The majority of athletes that I have worked with are dedicated to their sport, their fitness and their nutrition. They are hardworking, get the job done while they are training, and for the most part, they know the work doesn’t stop there. To perform your best both your fitness and your nutrition have to be on par. Unlike training, there is more then a 2 – 4 hour window in the day that you have to focus on doing it right – it’s the whole day! It is helpful to have a fueling and hydration plan that helps you to stay on track with eating clean, eating often and staying hydrated. An important part of any plan, though, is sustainability. It’s important that you are enjoying what you eat, and if you have 1 or 2 meals a week that are “off” or “treat” meals, while you are dedicated to your optimal plan the rest of the time – you will be fine! Even better, you can plan for those meals in your week, too.
One of the meals that many of the athletes liked to treat themselves to was fried chicken and waffles at a restaurant close by. It always made me laugh, even shake my head a little, but knowing they were having that helped them stay dedicated to their plan the rest of the week. While they certainly can enjoy that meal, I couldn’t help but think of them and wish I had this recipe to offer as an alternative or at least something to fit in their fueling plan on another day.
Here is a cleaner version of chicken and waffles from Clean Eating Magazine (www.cleaneatingmag.com)
Clean Chicken & Waffles
Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 15 minutes, Total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups plus 1 tbsp whole-wheat pastry flour, divided
3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1 tsp baking powder
6 egg whites
1.5 cups skim milk
1 medium zucchini, grated (1.5 cups)
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
8 oz white or cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 small bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup tarragon leaves, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat a waffle iron. In a large bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups flour, flaxseed and baking powder until smooth. Made a well in the center of the mixture and add egg whites, milk and zucchini. Stir wet ingredients in center carefully until combined, then slowly mix into flour mixture until just combined, about 15 turns. Pour a heaping 1/4 cup batter into the center of the waffle iron, spread batter out over iron surface with a spatula and close. Bake until waffle is golden, and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter to make a total of 4 waffles, setting cooked waffles on a cooling rack.
- Sprinkle chicken with paprika and remaining 1 tbsp flour. Heat a large stockpot with oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until chicken begins to brown. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add celery, mushroom, brussels sprouts and broccoli rabe to same pot over medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften or begin to brown and give off their liquid. Return chicken to pot and add broth. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Turn off heat (leave pot on burner). Transfer 1 cup chicken mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in yogurt and Dijon. Add mixture back to pot and stir. To serve, spoon 1.5 cups chicken mixture over each waffle. Garnish with tarragon, if desired.
Nutrients per serving (1 waffle, 1.5 cups chicken mixture): Calories: 399, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Carbs: 48g, Fiber: 8g, Protein: 36g, Sodium: 343mg, Cholesterol: 35mg
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