In Arizona, my husband and I, stopped by a store called, “My Fit Foods,” and we had choices of correctly portioned pre-prepared breakfasts, lunches and dinners. They were already prepared for the day and ready for the microwave there or to bring home to eat. We ate our meals there. One meal that was tasty were the Chicken Nuggets. However, they were not deep-fried in bread crumbs. They were cooked in almond meal and flax seed. They were delicious.

So, I looked up the recipe. Sure enough, Dr. Hyman, who wrote the Blood Sugar Solution, has a great recipe. I look forward to creating this soon.

Dr. Mark Hyman’s Almond-Flax Crusted Chicken

Lower your blood sugar and fight diabetes and obesity with this comfort-food recipe from Dr. Mark Hyman’s book, The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook. The nutty crust keeps the chicken moist and tender, and using almond meal lowers the glycemic load and adds flavor, fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Bonus: Each chicken breast is just 350 calories!

Also, what is great is that the fiber is the same amount of grams as the carbs, so the met carbs are almost nil or nothing. One tablespoon of the almond butter is only 3G of carbs and that is for all of the chicken, so it is less than 1g of carb, per breast. Of this was made with bread crumbs, the carb count would be at least 14g of carbs and the wheat would spike your glycemic load or index count. Not good for maintaining diabetes, weight control, hunger issues, and mood. On the other hand, the almond meal and flax seed is great for the glycemic index.

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 (5-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set it aside.

Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound them with a kitchen mallet until the pieces are approximately 1/2-inch thick.

Pour the flax and almond meal into a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed.

In another small bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken breasts to this mixture and toss them until coated. (If time allows, marinate the chicken in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes to further enhance flavor.)

Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer them to the baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the almond/flax crust over the tops of the chicken breasts and gently press the crust into each piece until evenly coated. Carefully turn the chicken over and repeat the process with the remaining almond and flax mixture.

Put the baking sheet into the oven on the top rack and bake until the juices run clear, 20 to 30 minutes. Any leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

And here is one other easy version that is very paleo…and a bit spicy (you can leave out the coriander and cumin, if you like).

Paleo Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1 lb chicken tenders (or skinless chicken breast, cut into strips)
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Almond Meal
½ tsp Salt
¾ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Ground Coriander Seed
¼ tsp Ground Cumin Seed

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine almond meal with spices on a plate or shallow dish. Place beaten egg in a separate shallow dish.
3. Dry chicken with paper towel. Dip in egg then dip in almond meal mixture, coating all sides. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated.
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes, turning once in the middle of baking, until completely cooked (interior temperature should read 180F).