Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders

Made it to another Monday, and that means it's time for another Fit Club update. As for last week's healthy snacks, I would say they were a success. I'd portion out two tablespoons of either the peanut butter or the hummus, and grab some apples or carrots to eat with it. I'm gonna be real though, and say that this weekend I seriously slacked on my healthy eating. The goal to follow the 80/20 rule is proving to be a bit more challenging than I originally thought it would be. But I'm not giving up! It's a new week, and I'm going to give it my best effort to make this one a healthier one. Considering that I spent way too much money this weekend and in turn, will not be eating out this week (or next), I'd say I've got a good chance. Ready for the good news?

I made it to the gym 5 times this week:

Monday: Boot Camp class (1 hr)

Tuesday: Lower Body Blast class (1 hr)

Wednesday: TurboKick class (1 hr)

Thursday: 25 minutes on the treadmill (2.7 miles)

Friday: Took a day off (aka was in no condition for 6am spin)

Saturday: 45 minutes on the treadmill (4.6 miles)

Sunday: Took a day off 

Getting to the gym at least 3 to 4 times a week? Check! Now time to get this healthy eating business in order. Should be a bit easier with recipes like this one:

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

Canola or olive oil cooking spray

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat

1 pound chicken tenders

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a large wire rack on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Combine Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. 

3. Toss tenders with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and salt in a medium bowl. Coat each tender in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the tenders on the prepared rack. Generously coat the top of each tender with cooking spray.

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each tender over and coat with cooking spray. Continue baking until the outside is crisp and the tenders are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

And you're done!

Per serving (the recipe makes 4):

293 Calories

8 g Fat

3 g Sat. Fat

140 mg Cholesterol

22 g Carbohydrates

31 g Protein

3 g Fider

603 mg Sodium

465 mg Potassium

The recipe includes 1 cup marinara sauce for dipping, but I used mustard instead. I'm a pretty big mustard fan, weird, I know. BBQ sauce was pretty good, too. Enjoy!