11 Healthy Chicken Recipes To Lose Belly Fat Before The Wedding
Losing weight before a wedding can be hard. You have so much wedding planning to do, so making time to figure out a way to lose weight, and time to actually do it, can be difficult. Especially when you’re dealing with belly fat, as that’s often the area women struggle with the most.
Lifestyle and dietary changes are a great way to lose belly fat, and chicken is one of the best protein sources that can help you get there. It can help you shed those unwanted pounds because it’s a great protein source (which is crucial for weight loss), and it’s lower in calories than lots of other protein sources. We’ve already talked about how to lose weight in 3 months and how to lose weight fast in 2 weeks, and these recipes will definitely help with that.
So in this post, I’m sharing a round-up of healthy chicken breast recipes that you can into your pre-wedding weight-loss diet. Whether you do meal prep or prepare meals daily, these quick and easy recipes will definitely make it to your weekly meal rotation.
11 Healthy Chicken Recipes To Lose Belly Fat Before The Wedding
Chicken Salad Recipes
Chicken Greek Salad
422 calories
Ingredients
⅓ cup Cheese, crumbled, feta - 133 calories
1 Cucumber, small - 32 calories
1 cup Tomatoes, grape - 32 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt - 0 calories
2 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) - 35 calories
¼ tsp Salt - 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper - 0 calories
¼ tsp Basil, dried - 0 calories
¼ tsp Oregano - 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with garlic salt.
Step 2: Spray a pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken pieces for 8-9 minutes on medium heat, or until cooked through.
Step 3: Combine feta, cucumber (chopped), tomatoes (halved), and chicken.
Step 4: Top with dressing and seasonings.
Step 5: No chicken? Use tofu or fish. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese or avocado.
Note: I like Trader Joe’s fat free vinaigrette – but Paul Newman, Whole Foods, etc. all have good light dressings
Hard Boiled Egg & Chicken Salad
503 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1 Egg, large - 72 calories
4 cups Leafy greens, spinach, raw - 28 calories
2 Clementine - 80 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar - 14 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Spray pan with an oil spray.
Step 2: Hard boil egg. Slice into quarters once cooked.
Step 3: Cook chicken for ~8 minutes medium heat, until cooked through.
Step 4: Combine all ingredients.
No chicken? Use tofu, tuna, or beans.
Chopped Chicken Salad
443 calories
Ingredients
2 cups Leafy greens, lettuce, raw - 10 calories
½ Tomato, medium - 11 calories
¼ Onion, red - 13.75 calories
6 oz Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1 Egg, large - 72 calories
¼ cup Cheese, shredded, cheddar - 114 calories
1½ slice Artichokes, canned (pieces) - 15 calories
1 Tbsp Vinaigrette, light (less than 50 calories per 2 Tbsp) - 17.5 calories
¼ tsp Salt - 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper - 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Hard boil egg by placing it in a small pot with water (have water level 1 inch above egg), turning the heat to medium, bringing the pot’s contents to a boil, and boiling for 9 minutes.
Step 2: Slice egg into 4 pieces when cooked through.
Step 3: Cut chicken, onion, and tomato into small pieces.
Step 4: Spray pan with an oil spray. Cook chicken for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, until cooked through.
Step 5: Combine all ingredients.
Step 6: Top with dressing, salt, and pepper.
No chicken? Use tofu, fish, or beans. No dairy? Use a dairy-free cheese, avocado, or an oil-based dressing.
Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Chicken Piccata
369 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
2 Zucchini, medium - 66 calories
⅛ cup Broth, chicken or beef (cups) - 4.375 calories
1 Tbsp Butter (Tbsp) - 103 calories
2 Tbsp Lemon, juice - 4 calories
3 Tbsp Parsley, fresh - 0 calories
¼ tsp Pepper - 0 calories
1 Tbsp Capers - 2 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Cut zucchini into small pieces, slice chicken intro strips.
Step 2: Add butter to pan, heat on low heat until melted.
Step 3: Cook chicken for ~8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
Step 4: Add zucchini for another ~2 minutes, until slightly browned.
Step 5: Add in chicken broth. Let simmer ~5 more minutes on low heat.
Step 6: Top with lemon juice and seasonings.
No chicken? Use tofu, fish, or beans. No dairy? Use oil instead of butter.
Chicken Parm Skillet
540 calories
Ingredients
4 oz Rotisserie chicken - 200 calories
1½ cups Cauliflower florets - 37.5 calories
½ cup Pasta, penne, cooked - 100 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, Parmesan, shredded (cups) - 111 calories
1 Tbsp Cheese, Parmesan, grated (Tbsp) - 25 calories
½ cup Tomatoes, canned, crushed - 25 calories
1 tsp Avocado oil (tsp) - 41 calories
¼ tsp Red pepper flakes (tsp) - 0 calories
½ tsp Garlic salt (tsp) - 0 calories
Instructions
Note: this recipe works best when making 2+ servings at once. Double, triple etc. the ingredients list to make multiple servings.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Step 2: Cook pasta as instructed on package
Step 3: Chop rotisserie chicken and cauliflower into small pieces
Step 4: Add oil to an oven-safe pan
Step 5: Stir fry chicken and cauliflower rice for ~6 minutes, until cauliflower has softened
Step 6: Mix in tomatoes, seasonings, and pasta
Step 7: Top with cheeses
Step 8: Bake for 8 minutes, then broil for 3
Step 9: Serve chicken parmesan hot, or this dish also lasts for a 2-3 days in the fridge
Note: no chicken? Use beans. No dairy? Use dairy-free cheese.
