News & Events

Recipe: Fruited Chicken Pasta

I got rave reviews from my family with this healthy recipe. Note that the fat content per serving would increase by 9 grams if prepared with regular mayonnaise instead of light! It’s always a good idea to look at high-fat ingredients in any recipe and make lower-fat substitutions to make it healthier. This can include substituting light or fat-free sour cream for regular sour cream in the vegetable and chip dips. Halving the oil called for in a salad dressing recipe and using water for the other half works equally well and cuts down on fat content. If you do decide to use high-fat ingredients, it would be best to have a small portion of the salad and fill up on the fresh veggies and fresh fruit that are often part of late summer gatherings.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked whole wheat blend rotini pasta
  • 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 3/4 cup celery, sliced
  • 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
  • 1/2 cup cubed cantaloupe
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

Cook pasta according to package directions or to desired doneness. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey and poppy seeds. Add rest of ingredients except oranges. Toss gently. Fold in oranges. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until thoroughly chilled. Makes eight 1-cup servings.

Nutrition Information (for one serving): 297 calories (27% calories from fat), 9 grams total fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 28 milligrams cholesterol, 46 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams dietary fiber, 336 milligrams sodium, 15 grams protein