Eating for overall good health and diabetes prevention just got a whole lot easier with this family-pleasing recipe for Chicken Veggie Stir Fry.

Over 80 million Americans of all ages have pre-diabetes, which puts them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes—a disease that can lead to blindness, kidney failure, and blood vessel damage. Obesity, inactivity, a low fiber diet, and a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages are common risk factors for diabetes.

To the rescue is registered dietitian, Hillary Wright, M.Ed, RD whose new book, The Pre-Diabetes Diet Plan outlines simple eating and exercise strategies aimed at reversing and preventing diabetes.

As part of her pre-diabetes diet plan, Hillary recommends filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 25% with a lean protein food, and the remaining 25% with a starchy veggie or whole grain. She’s not anti carb, but instead, she emphasizes the Two Qs: quality (whole grain) and quantity (not too much).

I served our stir fry with whole grain brown rice and stuck to a 2/3 cup portion.

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Have you listened to the Liz’s Healthy Table podcast yet? The show is aimed at helping families and foodies eat a healthy and delicious diet. Topics and guests cover everything from eating healthy on a budget and ideas for adding interest to your Instant Pot recipes to the power of fermented foods and the benefits of adding more pulses to your everyday meals. I hope you’ll tune in!

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4.9 from 8 reviews

Chicken Veggie Stir Fry

 

Author: Liz

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 4

• Calories: 220

• Fat: 9g
• Saturated fat: 1.5g
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 380mg
• Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 26g
• Cholesterol: 65mg

Recipe type: Poultry

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As a rule, Hillary recommends between 45 to 60 grams of good quality carbohydrate per meal. We achieve that goal with non-starchy vegetables (carrots, broccoli, zucchini) and whole grain brown rice. This recipe was adapted from a favorite recipe of Hillary's found in Cooking Light.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• Juice of 1 lime, divided
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon expeller pressed canola oil
• 2 carrots, cut into very thin rounds (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups bite-size broccoli florets (from 1 small bunch)
• 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼-inch-thick half moons (about 2 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green onions cut into ¼-inch pieces (white and green parts)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• ¼ cup sliced fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Brown rice, optional

Instructions

1. Place 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, ginger, juice of half a lime, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a large zip-top plastic bag or bowl. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. When ready to make your stir fry, heat the oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and the marinade and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the carrots, broccoli, zucchini, garlic, green onions, and jalapeno pepper and stir fry 7 more minutes, or until the chicken is done and the vegetables are crisp tender.
4. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, remaining lime juice, and the remaining sesame oil. Before serving, stir in the basil and cilantro.
5. Serve with brown rice as desired.

Notes

When ⅔ cup brown rice is added to each portion, you get 370 calories, 41g carbohydrate, and 5g fiber. And thanks to all the veggies in this dish, each serving has a whopping 140% vitamin A and 80% vitamin C. ** If you have little kids at home, this recipe will serve 5.

3.5.3226