Note: no rotisserie chicken? Use chicken thigh.
Rotisserie Chicken Dipping Plate
557 calories
Ingredients
4 oz Rotisserie chicken - 200 calories
4 Tbsp Tzatziki sauce - 160 calories
1 cup Carrots, baby - 45 calories
1 Cucumber, medium - 42 calories
1 Serving of crackers, whole wheat, 110 calories per serving - 110 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Arrange all foods on a plate
Step 2: Dip veggies, crackers, and chicken in tzatziki
No chicken? Use stir fried tofu strips. No dairy? Use guac.
One-Pan Chicken Dinner Recipes
Baken Chicken Breat & Potato Sheet Pan
465 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
5 Red potatoes, baby - 125 calories
1 cup Broccoli - 31 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt - 0 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes - 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Step 2: Slice chicken, broccoli, and potatoes into bite sized pieces
Step 3: Microwave potato pieces for ~6 minutes
Step 4: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil
Step 5: Add chicken, broccoli & potatoes in a single serving layer
Step 6: Top with oil, mix around so everything is coated
Step 7: Bake for ~15 minutes, until your chicken has cooked through
Step 8: Top with seasonings
Step 9: Serve!
No chicken? Use tofu or beans.
Garlic Chicken Thigh Sheet Pan
487 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1½ cups Squash, butternut, chunks, fresh (uncooked) - 94.5 calories
1 cup Brussels sprouts - 56 calories
½ Onion, red - 27.5 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes - 0 calories
⅛ tsp Garlic salt - 0 calories
1 tsp Garlic, minced (tsp) - 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil & spray it with an oil spray.
Step 3: Chop the ends off the Brussels sprouts and halve each one. Chop up the squash, and onion into medium sized chunks. Add all veggies to a large bowl.
Step 4: Add chicken thigh, oil, red pepper flakes, minced garlic (I buy pre-minced in a jar), and garlic salt to the bowl. Mix contents so all is coated.
Step 5: Add the bowl’s contents to the baking sheet in a single layer.
Step 6: Bake ~40 minutes, mixing contents and flipping over chicken thigh at 20 minutes.
No chicken? Use vegetarian sausage, or tofu.
Asian Inspired Chicken Stir Fry
403 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
1 Zucchini, medium - 33 calories
1 Bell pepper, red - 37 calories
1 Tbsp Tomatoes, sun-dried - 17 calories
⅛ cup Peanuts (cups) - 96 calories
⅛ tsp Red pepper flakes - 0 calories
2 Tbsp Soy Ginger sauce - 30 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Cube chicken. Chop veggies into small pieces.
Step 2: Spray pan with an oil spray.
Step 3: Cook chicken for ~8 minutes, stirring frequently, on medium heat.
Step 4: Add in the zucchini and red bell peppers for another ~5 minutes.
Step 5: Add in sauce and top with seasonings, sun dried tomatoes for ~1 minute.
Step 6: Top peanuts at the very end (they taste better crispy, not cooked!).
Note: I got my soy ginger sauce at Whole Foods. No soy ginger sauce? Use soy sauce.
No chicken? Use fish, tofu, or beans. No nuts? Feel free to use any other nut/seed you prefer – cashews would work well.
Fajita Chicken Sheet Pan
369 calories
Ingredients
½ cup Asparagus spears, chopped - 13.5 calories
½ Onion, yellow - 27.5 calories
½ Bell pepper, red - 18.5 calories
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
⅛ tsp Cumin - 0 calories
½ tsp Garlic powder - 0 calories
½ tsp Chili seasoning (tsp) - 0 calories
¼ tsp Salt - 0 calories
1 Tbsp Olive oil (Tbsp) - 119 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & spray it with an oil spray
Step 3: Thinly slice onion and bell pepper
Step 4: Cut off hard ends of asparagus and discard
Step 5: In a bowl, add all seasonings
Step 6: Add chicken and veggies to the bowl, mix around so everything is coated. Add larger quantities of the seasonings if you like
Step 7: Add veggies and chicken to sheet pan, bake for 30 minutes, flip chicken over at 15 minutes
Step 8: Arrange all foods on a plate, top with oil and more seasonings.
No chicken? Use tofu or fish
Chicken & Brussels
429 calories
Ingredients
6 oz Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw - 190 calories
2 cups Brussels sprouts - 112 calories
1 Tbsp Mustard, grey poupon - 15 calories
⅓ cup Cheese, shredded, mozzarella - 112 calories
¼ tsp Garlic powder - 0 calories
Instructions
Step 1: Spray pan with an oil spray. Cube chicken. Cut off Brussels’ hard ends & halve each one.
Step 2: Cook chicken and Brussels for ~15 minutes, until chicken has cooked through.
Step 3: Top with seasonings and cheese.
Dairy free? Use a dairy free cheese or oil, instead of an oil spray.
