You’re looking at my new resolution to stop eating leftover kid food and scraps from my kids’ plates for my meals. I take incredible care of my kids by putting a lot of thought into the meals they consume, so why don’t I do this for myself? Why do I make sure my kids’ meals each have protein, a carb, a fruit, and a vegetable, but I don’t take care of myself in this same way? Enough, I say–I have to do better! No more crusts of bread and mushy kiwi slices for lunch, I say! We can take care of our loved ones better if we take care of ourselves better. So, I dreamed up the perfect lunch for myself. I needed something healthy, crunchy, easy, fast, and of course, delicious. I love snacking on crackers with my kids, so this cranberry chicken salad with apples and pecans is something I can scoop on a cracker. And then, I can use the leftover dried cranberries to make white chocolate cranberry cookies while the baby naps! I thought this recipe was overly simple, and I wasn’t going to share it with you, but then my kids started gobbling it up, and I thought you might be able to use it for yourself or your kids’ lunch boxes! Pack it with some homemade healthy fruit snacks, and the vegetable quotient for the day is reached.
Cranberry chicken salad ingredients:
chicken: I use 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, just like I did for my avocado chicken salad. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, use it here and save yourself a step! dried cranberries: Dried cranberries come with a small amount of sugar on them to balance out their tartness, and it’s the perfect amount. If you’re watching all sugar in your kids, use the unsweetened ones. If you have fresh ones, try my cranberry orange bread or my shortbread cranberry bars. apples: Any variety of apple that’s sweet and crunchy works. celery: Celery brings so much crunch to the table! Chop it very finely for little kids. pecans: You can use pecans, slivered or sliced almonds, or even walnuts, if you prefer. mayo: I use the mayonnaise made with avocado oil, but it’s really your choice here. Dijon mustard: A small amount of Dijon elevates the flavors here, but doesn’t scare away the kids, I promise. salt and pepper: A good cooking lesson is to taste your food before serving, and add more salt and pepper. It almost always helps!
Steps to make chicken salad:
And speaking of lunches, sometimes, I just have to pack myself one. It makes me more likely to eat it, and less likely to subsists on the crusts on grilled cheeses and grapes from the bottom of the bag. You know what I mean, moms!
If you like this, you might like my lemon aioli chicken salad with pistachios and dates! It’s a little fancier than what a kid is used to, but your adult palate will love it!
chicken: I use 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, just like I did for my avocado chicken salad. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, use it here and save yourself a step!dried cranberries: Dried cranberries come with a small amount of sugar on them to balance out their tartness, and it’s the perfect amount. If you’re watching all sugar in your kids, use the unsweetened ones. If you have fresh ones, try my cranberry orange bread or my shortbread cranberry bars.apples: Any variety of apple that’s sweet and crunchy works. celery: Celery brings so much crunch to the table! Chop it very finely for little kids.pecans: You can use pecans, slivered or sliced almonds, or even walnuts, if you prefer.mayo: I use the mayonnaise made with avocado oil, but it’s really your choice here.Dijon mustard: A small amount of Dijon elevates the flavors here, but doesn’t scare away the kids, I promise. I like the whole grain Dijon, but either is fine.
