Community Corner

Summer Recipe: Chicken with Watermelon-Mango Salsa

Don't let scorching heat stop you from chowing down on delicious, healthy summer fare.

By Dana Leigh Smith

Summer meals often revolve around meat on the barbecue and the ice cream shop. But there's no rule that says you have to sacrifice flavor for healthier options when it comes to your warm-weather meals.

By taking advantage of the abundance of fresh, seasonal produce, you can cook delicious food that is good for you too. Karen Ansel, MS, RDN, CDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of The Calendar Diet: A Month By Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, weighs in on the health benefits of five nutritious and delicious summer recipes.

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Chicken with Watermelon-Mango Salsa

This chicken dish is perfect for those looking to slim down. The protein-packed chicken is slowly digested, preventing hunger pangs for hours, and the watermelon’s high water content fills up the stomach without added calories, says Ansel. To minimize the chances of foodborne illness on the grill, use a meat thermometer. Only 23 percent of Americans use one, yet undercooking meat is a leading cause of food poisoning.

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Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb.)
  • 2 teaspoons applewood rub grill seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

Salsa:

  • 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon chunks
  • 1 cup cubed mango
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Place chicken in shallow glass dish. Mix grill seasoning and oil; spoon over chicken. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix all salsa ingredients. Cover; refrigerate to blend flavors.
  3. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Carefully brush oil on grill rack. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Serve chicken with salsa.


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