberries until you get a powder like consistency. 

3. In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda and powder, salt, freeze dried strawberry powder). 

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (maple syrup, peanut butter, milk, egg, vanilla extract, juice of ½ lemon and zest). 

5. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until well combined. 

6. Fold in the white chocolate chips and strawberries until everything is combined - do not overmix! I stop as soon as I no longer see flour chunks in the batter. The batter should be a thick consistency. 

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top in an even layer. 

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set and lightly golden. Resist the urge to overbake! *Hence, what makes a blondie a gooey blondie! 

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before slicing into squares. 

Notes

• The more freeze dried strawberry powder you use, the more your batter will be pink! Just make sure that the batter doesn’t become too dry so may have to add 1 Tbsp of milk for desired batter consistency. 

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SHOP OUR FAVORITE TOOLS + INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE!

Pesto Chicken Salad with Pickled Grapes and Arugula

Pesto chicken salad with pickled grapes and arugula is the epitome of a refreshing summer dish! The complexity of flavors, textures, and ingredients creates a literal summer barbecue in your mouth! 

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make! If you’ve got boiling water and cooking chicken then you are already ahead of the game! The only components you will need to do for this recipe are pickle grapes for about 10-15 minutes and make pesto sauce using a food processor or mortar and pestle. That’s it. 

Speaking of pickling, this meal is considered a six senses nourishing meal as the pickled grapes fit in the probiotics component. The probiotics in unpasteurized red wine vinegar can help to improve the microbiome and our digestive system. 

Six Senses Nourish Components: 

Non-starchy carbs |  arugula, basil

Starchy carbs |  pasta, grapes

Fat | Nuts, oil in pesto, cheese 

Protein | chicken, nutritional yeast, nuts

Flavor | basil pesto sauce, seasonings on chicken

Probiotics | red wine vinegar, nutritional yeast 

Another fun way of looking at this dish is that if you make batched cooked items on your designated batch cook day, ie: pesto, pasta, grilled chicken, and pickled grapes then it’s just a matter of throwing everything together with arugula and the optional toppings when ready to serve! 

If you would like more information on how to build more six senses nourish meals and why it’s an easy and seamless way of getting nutrient dense, whole foods into your diet, then check out the Nourishment Program for more information! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Pesto chicken salad with pickled grapes and arugula is the epitome of a refreshing summer dish! The complexity of flavors, textures, and ingredients creates a literal summer barbecue in your mouth! 

SERVINGS: 4-6 PREP: 10 MIN COOK TIME: 20 MIN

Ingredients

• 1 lb grilled chicken (seasoned Italian/classic)

• 1 box pasta of choice (GF or grain free preferred)

• 10-15 red grapes (halved)

• Couple handfuls of arugula

• ½ cup red wine vinegar (to pickle grapes)

• Pesto or premade pesto of choice

• ¼ cup pine nuts 

Garnish

• Cheese of choice (ie goat, feta, parmigiano reggiano) 

Directions

1. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, prepare the pesto. 

2. Chop grapes in half and pickle in red wine vinegar for 10-15 minutes. 

3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and your favorite seasonings and cook using your preferred method (oven, pan fry, air fry, instant pot).

4. Boil pasta and cook until al dente. 

5. In a mixing bowl, mix in some of the green pesto to drained pasta. Chop up the chicken breasts into small chunks. Add the chicken and drained pickled grapes to the mixing bowl. 

6. Finally, add baby arugula, top with toasted pine nuts and cheese.