Low Calorie Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
This Sesame Chicken Stir Fry is kind of my knock-off version of the Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken. I have to admit, when I was working in an office and only had 30-minute lunch-breaks, I had the Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken all the time. In fact, it was my favorite quick, frozen, lunch. My biggest gripe about it was that there wasn’t enough and I still felt hungry after eating it. The total weight of it is only 9 oz., which really isn’t a whole lot if you think about it. I came up with this recipe the other day when I was craving Chinese food, yet I was in the mood for a healthier, lighter dish. For some reason Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken came to mind and I decided that I wanted to improve on it. It turned out SO good — way better than the Lean Cuisine version and healthier too (no artificial ingredients)!
Tips and Tricks to Try
I used coconut oil to saute the veggies and chicken and I used the Ronzoni Smart Taste noodles (you can use whole-wheat noodles, I just love the smooth texture of Smart Taste). It was a HUGE hit with the whole family and guess what? Everyone was completely satisfied after one serving. That’s because one serving of this (yes, I weighed it out) was 16 oz! That is almost TWICE as much as one package of Lean Cuisine.
Compare the Results
Ok so I did some research comparing the two: Favorite Family Recipes vs. Lean Cuisine. Here are my results. (I’m sure these can vary slightly but this is what I found based on my research using “My Fitness Pal” nutrition calculator): Actual Food Weight: FFR=16oz LC=9ozFat: FFR = 6g LC = 9gCalories: FFR = 414 LC = 330 (In our defense, you ARE getting more food. If you cut the sauce in half you can reduce the calories by about 55 calories per serving, but I like lots of sauce and it’s not something I want to sacrifice)!Sodium: FFR = 509mg LC = 650mgCarbs: FFR = 45 LC = 47Fiber: FFR = 10 LC = 2 (This is if you use the packaged stir-fry vegetables) So yeah… we killed it in this competition.
This Works Great as a Freezer Meal
I wish I would have come up with this recipe years ago! I totally would have just made my own individual freezer meals. These re-heat GREAT and would make awesome freezer lunches for close to the same price or even cheaper than buying them (and you get MORE per serving). If you are making this with the intention of freezing, I would put the stir-fry veggies into the container without sauteing them. Put them straight in frozen, as they are, that way when you microwave it up they aren’t being re-cooked and will taste better.(makes 6 servings)
More Low Calorie Favorites
If you’re looking to go big on flavor, but small on calories, try our Healthy Pizza (only 350 calories!). Want all the texture and taste of mashed potatoes but on the lighter side? These Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are totally worth it. Share It on Instagram!
