Taste Life Blog

Chicken with dressing was one of my favorite meals my mom made. I cook it once a month, so my kids love it. And, what is great about roasted chicken it is only 5 minutes of prep for real nutrition. This recipe is perfect for a busy day. Get this baby in the oven and run errands for 90 minutes and come home to a great smelling kitchen and a healthy savory meal.

3 – 4 lb chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning blend
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 F. Rub olive oil on chicken skin and sprinkle salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in cavity and over skin. Rub with fingers to evenly distribute. Place breast side up in shallow roasting pan. Do not cover. Roast 90 minutes or until thermometer inserted in thigh portion registers 165 F. Serve with Mom’s Chicken Stuffing (another 5 ingredient recipe) and green beans.

Nutrition analysis per serving: 156 Calories; 21 gm Protein; 8 gm Fat; 0 gm Carbohydrate; 303 mg Sodium.

For this roast chicken recipe I purchased a gorgeous Harvestland ®Purely All Natural Chicken which is free of any additives or preservatives. Every package of fresh Harvestland Whole Chicken displays the name of the farm family who raised the chicken. My chicken was farm raised by the Ron Ashbly Family. How cool is that!

Should you buy organic chicken?

According to an article in Business Week the widespread use of antibiotics and growth hormones is a larger issue for those considering organic meat, poultry, eggs and milk. As a Registered Dietitian, I buy chicken without antibiotics whenever possible. But as the Business Week article reminds us, “Remember that despite all the things you could worry about, America’s food supply is among the safest in the world. And organic or not, it’s still important for your children to eat their vegetables.”

What is always true are the three basic boring nutrition principals I learned thirty year ago. . . you need planning, moderation and variety. So cook up your chicken and make sure half your plate is veggies!