Healthy and Delicious Chicken-Apple Salad

Healthy eating habits should include planning a wide array of nutritious meals to help you maintain a balanced diet.

Salads may be the perfect complement to several meals, or serve as the main entrée for your meal when all the ingredients unite to provide you with a little taste from all the food groups.

For example, chicken is a favorite lean meat choice for many people, and apples are a popular fruit. Then, when you combine them both together in a salad you really have a hit!

All these low-calorie foods provide you with protein, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, riboflavin, thiamine, and even some of the B vitamins.

Here are the ingredients for this healthy and delicious chicken, apple salad.

• Romaine lettuce shredded in bite size pieces. This lettuce is preferred in the salad since this lettuce is dark green in color. Generally, the deeper green color of a food source, the richer nutrition. Romaine lettuce has more of the B vitamin called, folate, as well as lutein, an anti-oxidant, and vitamin K.

• 1 baked or grilled chicken breast that has been cut up into small chicken chunks or shredded into strips. You may want to add an additional chicken breast or two to accommodate more people. Lean meat such as chicken is a great source of protein that is an essential part of nutrition to act as the building block for the cells in our body.

• 1-2 cups small red delicious apple chunks. You can substitute other apples depending on your preference. The red variety gives great color appeal to your salad. Apples a rich source of poly phenols, can help protect the body from numerous health conditions.

• 1/4 cup of chopped celery. Celery which contains pthalides, may help to lower blood pressure, and may act as a diuretic.

• A sprinkling of dry roasted sunflower seeds or more depending on your preference. These healthy seeds are rich in oleic acid that can help to lower the LDL, or bad cholesterol, and increase the HDL, or good cholesterol in our blood.

• 1/4 cup diced black olives (optional) Olives are a great source of vitamin E which can which is an important antioxidant for the immune system. Olives also contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help to lower the LDL, or bad cholesterol, and raise the HDL, or good cholesterol.

• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese. Feta cheese contains approximately 33 percent fewer calories than other cheeses and about a third less fat content than other cheeses. Feta cheese is high in calcium an important nutrient for healthy bones and teeth.

• Light or fat-free red wine vinaigrette salad dressing to taste (depending on your preference)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients together before adding the lemon juice . Next, sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice over the top of the salad and lightly toss all the ingredients together again. Add more lemon juice if preferred.

The end result of all these nutritious ingredients is a delicious and nutritious salad that can be enjoyed by everyone at mealtime.