Everyone needs a little help sometimes. We live in a fast-paced world, and there are times when you just need a quick, easy meal that doesn’t take a lot of prep work. An easy meal doesn’t have to mean sacrificing nutrition, flavor, or creativity, though. It also doesn’t mean you have to resort to eating out every night of the week.
Instead, we’ve found a happy medium of five practical ways to turn fast food grilled chicken tenders into a complete meal that is both satisfying and nutritionally dense while still being easy and convenient. Of course, the first step is to get high-quality grilled chicken tenders, like the ones you can get from the fast-casual restaurant Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders. Once you have your base ingredient, you can make it a meal.
1. Salads Don’t Have to Be Boring
There’s a reason many people think of salads when they think of healthy food. Depending on the ingredients you use, salads can be an ideal source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols. All of these help contribute to a healthy gut, better weight management, and a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
Where people get tripped up is thinking that a salad has to be only fruits and vegetables, with no seasoning or dressing, to be healthy—in other words, boring and unsatisfying. Plus, people think they’ll be hungry again in an hour. That doesn’t have to be the case.
The truth is that adding protein to your salad, including grilled chicken tenders, actually transforms your salad into a more well-balanced nutritional powerhouse. Protein from the chicken helps you feel satisfied and stay full longer, which can help you manage your weight. Protein also helps build muscle, makes antibodies to fight off infections, keeps cells healthy, and helps make new cells.
If you don’t have time to chop up ingredients, you can pick up delicious salads made with fast food grilled chicken tenders. If you prefer to make your own, many grocery stores carry a wide variety of pre-packaged mixed greens or salads. Just add your grilled chicken tenders, throw on some cherry tomatoes and walnuts for added crunch, and drizzle on your favorite salad dressing.
2. Wrap it Up!
Need dinner on the go? How about a grilled chicken tender wrap? Put your fast food grilled chicken tenders in your favorite brand of tortilla or pita, or on a flatbread, with lettuce, shredded carrots, and avocado. Before you roll it up, consider adding some hummus for additional creaminess (and fiber and vitamins) or punch up the flavor with barbecue sauce, honey mustard, ranch, or bleu cheese.
Part of the beauty of grilled chicken is that it goes well with so many different flavor profiles. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
3. Recapture Your Youth with an Adult Lunchables®
Remember how fun it was to stack crackers, ham, and cheese from your Lunchables®? While those kid-friendly boxes certainly don’t have enough food for a satisfying meal as an adult, you can still take advantage of the concept and have a portable, convenient meal on the go. Just elevate the contents a little.
Pair your grilled chicken tenders with easy-to-grab sides like grapes, baby carrots, cheese cubes, pretzels, or chips. Add in a nutritious dip like hummus or guacamole, and you have a light but balanced meal full of protein, smart fats, vitamins and nutrients, and carbohydrates.
Using a bento box makes it even easier (and more fun) to treat yourself to this easy and nostalgic meal.
4. Build a Better Sandwich
Of course, a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich makes a great lunch, but chances are that you need something more substantial to get you through your day, especially if you have an active job or spend your evenings shuttling between your kids’ sports and activities.
Build a better sandwich by adding grilled chicken tenders to your choice of hearty bread, such as a hoagie, ciabatta roll, thick sourdough, or even a hamburger bun. Layer on some veggies, like crisp lettuce, juicy tomato slices, and tangy pickles. Then add some cheese and drizzle on some sauce. Whether you’re in the mood for barbeque or ranch, or want to spice things up with sweet red chili or buffalo sauce, the possibilities are endless.
Don’t have time to put it all together? Get the perfect grilled chicken tender sandwich to go, and let someone else do the cooking. Not only do you get a satisfying handheld meal full of nutrients and protein to keep you moving, but you also get the satisfaction of eating a hearty, decadent sandwich without worrying about the grease and added fat you would get with a burger.
5. Load Up a Baked Potato
Did you know you can microwave a potato to perfect fluffy tenderness in about 10 minutes? Once the potato is ready, load it up with your fast food grilled chicken tenders chopped into bite-sized pieces. Then add shredded cheese, butter, sour cream, and maybe even some bacon bits to get a warm, high-fiber, high-protein meal.
Although potatoes are much more nutrient-dense than most people give them credit for, if you’re looking to increase the vitamins and nutrients even more, you could opt for a sweet potato as your base (just adjust your microwave or bake times accordingly, since they cook much faster) or add some steamed broccoli. Many grocery stores even have broccoli that you can steam in the microwave right in its own bag.
Not only is a loaded baked potato a complete meal on its own, especially if you add chicken tenders, but it’s also fast and easy to make and incredibly budget-friendly to boot.
Good Food Fast
When you need a good, complete meal with minimal prep but maximum flavor, start with high-quality fast food grilled chicken tenders. Remember, the better the chicken tender, the easier it will be to transform it into a convenient, satisfying meal.
With just a few add-and-go ingredients, you’re well on your way to a nutritious, well-rounded meal that will keep you satisfied and give you the energy you need for your busy life. Isn’t it nice to know that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or convenience to have a good, quick meal when you get creative with delicious grilled chicken tenders? Bon appétit!
