Southwestern Chicken Salad

Cilantro is a natural chelating agent, meaning it is able to bind to and remove some toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, or arsenic from the body. Look for a mayonnaise that is free of trans fats. Some brands also include plant sterols to help manage cholesterol levels.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
• 1 cup chopped cilantro, with stems reserved for poaching liquid
• 1/2 cup low-fat (2%) Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons nonhydrogenated light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with 1 1/2 quarts water. Add the cilantro stems. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let chicken rest in poaching liquid for 20 minutes. Remove from poaching liquid and, when cool enough to handle, pull into shreds, removing any tough or fatty pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, corn, and beans to the yogurt mixture and toss to combine. Serve on top of lettuce.

8 Servings

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 227
Fat: 6 g (23% calories from fat)
Protein: 32 g (60% calories from protein)
Carbohydrates (net): 10 g (17% calories from carbohydrates)