I’ve seen a lot of interest lately from parents trying to get their children to eat better, healthier food. And give up some of the worst offenders in the Standard American Diet, such as sugar and heavily processed food. I can imagine how difficult it is for these parents when so many unhealthy choices surround their kids.
So I’ve been thinking of putting together a menu to help parents help their children eat better. Easy to prepare, easy to store for a few days and even freeze, and quite fun to involve the children in the preparation process.
I’ll start with this healthy baked chicken nuggets recipe because it is one of the children’s favorite foods.
What’s in a chicken nugget?
When fast foods push chicken nuggets as a healthy alternative for children, they don’t tell you what’s in them. First, you will never find a chicken nugget in any restaurant made with breasts from a pasture-raised chicken. You will find organic, range-free, all-natural (whatever that means, I always wondered). That doesn’t mean anything anymore. The birds are still confined in small dark spaces, inhumanly raised and fed grains, with no real access to pasture.
“You are what you ate, ate.” Dr. Steven Gundry, The Plant Paradox
So to start with, if you eat chicken, choose the best pasture-raised option you can find. A few relatively big farms in the US (such as Primal Pastures and Burgundy Pasture Beef) deliver nationwide, and there are also local small farmers if you search enough. To be clear, most still supplement with grains, but it is minimal, and if it’s the best option available, I will go with that instead of fast-food nuggets or organic chicken.
Now, what else is in fast food chicken nuggets? According to draxe.com (and confirmed by other articles): TBHQ (a petroleum-based preservative), autolyzed yeast extract (containing MSG), GMO corn, dimethylpolysiloxane anti-foaming agent, hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium (a significant amount!), bleached wheat, sugar (dextrose); not to mention that 60% of the ‘meat’ is fat, blood vessels, ground bone, and gristle. Plus, they are deep-fried in canola or mysterious vegetable oil that has been reheated and reused numerous times. SAD!
Healthy baked chicken nuggets recipe
For lectin-free healthy homemade chicken nuggets, you need pasture-raised chicken breast, spices (such as iodized sea salt and pepper, Hungarian paprika, and maybe cayenne pepper if you and your family like them a little spicy, onion powder, garlic powder, perhaps some thyme/rosemary/sage?), pasture-raised or omega 3 eggs, almond flour, and cassava flour. Easy right?
Dipping sauce for chicken nuggets
If you want to serve the baked chicken nuggets with a dipping sauce, try these lectin-free options:
Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (halves) from a pasture-raised chicken
- 2 pasture-raised / omega 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- Spices: iodized sea salt, pepper, Hungarian paprika, garlic and onion powders
- Avocado oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut chicken breasts into strips on their length and sprinkle with a mix of spices.
Put the two flours in two separate plates.
Beat the eggs well on a deep plate. Add some salt and pepper to the eggs.
Coat the strips with a thin layer of cassava flour. Soak each strip into the egg mixture.
The next layer and last will be the almond flour.
Arrange on an oven pan oiled with avocado oil (you can also use parchment paper) and bake for 15-20 mins, depending on how big they are. Check one after 15 minutes, you don't want to overcook them.
Notes
You can make more batches at once and freeze or store them in an air-tight glass container in the fridge, for a few days. They are good to eat warm or cold.
12 Comments
Wynne Walker
August 19, 2018 at 4:17 pmYou might want to fix the spelling for the #4 instruction. π
Claudia
August 21, 2018 at 4:37 pmJeez! Thank you, fixed it π
Patty
December 31, 2018 at 6:12 amLooking for a good lectin-free bread recipe. The walnut bread is delicious but itβs more of a dessert.
Claudia
January 1, 2019 at 4:52 pmHi Patty, there are many good lectin-free bread recipes. Usually they are made with sourdough, so you will have to make a grain free sourdough starter first. I’m working on mine as we speak. The easiest way to make bread though is to use mixes of flours you can buy, one is California Country Gal (google and check her website), and the other is Simple Mills (I find it in Whole Foods, is called Artisan Bread Mix; they also make a Pizza mix that is very good). If you send me an email or DM me on Instagram, I can send you some names and links of people who make bread. xx
Heather Kociemba
April 15, 2021 at 7:21 amHi Claudia,
I would love the recipe for sourdough bread. I would also love to have the links for recipes you mentioned. Thank you for sharing your information with “the lost!”
Claudia
April 17, 2021 at 5:35 amHi Heather, I’m not sure what recipes you are referring to. I re-read this post and I don’t see any reference to other recipes. Please let me know so I can help you. xx
Sarah
May 5, 2021 at 7:41 pmI made these for two very picky girls and my toddler tonight and they loved them!!! Thank you so much!! Will definitely be making these again!
Claudia
May 7, 2021 at 4:49 amThank you so much Sarah, so happy your little ones loved them!
Cynthia
January 2, 2022 at 3:22 pmDid you mean to write “stripes” several times or “strips”?
Claudia
January 2, 2022 at 4:02 pmHi Cynthia, yes I did mean strips, thanks for noticing that and letting me know.
Miss Sequoia
May 9, 2023 at 8:54 amI don’t like the taste of sourdough breads… and I’m celiac anyway. I’m wondering what other lectin-free/gluten-free bread I can eat?
Claudia
May 9, 2023 at 9:02 amHi! You can search for ‘bread’ using the search tab, and you will find a lot of recipes for bread. Everything on this website is gluten-free and lectin-free. – Claudia