Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is a summer staple, but it’s also — bummer — not very good for us. Fried foods tend to be high in fat, calories and salt, and studies have linked their consumption to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. But there is a healthier way to enjoy those crunchy fried flavors, by using your oven.

Ingredients:

½ cup dry breadcrumbs or cereal flakes (bran flakes or cornflakes), crushed
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper or chili powder
⅓ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon skim milk
4 4- to 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Vegetable oil spray
1 tablespoon margarine, butter or olive oil

Preparation:

1. Combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika, thyme, red pepper or chili powder and garlic in a shallow bowl.
2. In another bowl, stir together buttermilk or yogurt and skim milk. Dip chicken pieces in this mixture, stirring to coat. Dredge chicken in crumb mixture.
3. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, lightly coated with vegetable spray.
4. Drizzle margarine, butter or olive oil over all.
5. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes.

Serves 4.

Per serving: 227 calories; 6 g fat; 12 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 1 g fiber; 259 mg sodium.

You can cook food you love while sticking to your healthy eating goals. Check out these recipes to get started.