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DinnerMediterranean · 30 min · 2 servingsPollo al limón con verduras salteadas

Lemon chicken with sautéed vegetables

Each serving has 283 kcal, 36.1 g of protein, and 3.8 g of fiber, or 12.8 g of protein per 100 kcal. Ready in 30 minutes; makes 2 servings.

  • High in protein
  • Easy to digest
  • Low energy density

Per serving

  • 283 kcalCalories
  • 36.1 gProtein
  • 3.8 gFiber

Calculated ingredient by ingredient from USDA FoodData Central. 12.8 g of protein per 100 kcal.

Lemon chicken with sautéed vegetables, seen from above
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Ingredients

2 servings

Plus, with no meaningful nutrition (not counted in the table):

  • Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Thyme or oregano, salt, and pepper to taste
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of water

Weights are for each food as described on its page: raw, cooked, or drained, as noted. Grams are the reference used for the math; ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents.

Directions

  1. Toss the chicken with the lemon zest, half the lemon juice, the garlic, thyme, and a pinch of salt, and let it sit while you cut the vegetables.
  2. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked through (165 °F, or 74 °C, inside). Move it to a plate.
  3. Add the rest of the oil, the onion, and the carrots to the same skillet and cook for 4 minutes.
  4. Add the bell pepper and zucchini and sauté 5 minutes more, until tender but not mushy.
  5. Return the chicken to the skillet with the remaining lemon juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and let it bubble for 1 minute to make a light pan sauce.
  6. Season with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Why it is filling

Chicken breast cut into strips cooks in a few minutes, stays juicy, and brings plenty of protein with very little fat. More than half the plate is vegetables, which add volume and color for few calories, and the lemon and herbs carry the flavor without a heavy sauce. It is a light dinner that tends to sit well: nothing fried, no cream, and only enough fat to sauté.

In numbers, each serving has 36.1 g of protein and 3.8 g of fiber, with an energy density of 75 kcal per 100 g of the dish. In the satiety index by Holt and colleagues (1995), the foods that were most filling per calorie were those with more protein, fiber, and water and less fat.

High in protein
At least 15 g of protein per serving and 6 g per 100 kcal.
Easy to digest
A soft dish with little fat (20 g or less per serving) and no large amounts of ingredients that often cause gas or nausea. This is an editorial call, not a measurement.
Low energy density
100 kcal or less per 100 g of the dish: plenty of volume for few calories.

If your appetite is small

  • If a full serving is too much, eat the chicken first and save some of the vegetables to go with the next day’s lunch.
  • The second serving keeps for 2 days in the fridge and is good cold over a few salad greens.

Nutrition facts

Values per serving and for the whole recipe (2 servings), calculated from the ingredients. Protein per 100 kcal: 12.8 g.
NutrientPer servingWhole recipe
Calories283 kcal565 kcal
Protein36.1 g72.3 g
Carbohydrates12.8 g25.6 g
Fiber3.8 g7.6 g
Fat9.5 g19.1 g
Approximate weight375 g (13 oz)750 g (26 oz)

How it is calculated

Each ingredient contributes its per-100 g values from the site’s food database, multiplied by the amount in the recipe. Seasonings, water, and lemon or lime juice are not counted. It is an approximation: the actual size of the foods and how you cook them shift the result a little.

What each ingredient contributes to the whole recipe.
IngredientAmountCaloriesProteinFiber
Chicken breast300 g360 kcal67.5 g0 g
Zucchini200 g34 kcal2.4 g2 g
Red bell pepper100 g26 kcal1 g2.1 g
Carrot100 g41 kcal0.9 g2.8 g
Onion40 g16 kcal0.4 g0.7 g
Olive oil10 g88 kcal0 g0 g

To plan your meals

More recipes

See all recipes

Sources

Nutrition values for each ingredient (USDA FoodData Central) and the satiety reference, with the access date.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw (FDC ID 171077).accessed .
  2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw (FDC ID 169291).accessed .
  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Peppers, sweet, red, raw (FDC ID 170108).accessed .
  4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Carrots, raw (FDC ID 170393).accessed .
  5. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Onions, raw (FDC ID 170000).accessed .
  6. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC ID 171413).accessed .
  7. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (PubMed).Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995;49(9):675-90.accessed .