PCOS Recipe: Chicken Spinach Bowl With Cheese
For most people in today’s modern world, lunch time means one of two things generally: it means heading out with the co-worker’s for a meal at restaurants of varying quality, or hauling out a sandwich from a well-used and crinkled brown paper bag.
For the well-versed keto dieter, both approaches are fraught with potential landmines, as the sandwich is two slabs of processed white bread (which by themselves can wreck your efforts to remain in a ketogenic state) housing meat and cheese that is also likely processed, as well as vegetables that fool many unaware folks into thinking that they are eating healthy.
Likewise, many restaurants serve up food that is heavy on carbs via pasta, potatoes, giant bread baskets, and deep fried battered meat. While some restaurants are starting to prepare offerings for those into paleo and keto diets, you are often at the mercy of those picking the place where the group will eat that day, so ultimately it will fall on you to create lunches for yourself that will meet your specific keto needs.
One of those creations will not just do that, it will have you coming back for more in the near future, as our Chicken Spinach Bowl makes use of greasy but oh so delectable awesomeness that is thigh meat. Chicken and spinach are both super foods for dealing with PCOS. Since your time is valuable, the following recipe will create eight servings, which you can freeze until you are ready to pop them in your lunch for work.
Since you are likely salivating as badly we are (it’s a tough gig writing this, but somebody has to do it!), let’s get into the details, yes?
Calories: 367 Fat: 56% Carbs: 5% Protein: 38%
- 16 chicken thighs (make sure to get the ones without bone or skin to save yourself a ton of trouble)
- 240 g cheddar cheese, shredded (30g per bowl)
- 680 g spinach (85g per bowl)
- 2 cups water
- Salt, pepper, garlic to taste
- Set your oven to preheat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit so that you aren’t left with the awkward pause that comes from waiting for the oven to warm up, giving your chicken the chance to become the perfect breeding ground for all sorts of nasty bacteria.
- Take all the 16 chicken thighs and place them in a roaster pan, coating the entire bottom with chicken-y goodness. Take the salt, pepper and garlic and coat the meat with these seasonings. Get right in there and give them a good rub down (just be sure to wash your hands well afterward because you know, salmonella).
- Place them in your preheated oven for two hours (ensure that it at a level 350 degrees Fahrenheit before doing so).
- After ensuring your thighs have cooked all the way through (they should be after cooking for two hours, but ensure juices are running clear and that the internal temperature is sitting at 165 degrees), set them to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- After they have become cool enough to handle, start breaking them up into chunks, filling each microwavable container with the meat of two thighs each. Top them with frozen veggies like spinach (you can substitute with a veggie of your choosing, provided they are paleo friendly) and shredded cheese, which will melt into a ooey gooey mess once you nuke them in the microwave!
- Don’t forget to spritz each container with the juices from the roaster pan so that the meat can retain some of its characteristic flavor when you go to warm them up at work.
Products I used to make this recipe:
One last note: Don’t cheap out with your containers. Dollar store containers will fall apart easily with repeated use, and will leach harmful chemicals into your food as a result of the wear and tear that it endures. Use BPA-free plastics, or Pyrex containers to protect against this. They may cost more initially, but you’ll save money over time, as well as your health!
