Low Calorie Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

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Ingredients, instructions, and tips for making this low-calorie chicken Caesar salad. This recipe is low-calorie, high in protein, and tasty!
271 calories, 33 G protein, 10g carbs, 10 g fat

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Why you want to eat THIS salad

With there being thousands of Caesar salad recipes on the web, you may be wondering why to choose this one. What makes this chicken Caesar salad different from the rest? The answer is, this Caesar salad combines all the classic flavors you love, but with a fraction of the calories.

You can enjoy this WHOLE RECIPE for under 300 calories!!

There are a lot of salads out there that may seem healthy, but really are hiding a ton of calories with toppings and dressings that are high calorie. With this salad, you can know that what you’re putting in your body will help you reach your health goals.

As someone who has struggled with dieting, food, and body image for the majority of my life (click here for my story), I am here to help you find a pattern of healthy eating and exercise that will be sustainable throughout your life. No more week-long endeavors or abandoned New Year’s Resolutions.

So, check out this recipe, along with my other weight loss resources, to start building the life you want!

What does a Chicken Caesar Salad contain?

  • Chicken – In order to stay full after eating a salad, your salad needs to have some protein. Since the greens don’t really have much protein, you can add protein through lean sources such as chicken breast! Here is a list of other protein sources you could add.
  • Romaine Lettuce – While any form of lettuce would be just fine to use for this recipe, Romaine has a nice crunch, a pretty tame flavor, and is low-calorie. One cup has just 8 calories!
  • Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese adds a nice saltiness to the salad that really brings out the flavors. And if you don’t love parmesan, check out my cheese calorie guide to find another cheese you’d like to add in!
  • Croutons – Foods tend to be more desirable when they offer a variety of colors and textures. Croutons not only add flavor but also a satisfying crunch to the salad. Make sure to add them right before eating so they don’t get soggy!
  • Dressing –  I am a BIG fan of Bolthouse Farms dressings. They are the lowest-calorie dressings I have found to date, and they taste AMAZING! This helps add that familiar creamy Ceasar flavor that we associate with traditional Caesar salads.

Tips for making this chicken Caesar salad recipe

  • Rinse your lettuce and pat dry before chopping it up! This can remove any dirt or bugs.
  • If you’re someone who doesn’t have a ton of time for making meals, invest in some canned chicken, cook a lot of chicken ahead of time (meal prep), or use rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
  • Wait to add the dressing and croutons to the salad until just before serving/eating. This will help it stay fresh.
  • Add the lettuce to the bottom of the bowl first, and then add the other ingredients on top.
  • For those who want to eat a higher volume of food, you can make this salad much bigger without adding a ton of calories. Do this by adding in “free foods” such as spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, and more. Click the link here to learn more about what “free foods” are and see my full list.

How can you keep your lettuce crisp?

If you rinse off your lettuce or even chop it up more than an hour before you’re planning on using it, you’ll want to store it in the fridge. However, you’ll want to remove as much of the excess moisture as possible, because that will cause your lettuce to wilt.

In order to do this, place 1-2 sheets of paper towels in the bottom of the container or bag you are using for storage. This will help absorb the extra water and keep your lettuce fresh until you’re ready to use it!

How to prepare this salad

This salad comes together in just 4 easy steps. Even a beginner cook is capable of making this chicken Caesar salad recipe.

  1. Rinse, dry, and chop up your lettuce. I recommend doing 2-3 cups.
  2. Prepare your chicken.
  3. Add the chopped lettuce to a bowl.
  4. Top lettuce with the chicken, croutons, cheese, and salad dressing.

Once that’s all done, enjoy your delicious low-calorie meal!

What goes well with a Caesar salad?

I always use MyPlate as a guide when I am prepping meals. MyPlate is a formula for creating balanced meals that have some of each food group. In fact, I have actual plates you can buy that show you exactly what you’re missing. Click here to see them!

myplate plate with dairy bowl

Since chicken Caesar salads already have the protein, veggies, and dairy/fat components of a balanced meal, you’ll want to focus on adding in healthy fruits and grains.

Fruit recipes to pair with a Caesar salad:

Grain recipes to pair with a Caesar salad:

Of course, you could always add in more veggies as well. Adding in grains and fruit will just help your body get all the nutrients it needs to keep you feeling healthy and strong.

Is this chicken Caesar salad recipe ok to eat on Keto, Mediterranean, or Low-calorie diets?

Yes! This salad actually works for all three.

Keto – Because keto diets focus on high fat and low carb content in food, the ingredients in this Caesar salad recipe are perfect.

Mediterranean – The plant base with lettuce, omega 3 fatty acids in the dressing (from anchovies), and poultry meat source all align with the aims of a Mediterranean diet.

Low Calorie – A whole serving of this recipe is under 300 calories! Most people, even on a low-calorie diet, want to consume 400-700 calories per meal (if eating 3-4 meals a day). That means that this meal qualifies for anyone on a low-calorie diet.

If you’re not sure how many calories you should consume in order to create a calorie deficit for weight loss, use my link here. This has 5 easy steps to help you calculate a healthy food plan that is unique to your age, weight, gender, height, and more!

This chicken Caesar salad recipe is evidence that eating healthy doesn’t have to feel impossible. Even for the busy mom, working parent, or college student, making low-calorie meals that taste good is quick and easy.

Check out my future posts for more healthy meals like this one, and let me know what you paired YOUR Caesar salad with!

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Low Calorie Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients, instructions, and tips for making a yummy salad. This chicken Caesar salad recipe is low-calorie, high in protein, and tasty!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat
Keyword: chicken caesar salad recipe, low calorie
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Calories: 271cal

Equipment

  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 knife
  • 1 pan (if you're cooking the chicken)
  • 1 plate/bowl (for serving)

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups romaine lettuce
  • 4 ounces chicken breast
  • 1/2 ounce parmesan cheese
  • 1 serving croutons
  • 2 tbsp Bolthouse Caesar dressing

Instructions

  • Rinse and chop lettuce
  • Prepare chicken
  • Add chopped lettuce to a large bowl.
  • Top lettuce with chicken, croutons, cheese, and dressing.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

 If your chicken needs to be cooked: remove the fat, chop it up, and cook it with oil in the pan. (medium to high heat for 3-5 min)
Season it to your liking with salt, pepper, Tony Chachere’s, or other seasoning.
If it doesn’t need cooking, shred it or chop it to your liking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl (whole recipe) | Calories: 271cal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g
Tried this recipe?Mention @healthbeet or tag #healthbeet!
Nutrition Facts
Low Calorie Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
Serving Size
 
1 bowl (whole recipe)
Amount per Serving
Calories
271
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
10
g
15
%
Carbohydrates
 
10
g
3
%
Protein
 
33
g
66
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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