6 Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes for Lunch

Who doesn’t love a classic chicken salad at a picnic or barbecue?

What if I told you that you could still have your favorite outdoor meal but in a high protein, low calorie, low cholesterol version?

Take out the fatty ingredients like mayo, add in unique spices, fruits, and veggies, and you transform the classic American dish into well…a much better version of itself.

The creamy texture, the crunchy nuts, the tangy fruit…it’s basically a party full of yummy flavor.

Try these healthy chicken salad recipes next time you’re invited to a cookout or enjoy on your own for some simple weekday lunches.

1. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Many classic chicken salad recipes use mayo, but it’s easy to sub it with a cleaner ingredient that still gives it its creamy texture.

This recipe uses nonfat greek yogurt instead to make a low-fat dish that’s just as yummy.

Chicken salad has a whopping 24 grams of protein between the shredded chicken breast and pecans, which are also high in nutrients like vitamin A and potassium.

2. Low-Fat Healthy Chicken Salad

This chicken salad recipe does still use a highly reduced amount of mayo but substitutes the rest for plain greek yogurt.

A perfect meal prep recipe to break out when you have leftover chicken to use up.

It’s heavy on fresh herbs like parsley and dill, but you can add cilantro or basil if you want to really kick it up a notch. Try adding red grapes for a refreshing, sweet balance.

3. Healthy Chicken Salad with Almonds

Pecans don’t run the chicken salad game. Almonds are lower in calories and higher in protein with just as much crunchy goodness.

Dijon mustard and fresh lemon juice combined with greek yogurt produce a creamy dressing full of strong, tangy flavor.

Red grapes add a perfectly refreshing balance.

Pro Tip: Use rotisserie chicken to make the total time for this recipe even shorter.

4. Healthy Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is such an easy recipe to whip up for a healthy lunch. In this healthy chicken salad, you’ll use green onions, diced celery, and vitamin C-heavy dried cranberries for flavorful additions to your cooked chicken.

The prep time is as long as it takes you to mix up the ingredients in a large bowl, so it’s an easy meal plan staple.

5. Chicken Salad Sandwich with Raisins and Curry Powder

When a classic chicken salad immediately brings you back to a 4th of July afternoon, you’re in for an adventure once you add some spice.

This is the best chicken salad for those who love to switch things up. This recipe uses olive oil-based mayo, which has a lower fat content.

The diced red onion and carrot spiced with the curry flavor couldn’t be any more yummy.

6. Healthy Garlic Herb Chicken Salad

Only bring this to work in an airtight container, because your coworkers will seethe with jealousy when they smell this seasoning.

Sweet tomatoes, rotisserie chicken, fresh basil, and a grain such as quinoa or rice are bathed in a light, clean dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.

Close your eyes and each taste will make you feel like you’re sitting on the Tuscan coast.

What should I eat my healthy chicken salad on?

Those of us who are trying to eat cleaner are probably tired of processed white bread filled with carbohydrates and boring grocery store buns.

It’s rare to find a low-carb option at a picnic, let alone one that tastes yummy.

Every great chicken salad recipe needs an equally great partner to bring it where it’s meant to be—AKA your mouth. Here are some healthier options.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ditch the croissants, because you don’t even need any bread at all to enjoy your chicken salad.

A lettuce wrap is a refreshing, crunchy alternative that works great with the veggies and fruit found in many healthy chicken salad recipes.

This chicken salad recipe also uses bacon in addition to the chicken breast, so you can enjoy more protein with even better flavor.

Spinach Tortillas

Store-bought flour tortillas can be high in carbohydrates and calories.

Try your hand at making a homemade spinach tortilla. Spinach is high in calcium and potassium, and the leafy green adds a natural, refreshing taste to every bite of your chicken salad.

With four ingredients and only a 25-minute total time of cooking, this is just as easy as your healthy chicken salad recipe.

Yeast-Based Paleo Bread

It doesn’t get more low carb than this. This bread has almost the same texture as regular bread, but the paleo-friendly ingredients are much easier on the digestive system.

It gets a nutty flavor from the flaxseed, which makes it perfect to hold the best chicken salad recipes.

When you meal plan at the beginning of the week, make sure you’re including this recipe as it works for nearly all meals and tastes good with almost any filling.