by Ronnie Dauber

Created on: May 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 14, 2010

It's easier than you think to find healthy no-cook meal recipes that are delicious and inviting and easy to make. As busy parents and adults, we're often looking to make filling meals for our families that we can put together quickly and that don't require cooking. Yet, we want them to not only be healthy but to taste great, too. Here is a healthy no-cook meal that is quick and easy to prepare and tastes delicious. 

MAIN COURSE - CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients:

1 head of red leaf lettuce

1 red pepper

2 spring onions

1 cup raw sliced mushrooms

1 cup freshly chopped parsley

1 cup grated carrots

2 cups diced medium cheddar cheese

2-3 diced hard-boiled eggs

2-3 cups diced chicken breast OR diced chicken slices

*Note: chicken can be leftovers from the day before, a store bought roasted chicken or fresh breast meat from the deli.

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup Pure Olive oil

Ground black pepper corns

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Things you'll need: large bowl, small bowl, knife, chopping board

1. Chop the lettuce into mouth-size pieces and place into the large bowl.

2. Add all the other ingredients into the bowl and mix together gently with two large forks.

Dressing:

Mix the Balsamic vinegar and pure olive oil. Add the ground pepper to taste. Pour over salad.

Grind the Parmesan Cheese over the salad and serve. This recipe serves four people and provides nutrition including fiber, protein, iron and calcium, and when served with complimentary whole-wheat bread rolls, it makes a filling meal.

If you're a fish lover, you may want to substitute the chicken breast for 2 cups of canned tuna chunks. (Make sure you drain the juices well before adding to the rest of the ingredients). The nutritional values in the meal will still be very high and the only thing that will be different is the taste, which remains delicious.

DESSERT - FRUIT JELLO DELIGHT

Ingredients:

2 large lime Jello packages

2 cups of fresh sliced strawberries

2 fresh peaches peeled and diced

2 fresh pears diced

2 ripe bananas peeled and sliced

2 oranges peeled, sectioned and diced

1 cup of semi-dried cranberries

Things you'll need: large bowl, bunt pan, large dinner plate, knife

1. Prepare the Jello in a bowl as directed on the package.

2. Drain the fruit well and place into the bunt pan. 

3. Pour the unset Jello over the fruit.

4. Put it in the refrigerator and leave it there until the Jello is firmly set.

5. Put a large dinner plate upside down on the top of the bunt pan and flip it over so that the plate is upright and the bunt pan is upside down. Gently pull off the bunt pan.

You will have a colorful and inviting dessert that is filled with the delicious tastes of fresh fruit and is loaded with nutrition including lots of fiber, potassium and vitamins. You can add a small scoop of fat-free whipped cream on the top and serve it as the perfect finish to your Chicken Salad dinner.

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