Chicken breast and okra salad

/ Haruka Sugiyama

Description: Healthy and fresh salad. It is easy to prepare and you can prepare it in advance and keep it in the fridge. One of 5-A-Day dishes and this can be a small appetizer or side dish.
Serves: 2
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • Chicken breast – 150g
  • Okra – chopped, 160g
  • Sake cooking wine – 2 teaspoons
  • Soy sauce – 2 teaspoons
  • Sesame oil – 2 teaspoons
  • Sesame seeds – ½ teaspoon

Method

1. Steam the okra and chicken.
2. Meanwhile, mix all the seasonings except sesame seeds in a small bowl.
3. Cut chicken and okra into bite size. Mix and place them in the bowl.
4. Pour the sauce on top.

To serve: sprinkle sesame seeds

Nutritional Values Per Serving

KcalProteinFatCarbsFibreSugarsSaltSaturated FatPhosphorusVitamin
B3		Vitamin
B6
205.117.7g12.0g6.5g2.7g1.3g0.9g2.7g192.9mg8.4mg0.6mg
10.3%35.5%17.2%2.5%9.0%1.5%15.1%13.6%35.1%64.5%48.6%
*These values are approximate and based on the value from ingredients prepared before cooking (Reference USDA). Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may vary depending on your calorie needs. Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin E are over 10%, Folate, Magnesium and Vitamin B1 are over 20%, Vitamin C is over 30%, and Vitamin D is over 100% of an adult’s daily reference intake. However, some Vitamin C may be lost while cooking.

Nutritional Tips

Chicken is a good source of protein, vitamin Bs (especially, B3, B6, B12), phosphorus and zinc. Chicken is quite versatile and can be added to a variety of dishes as a protein source. Therefore, it is important to think about what you are eating as a whole package (e.g.: what ingredients or seasonings you are using or what cooking method you are implementing). In addition, it is also important to think about which part of the chicken you are consuming: thighs, breasts, skin, drumsticks, and wings. Chicken breast generally contains less fat and more protein (20.85g per 100g, 172 kcal, raw) while chicken thigh can be 16.52g per 100g, 221 kcal or chicken wing can be 17.52g per 100g, 191kcal according to USDA. So depending on the diet, people who are aiming to lose weight or build muscle may prefer chicken breast although people who follow a keto diet or low-carb diet may benefit more from thighs, wings, and drumsticks to achieve their nutritional requirements.

Okra contains both soluble fibres and insoluble fibres. The soluble fibres help reduce blood glucose levels in the body with diabetes (Khosrozadeh et al, Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, 2016 May;41(3): S63. ). The soluble fibre in okra (which is the jelly-like part) contributes to slower digestion through our intestines and prevents the sudden spike of blood glucose levels and cholesterol in our body. On the other hand, the insoluble fibres can contribute to smooth peristalsis (movement of the bowel) of digested food through the gut as it takes time to chew it. Once it reaches the stomach or the colon, it expands and can prevent constipation.

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