Heart Healthy Chicken Thighs with Apples

You may wonder whether chicken thighs are healthy since they are dark meat, instead of white meat like chicken breasts. But even though they have a little more fat than their white meat counterpart, boneless skinless chicken thigh recipes can be enjoyed if you’re following a heart-healthy diet. This dish contains only 8g of total fat, with 2g of saturated fat. Additionally, this low sodium chicken recipe clocks in at just 235mg of sodium, which is good for your heart. If you’re watching your weight (which is important to do for heart health), you’ll be happy to know this low calorie chicken dish contains only 260 calories, with a substantial 31g of protein per serving.

If you are looking for a gluten-free chicken recipe, Chicken Thighs with Apples is a great option because it doesn’t contain any wheat-based ingredients, like flour or breadcrumbs, in the breading or the sauce. The chicken is coated with a spice rub that naturally has no gluten (some are also spices and herbs that lower blood pressure naturally). The sauce is made from chicken broth and cider, with naturally gluten-free cornstarch used to thicken it. Just be sure to check labels on any processed ingredients to make sure they are free of gluten if you have a gluten sensitivity, intolerance or allergy.

At Health eCooks, we like our recipes to be as versatile as possible, while still remaining healthy and nutritious. If you’re not a fan of cooking with chicken thighs, swap them for boneless, skinless chicken breasts for a leaner option, making sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. For a vegetarian version, consider substituting tofu or tempeh for the chicken and low-sodium vegetable broth for the chicken broth.