July 12, 2011

Feta Chicken Salads & A Pre-Planned Packed Lunch

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

Poultry
46 comments

Hello, friends!

The oven is back off already, don’t worry. Last night for dinner, Matt made us a delicious chicken salad!

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The star of the salad? This tasty Euphrates feta cheese that I was sent last week. The company was apparently started in 2002 by the same person who later founded Chobani. Cool!

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Major yum. I couldn’t say no to this review request — ya’ll know how I feel about feta 😉 They sent me two ENORMOUS blocks of it (each are seriously larger than my head), so expect to see a lot of feta gracing the blog this month, ha.

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The base of the salad was mixed greens and baby spinach, topped with black olives, fresh yellow and red peppers, grilled squash, lots of feta cheese, and chicken. Matt used our panini press to grill the chicken, which he seasoned with a mix of spicy hot pepper, paprika, etc. Delish!

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We had a lot leftover when we were finished eating so I decided to plan ahead and pack up my lunch for today before putting everything away. Best idea ever. It was so easy to grab it and go this morning! I need to do this more often.

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Into a large tupperware, I threw a serving of the salad and topped it with a quinoa and black bean mixture I had leftover in the fridge. I’ve really been loving the grains-on-top-of-salads thing lately. 

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To end my lunch with something sweet and juicy: strawberries!

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Afternoon snacks = two mini Larabars: 

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Plus a black cherry Chobani — love this new flavor!

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All together now!

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Have a wonderful day and stay cool out there! It’s supposed to be up to 100 here today… gah!

Do you pack your lunch the morning of or the night before? I’m pretty much always a last minute morning lunch packer (hence my healthy packed lunch in 5 minutes series), but I think I might need to start doing it the night before — so much easier!

