When it comes to healthy food, chicken breasts are one of the foods that people look to. There is no mystery as to why that is. After all, chicken has plenty of protein, and is low in calories. Other benefits include vitamin B3 and phosphorous. These nutrients are good for strong bones and teeth, and keeping your arteries from hardening up. Chicken by itself is good, but even with the best seasoning; you probably want to pair it with other foods. Fortunately, there is plenty of healthy food that pair well with baked chicken breasts.
1. Quinoa
Quinoa pairs well with chicken breasts because it is a great source of complete protein. In other wells, it carries all 9 of the amino acids for your body. It is also a good source of fiber, which is beneficial for digestion.
2. Lettuce
Lettuce goes well with chicken. You can eat it in a chicken salad or a sandwich. Lettuce has low calories and omega 3 fatty acids.
3. Tomato
Tomatoes are also good with chicken. Lettuce tomato and chicken go well together in a salad or a sandwich. The tomato is a great source of lycopene, which can help prevent heart disease or breast cancer.
4. Beans
These foods are a great compliment to baked chicken breasts. They are good to eat because they are a great source of fiber, protein and plenty of other nutrients that add to your overall health.
5. Spinach
This is another healthy food that you can eat with chicken. Spinach has a lot of lutein, which not only fights against macular degeneration, but can help protect you from heart attacks due to keeping the artery walls free of cholesterol.
6. Whole Wheat Bread
Whole wheat bread is great with chicken. If you are in the mood for chicken sandwiches, then whole wheat bread will add a lot of vitamins and minerals to the protein that you get from chicken.
7. Broccoli
Chicken and broccoli is a great combination. Broccoli is a great source of many nutrients. It may not be a favorite vegetable to eat, but it can help prevent any life threatening disease. Coupled with the nutrients from chicken, you have a very powerful combination for healthy eating.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a great side dish to have with chicken. This food is growing in popularity with the sweet potato french fries being sold. The real benefits come in the nutrients that sweet potatoes provide. Vitamin A is a vital nutrient that sweet potatoes carry a lot of. Vitamin A protects the skin, intestines, eyes, and respiratory tract. The muscle building protein from chicken coupled with vitamin A provides an extremely healthy combination.
9. Avocado
These fruits are great to use with chicken. They go well in a chicken sandwich or chicken salad. While high in calories, they have a good source of nutrients such as heart protective compounds, vitamin E, folate and potassium.
10. Beets
Beets have an anti-inflammatory quality which makes them a great combination with chicken's high protein makeup.
11. Kale
This leafy green vegetable is a great combination to use with chicken. This can be eaten as a side dish to a chicken meal. This vegetable is a good source of vitamins A, K, and C.
12. Asparagus
Asparagus contains a great blend of nutrients such as Vitamin K and folate. One great meal with asparagus is asparagus stuffed chicken.
13. Cabbage
Cabbage is rich in phyto-nutrient antioxidants. It is also a good source of fiber. It also goes well as a side to roasted chicken breast.
14. Garlic
Garlic is an extremely powerful super food that goes well with chicken. You can use it in a roast, or in a sauce that goes on the chicken. Garlic has over 70 phytochemical that can lower blood pressure and decrease your chances of cancer.
15. Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are great to sprinkle while preparing your chicken dish. These are actually the best sources of vitamin C. Red bell peppers surpass any fruit in the amount of vitamin C it carries.
16. Mushrooms
Chicken and mushrooms go together very well. you can prepare chicken in mushroom sauce, or serve chicken with mushrooms on the side. Mushrooms are known for lowering cholesterol and slowing down the growth of tumors in cancer.
17. Potatoes
Russet Potatoes go well with almost anything. However, chicken and potatoes are really a wonderful combination. Potatoes are a great source of potassium, folate and niacin. A common meal features chicken and mashed potatoes.
18. Carrots
It is good to eat vegetables with that chicken breast. Carrots are one of the best vegetables to eat because it is a good source of vitamin A. Carrots are known to help with your eyesight.
19. Lentils
These legumes pack 13 grams of protein. The benefits of this healthy food include blood sugar stabilization. Other nutrients include 11g of fiber, and 5 mg of iron. Chicken and lentils provide a very healthy combination.
20. Onions
Onions are some of the most common ingredients in meals. They definitely go well with chicken. The onion has sulfur compounds which help reduce the risk of cancer.
Hopefully one of these items will be able to brighten up your meal!
If you would like to learn healthy chicken breast recipes to go with thiese sides, be sure to visit My Chicken Breast Recipes for more information. We have a large selection of recipes to choose from.
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