Chicken Florentine is a rich, creamy, delicious meal, but did you know it can also facilitate weight loss?
In this article we will explain how Chicken Florentine can be successfully integrated into a healthy weight-loss (or maintenance program), briefly discuss the origins of this dish, and provide a fantastic recipe for you to try in your own kitchen.
Chicken Florentine is Healthy?
Woe is you, young lad that eats boiled chicken breast for every meal.
We get it. When it comes to a low-fat, high (complete) protein source, nothing can really beat the chicken breast. However, there is a huge loss for the unfortunate soul who mistakenly believes that his (or her) chicken breast must be devoid of texture or flavor.
While chicken dishes are magnificent when prepared properly, they are huge, bland lumps of sadness when they are not. Eating flavorless food does not make you a better athlete or allow you to lose weight faster.
Ultimately, this level of self-deprivation leads to candy bars and wine.
Balance is essential, as is flavor and enjoyment of our food. These two essential ingredients enable a person to adhere to a long-term overall healthy lifestyle.
Match Your Chicken Florentine Recipe to Your Diet Needs
All of that said, this recipe is already perfect for those on a low-carb or keto diet, just be sure it is not being added to a bed of pasta.
If, on the other hand, you are eating to build mass or performing high amounts of cardio, bring on the pasta!! This is a perfect dish for you as well.
For those who are not adhering to any particular diet, just watch your serving size and enjoy as you wish. This is a delicious, healthy meal that will have you humming with contentment.
Origins of Chicken Florentine
Chicken Florentine is regarded by many as an American dish. The name hearkens back to Florence, Italy, yet the dish is decidedly French. According to legend, Catherine de Medici, of Italy, introduced many loved foods to the French when she became their queen. Among these foods was spinach, and the matriarch dubbed any food containing spinach “Florentine” to honor her home.
A Delicious Recipe for Your Own Kitchen
So, if you are ready to trash that nasty, dry chicken breast, grab a large frying pan and the following ingredients:
- 2 Large Chicken Breasts (cut lengthwise and then sliced into medallions)
- 1/2 Stick of Butter
- 1/4 Cup of Dry White Wine
- 1 Cup of Sliced Mushrooms (Fresh is BEST)
- 1 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic
- 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
- 4 Ounces of Parmesan Cheese
- 4 Cups of raw spinach
- 1 Pint grape tomatoes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparing Your Chicken Florentine:
Step 1: Fry chicken medallions in butter until golden brown (medium-high heat will sear the medallions, but will not be so high as to ruin the butter).
Step 2: Remove medallions from skillet. Keep them covered and warm.
Step 3: Return the skillet to the medium-high heat, and add the white wine.
Step 4: Scrape the bits of chicken left in the pan from frying up and into the simmering wine.
Step 5: Add tomatoes and minced garlic and simmer for another few minutes (until tomatoes begin to soften).
Step 6: Add cream, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
Step 7: Add chicken medallions and spinach and simmer just long enough for the spinach to begin to wilt.
Nutritional Information:
- Servings: 5
- Calories: 342
- Total Fat: 29 grams (44% DV)
- Cholesterol: 110 mg (37% DV)
- Sodium: 702 mg (29% DV)
- Net Carbohydrate: 6 grams (3% DV)
- Fiber: 2 grams (7% DV)
- Protein: 15 grams (29% DV)
- Vitamin A: 117% DV
- Vitamin C: 32% DV
- Calcium: 196% DV
- Iron: 6% DV
Chicken Florentine Adaptable for Any Diet or Program
Maintaining a healthy waist line, or creating an awe-inspiring physique, both require a daily commitment to healthy eating and exercise.
Yet, unless you are in an extreme situation (such as a body builder JUST BEFORE A SHOW), that doesn’t mean adhering to the ingestion of tasteless, fatless foods. As a matter of fact, adherence to a “diet” that is balanced, nutritious, and flavorful is the key to satiety and proper metabolic function.
You will lose more weight and keep it off by eating well, and eating well means nutritious whole carbohydrate foods, brightly colored vegetables, adequate protein, and yes … delicious fats.
Read Also:
These 5 Foods Make Instant Pot Oatmeal Even More Healthy
5 Benefits of Dating a Fitness Enthusiast
10 Foods That Make You Look 10 years Younger
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