Chicken is a rich source of muscle-building protein, niacin, and the antioxidant mineral selenium. These six recipes offer creative ways to add it into your diet.

Tex-Mex Pizza

Fight hunger. Refried beans add fiber to these personal pizzas, helping quell late-night hunger.

Ingredients
2 corn tostadas
tsp. brown sugar
1 jar of salsa
pint halved cherry tomatoes
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Calories per serving: 548
1 sliced avocado
Sour cream
Lime juice

Instructions
Spread fat-free refried beans on 2 corn tostadas. Top with jarred salsa, shredded jack cheese, shredded rotisserie chicken, and thawed frozen corn. Broil until cheese has melted. Serve topped with sliced avocado, chopped scallions, and a drizzle of sour cream thinned with fresh lime juice. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information
Calories per serving: 331
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Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 19 g
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 7 g
Fat-free refried beans

RELATED: Prep great meals (in less time!) with Meals on the Run.

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Tex-Mex Pizza
Mitch Mandel

Apple Grilled Cheese

Help your heart. Boost grilled cheese with protein- rich chicken, crunchy apple slices, and peppery arugula, which brims with vitamin K to fend off coronary disease. 

Ingredients
2 slices of country bread
1 oz. thinly sliced Asiago or fontina cheese
½ cup sliced chicken
½ thinly sliced apple
⅓ cup arugula
Butter for the skillet

Instructions
Top 2 slices of country bread with Asiago or fontina cheese. Top one slice with sliced chicken, sliced apple, and arugula. Top with the other slice of bread. Heat in a buttered skillet until bread is golden, about 3 minutes per side.

Nutrition Information
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These six recipes offer creative ways to add it into your diet
Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 36 g
Total fat: 19 g
Protein: 19 g
Sodium: 1,039 mg

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Apple Grilled Cheese
Mitch Mandel

Polenta Bowl

Muscle up. High-quality protein builds strength.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 diced shallot
½ tsp. rosemary
2 Protein: 19 g
⅔ cup red wine
1 cup shredded chicken
1 cup baby kale
½ cup instant polenta
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add sliced mushrooms, diced shallot, and rosemary. Cook 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add red wine; boil 2 to 3 minutes. Add shredded chicken, baby kale, and salt and pepper; cook until kale wilts. Prepare instant polenta. Top polenta with chicken mixture and grated Pecorino Romano. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information
Calories per serving: 591
Carbs: 62 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 33 g
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 4.5 g
Sodium: 445 mg

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Polenta Bowl
Mitch Mandel

Satay Wraps

Stifle sniffles. Cabbage, carrot, and mango provide plenty of vitamin C, which helps beat the common cold.

Ingredients
4 flour tortillas
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. water
2 Calories per serving: 548
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. sriracha
½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
Sliced chicken
Shredded carrot
Shredded red cabbage
Sliced mango
Cilantro

Instructions
Whisk together peanut butter, fresh lime juice, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl. Spread mixture over 4 flour tortillas and top each with sliced chicken, shredded carrot, shredded red cabbage, sliced mango, and cilantro. Roll tightly. Makes 4.

Nutrition Information
Calories per serving: 350
Carbs: 40 g
Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 21 g
Total fat: 13 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Sodium: 805 mg

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Satay Wrap
Mitch Mandel

Caprese Pasta

Stay trim. Swapping out refined grains for their fiber-rich whole-grain counterparts can help you lose weight.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked whole-grain penne pasta
1 cup shredded chicken
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes
2 How to Fuel a Marathon With a Sensitive Stomach
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tsp. balsamic vinegar
⅓ Tbsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. black pepper

Instructions
Toss together cooked whole-grain penne, shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, and diced fresh mozzarella in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thinly sliced fresh basil, and black pepper. Toss pasta mixture with the dressing. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Information
Calories per serving: 548
These six recipes offer creative ways to add it into your diet
Fiber: 8 g
Shredded jack cheese
Total fat: 24 g
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Sodium: 339 mg

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Caprese Pasta
Mitch Mandel

Quinoa Soup

Recover right. Carbs and protein speed recovery.

Ingredients
2 sliced leeks
3 chopped carrots
2 sliced celery stalks
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
6 cups chicken broth
¾ cup quinoa
1 ½ tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 cups chopped chicken
3 cup white wine
Juice of ½ lemon
Parsley

Instructions
Cook leeks, chopped carrots, and sliced celery stalks in butter in a pan until tender. Add white wine. Simmer until reduced by half. Add chicken broth, quinoa, and Cajun seasoning. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Stir in chopped chicken, spinach, and lemon juice; heat 2 minutes. Top with parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information
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Carbs: 40 g
Fiber: 5 g
Shredded jack cheese
Total fat: 7 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Butter for the skillet

Quinoa Soup
Mitch Mandel
Headshot of Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D.

Matthew Kadey, M.S. R.D. is a Canada-based registered dietitian and nutrition journalist with two decades of experience in reporting about food and nutrition for dozens of print and online publications. Kadey is the author of Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports + Adventure. He is also an adventure cyclist and creator of several bikepacking routes in North America and beyond. Find him at matthewkadey.com, @rocketfuelfood