- anne

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46 comments
  • So good! I'm a total salad monster in the summer. If something needs to be grilled, I've gone so far as to grill late the night before or early in the morning before it's hot. Yikes. I pack my lunches the night before. My mornings need to be as smooth as possible. And since I usually bring leftovers, I pack as I'm cleaning up the kitchen.
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  • Anne, you seriously have to try the sheep's milk feta from Trader joes. It comes in a blueish/gold carton, and it's the best.
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  • That salad looks seriously good. You really can't beat chicken and feta together. Love those Larabar minis as well, though I usually end up eating two just like you did so I guess I should just buy the full sized ones! Haha.
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    • I like the minis so I can mix and match, though! :) Plus I don't always want a whole big one.
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      • Haha I actually almost said the SAME thing...I almost replied to my own comment with "though with the minis you can mix and match flavors and you can't really get better than that" - totally agree with you :)
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        • Great minds think alike :)
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  • I usually pack my lunch the night before- or at least most elements of it. As I'm cleaning up dinner and putting up leftovers I try to portion them out into lunch-grabbable containers. Love just being able to dump everything into my lunch bag in the morning before work!
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    • I'm starting to think there might be something to this whole planning ahead thing... :)
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  • During the first half of the school year, I'm really good at packing my lunch the night before. Then after spring break, I become quite the slacker and just scramble to put something together!
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  • During the first half of the school year, I'm really good at packing my lunch the night before. Then after spring break, I become quite the slacker and just scramble to put something together right before I leave for work!
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    • I know - best thing ever, right?!
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  • I usually come home for lunch, but I pack my husbands lunch in the morning which is not too time consuming since it is usually left overs from the night before that I pack up after supper.
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  • I usually pack my lunches at night. There's just something off to me about packing my greens at 6 AM!
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  • Looks yummy Anne! Love summery, light salads. :)
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  • Chicken and Feta is the most amazing combo. Esp grilled chicken. mmmm I make my lunch every morning. I hate buying! You could make about 3 lunches with the amount it costs to buy.
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    • So true! My lunches are usually more awesome than bought lunches, anyway. Except for the co-op grocery store salad bar. LOVE that place :)
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  • I love the summer salad variety. Over the last few weeks, I included a salad into almost every lunch and dinner. I usually pack the food I need for a work day the night before as I tend to forget most of it in the early morning when it's not all in the same place in my fridge. ;)
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  • if you need feta ideas, i have been dying to try this: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/06/crazy-feta/
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    • Whoa. That sounds SO good!
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  • I wish I could get mini Larabars in those flavors! The only minis that I ever see come in a box with flavors that have walnuts in them and I am allergic! lol. I always pack my lunch the night before because I don't like feeling super rushed in the morning.
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    • I wish I could, too! I got these at the Fitness & Health Blogger's Conference out in CO. I've never seen the mini sizes in anything but standard flavors at my stores here, though. Boo!
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  • That is my kind of salad. Matt is a keeper, what a guy. Being as I am a domestic engineer and care during the day for 3 of my 8 grand kids, I do plan a menu. In fact, I have always planned a menu for my family all these years and cook dinners on the weekends and freeze them for the following week. I have to do this or I become overwhelmed and that "ain't" a pretty thing to see. Anne, that is why I love your recipe page and your blog so much. It is quick and easy recipes and at my finger tips and the family has loved everything that I have made from them.
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  • Packing the night before is definitely ideal! If I "pack" the morning of my lunch bag is usually twice the size as it normally is since I usually toss an entire loaf of bread and sandwich makings into a bag! That feta looks amazing.
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  • I pack the night before! Then it's just grab and go in the morning, and no dirtying cutting boards in the morning. And less likely to just throw something together when my brain isn't thinking of dinner early in the a.m.!
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  • Hi Anne! I love your blog! Just to comment on your post today - I make my lunch before work. It's something I've tried to do every morning for awhile now, but the pictures of your lunches definitely inspire me to keep at it! It's enjoyable to make and totally worth getting up a little earlier for - no need to stand in line or pay $$ for something you can do yourself, right? I love the salad you had last night too!
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    • Thanks, Tirzah! :) Totally agree - so worth it to spend a few extra minutes and have a delicious (and cheap) home packed lunch!
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  • we don't let leftovers go to waste in our house. they get portioned up and packed in containers and sometimes frozen for later lunches. Our lunches are always packed the nite before...saves on the AM frenzy that goes on in our house with husband and two kids leaving for work/school and my 1 yr old tugging at my pants needing mommy!
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  • Looks deelish! Everything is "betta with feta!" hehe ;-) When I eat home (non date night) I always have a salad with feta, fresh dill, hearts of palm, olives, tomatoes and mixed greens with my homemade vinaigrette (no sugar added) Total yumm! Bummer its hot up there, too! It feels like a THOUSAND degrees here in Tampa (especially running at Noon!)
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    • I got them at the Fitness & Health Blogger's Conference out in CO!
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    • Have you looked at Target? I can always find a variety box of mini-Laras there.
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  • My husband and I do the Greek salad thing almost every Monday. It kicks us back into healthy eating. Yours looks great!
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  • I just started packing them on a regular basis but I think for the most part I'll be packing my lunch in the morning. I love salads because you can do so many things to make them unique.
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  • I always (ALWAYS) make my smoothie, pack my lunch, and gather snacks the night before. I also fill up my water bottle. I leave by 6:15; so doing this the night before allows me to sleep as long as possible. Also, I'm not great at making important decisions early in the morning.
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  • This salad speaks to me! :)
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  • As much as I try to pack lunch the night before, I'm always a morning-of packer. I never know what I might be in the mood for! I rely on quick meals so I love your simple lunch ideas.
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  • I am definitely a morning lunch packer. Although if we are using leftovers, I sometimes pack those right after dinner into individual containers. My lunch typically includes a sandwich, a yogurt, a small apple, and a Kellogg's FiberPlus(R) bar - but I think I may have to switch out the sandwich for a salad like yours tomorrow. It truly looks AMAZING!
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  • I ALWAYS try and prepare at least half of my lunch the night before (i.e. putting together a sandwich without any of the mustard/toppings) or making my morning oatmeal the night before. I would rather spend 10 minutes getting things ready at 10PM than 10 minutes at 5:30AM!
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