Lunch in a Box: Almond Flour Chicken Bites

I'm on a serious roll with healthy lunches this week, but this one is probably my favorite of all my recent lunches. The best part about it is that it doesn't necessarily "feel" healthy, if that makes any sense. The chicken bites and dipping sauce almost made me feel like I splurged and went to Chick-Fil-A (not that I ever would these days).

As I was working on this recipe in my head, I decided I needed to do some research on the health benefits of almond flour. I read some good and some bad things, but decided it was worth a shot. Because it's ground up almonds, you do have to watch the fat content (which is why I paired it with fruit and veggies). And it's also not very heat tolerant, so I used a lower temp in my oven when I baked these. But the end result is absolutely delicious, and this is one chicken dish that I don't mind eating at all. Plus, you can add whatever dipping sauce you happen to like. I made my own honey mustard because it's my favorite, but anything would work.

For this lunch, I added leftover asparagus from dinner, Garlicky Zucchini Ribbons, and mixed berries for dessert.

Almond Flour Chicken Bites
(6 servings)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 cup almond flour (I found this in the bulk section at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 tsp turmeric (I swear I use this in everything these days)
1 tsp season salt

1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup rice milk (or some other liquid)

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Brine chicken bites in salt water while you get the rest of your ingredients assembled. (You can skip this step if you want, but I do it when I have time because I feel like it results in a more moist chicken.)

3. Combine almond flour, flax seed and seasonings in a large bowl or plastic bag. I ended up coating several batches in a large bowl.

4. Drain chicken if brining, then pour the egg and milk mixture on top of chicken to coat.

5. In batches, coat chicken pieces in almond mix. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lightly oiled.

6. Bake for 15 minutes on each side. Check to make sure they are done before letting cool.



Honey Mustard
(6 servings)

3/4 cup dijon mustard
1 T honey

1. Mix and portion out. I love the Easy Lunch Box Mini Dippers because they fit in my lunch container.


Per my trusty Lose It app, below is a best guest of nutritional information for the chicken bites:

Calories: 253
Fat: 16.7g
Cholesterol: 36mg
Sodium: 31.3mg
Carb: 6.7g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 0.7g
Protein: 20.4g