Smart and Simple, the Dynamic Dinner Duo

Baja Chicken Tacos

After a long day, preparing a healthy and delicious meal doesn't always come naturally. Busy schedules and unlimited recipe options can make cooking nutritious "from scratch" meals seem like a daunting task.

Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of "Read It Before You Eat It," director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants and former spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, believes that cooking with simple and quality ingredients is critical to keeping your health in check.

"Learning to prepare a few quick and healthy meals will help you eat better and motivate you to continue to stay on track," says Taub-Dix.
To help you prepare smart, quick and simple meals your family will enjoy, Taub-Dix offers these tips:

• Use what you like. Pick a few meals that you enjoy eating out and learn to make them at home using fresh vegetables, lean meats and reasonable portions.
   
• Frozen zone. Stock your freezer with healthy, frozen vegetables and all-natural, lean meats without preservatives so you can always have healthy options on hand. Perdue's new breaded line of chicken, including SIMPLY SMART® Lightly Breaded Chicken Filets, have up to 40 percent fewer calories, 50 percent less fat and 25 percent more protein than the USDA standard for breaded chicken.
   
• Keep an eye on the details. Make sure to shop at well-maintained stores with quality produce. Ask your local grocer about the temperature settings they use to store refrigerated and frozen items.
   
• Know your food. Ingredient lists can be hard to pronounce, let alone understand. Try to choose foods that have ingredients that are simple, recognizable and real. If you don't know an ingredient, do some research before purchasing the product.
   
• Go for lean. One 3-ounce portion of chicken provides a powerhouse of lean protein, with the breast meat being the leanest part of a chicken.
   
• Refrigerate and freeze ASAP. Select your frozen and refrigerated items at the end of your trip and freeze or refrigerate within 30 minutes of purchasing.

 
To learn more about the new line of Perdue Simply Smart chicken, visit www.perdue.com/simplysmart.

Baja Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

Pico de Gallo

• 1 cup tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 jalapeño, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Taco

• 10 PERDUE® SIMPLY SMART® Lightly Breaded Chicken Strips
• 10 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado, peeled/seeded/sliced

Slaw

• 1/4 cup low fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded

Preparation

1. Mix Pico de Gallo ingredients together in bowl and refrigerate.
2. Bake lightly breaded chicken strips according to instructions on the package.
3. While strips are cooking, mix together sour cream, hot sauce, sugar, lime juice, salt and pepper in bowl for slaw. Once combined, toss with shredded cabbage.
4. Once chicken is fully cooked, place a piece of chicken in center of a flour tortilla, followed by slices of avocado, 2 tablespoons of pico de gallo, top with zesty slaw.
5. Roll and enjoy.

Serves
Serves: 10

SOURCE:
Perdue