Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

Last week, you all voted on which of my Instagram lunches you’d like to see...

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

Last week, you all voted on which of my Instagram lunches you’d like to see me recreate on the blog, with a recipe. This is the one that won!

The best part about spiralizing is that even the simplest of dishes are satisfying and taste flavorful! Even though I taste all of my recipes while testing, I almost always make myself a separate lunch.

What can I say? I love food. 🙂

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

When I first started off blogging, I wasn’t managing the whole I-work-from-home-now and the I’m-always-near-food thing. Not only was I nearly devouring every dish that I was recipe-testing for the blog (sometimes 2-3 a day), I was snacking a lot.

While I was eating very healthy, nutrient-dense food, I was eating too much – and also snacking on some not-so nutrient-dense food. Lesson learned: don’t buy chocolate Teddy Grahams. I have no self-control when it comes to chocolate.

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

Anyway, now, I’ve found my groove (only took 7 months!) and while I taste everything I make, I don’t eat the whole plate. Then, I always make myself a light, simple lunch so that I keep balanced. I’ve never been a grazer, I like to eat three meals a day and a few snacks in between.

We’re all individual, so our bodies react differently to eating patterns. I’m happy to have found my best eating pattern that helps me maintain a healthy weight and mind!

Once I found this “groove,” the weight came right off (the pounds gained from adjusting to life working out of my apartment). Honestly, with working out a few times a week, eating Inspiralized at least once a day (but usually twice) and keeping hydrated, I lost about 15 pounds in a month. I rarely weigh myself, but I wanted to test out my theory that Inspiralized meals can help with weight loss, so I weighed myself and made this before and after on my Instagram:

Screen Shot 2014-03-31 at 10.58.10 AM

Now, I’m on a mission to lose that last 10-15 which will put me at my most comfortable size. How do I plan on doing that? Simply upping my exercise routine! I’m already eating a healthy diet and want to make sure I keep nourished for my workouts.

If you’re interested in others using Inspiralized to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, make sure you’re part of the community. To join (it’s free!) click here.

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

This lunch is one of my favorites – the feta is a naturally low-fat cheese that offers huge salty flavor. The chicken is a lean protein that keeps you satisfied and fueled, while the spinach and zucchini noodles give you that fibrous vegetable boost. It’s a perfect light lunch, suitable for someone trying to maintain their weight.

Plus, there’s no olive oil here, so the calories are low and the added red pepper flakes give it a spicy kick. The lemon juice aids with digestion and keeps this pasta dish refreshing and tasty.

Would you like the full story on my weight loss journey? If you’d like to see me do a post about it on the blog, comment below and let me know!

 

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 2-3 chicken breast tenderloins strips, cut into chunks
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 packed cup of spinach
  • 1 large zucchini Blade C
  • 5 small cubes of feta cheese less than 1/4 cup

Instructions

  • Place a large skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray and add in your chicken. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for about 3 minutes and then flip over, cooking another 3-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Then, add in the lemon juice, spinach, zucchini and garlic powder. Let cook, tossing frequently, until spinach is wilted and zucchini noodles soften, about 3 minutes.
  • When done, use pasta tongs to transfer to a bowl. Season with pepper, top with feta and enjoy!

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Feta and Spinach

with love, Ali

leave a comment

Recipe Rating




comments

    • ALl of your recipes sound great. 9ne problem, I like to see the food values of the food I eat. Why not out the calorie count etc. at the end of each recipe.
  • I want to hear about the journey!
  • Made the zucchini noodles, chicken & feta. I added diced red bell pepper for color and greek seasoning.It was delicious and easy!
    • Carol great minds think alike. I was going to add some artichokes as well.
  • I want to hear about your weight loss journey!
  • I'd love for you to feature a post on your weight loss journey.
    • Love your recipes and would love to hear about your weight journey
  • I've ordered the spiral slicer today...I sure hope you will continue to provide deluxe recipes to use it and encourage good health!
  • I've only had my spiralizer for a few weeks, but I've used it non-stop. Of all the recipes I've tried, this one is my favorite!
  • Have you tried reheating this. I was thinking of making a double batch -- for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow (reheated in the microwave.)
    • I found that it reheated very well in the microwave.
  • Ali, are your recipes generally for one person? I am trying to get my husband hooked too!
  • This was delicious! I used leftover cranberry-orange chicken which made it even quicker. Thanks!
  • This was so, so good. So much flavor, with so little ingredients.
  • Fantastic recipe, added a spoonful of sun dried tomatoes. Going to try your bacon shrimp scampi!
  • So much flavor in this recipe, thanks for this!
  • I love pasta and I love vegetables! Starting on a serious 80 lb weight loss journey, I was skeptical about zucchini as noodles. Boy was I ever pleasantly surprised! This was so delicious that I can't wait to have it again. I received the hand spiralizer as a gift and am looking for healthy recipes. Please add me to your emails to receive your recipes and follow your successful weight loss journey. Thanks so much for sharing! I am not on Facebook so I have included my email in the details below hoping you receive it.
  • This was really good and so easy! My husband was pleasantly surprised (even though he had to throw in some regular pasta noodles). My goal is to convert his carb loving ways with your yummy recipes. :)
  • Hi there! I'm new to spiralizing, and I want to try this recipe out because it looks AMAZING! I'm wondering, does this meal refrigerate well? Could I make it, say, tonight and eat it the day after tomorrow?
  • I would love to hear about your weight loss experience! ...regarding this recipe, could I substitute goat cheese for the feta?
  • I would like to use spiralized zuc. For chicken noodle soup but do I salt them and let them rest in a strainer or raw or cook in Teflon on top of stove. Confused
  • I don't like cooked (sauteed) zucchini but am really interested in this- would you recommend starting with another vegetable or still trying the zucchini? Does the flavor change at all?
    • If you don't like zucchini, I'd suggest making a batch with zucchini, but having another veg on hand to swap in! The flavor doesn't change but the texture and consistency does when it's spiralized, so it's much less aggressive than a cube of zucchini ! Hope that helps.
  • Spinach and chicken are great friends. Adding feta, which is combined so good with either one of them into the equation makes this dish perfect! We have some great rustic (sheep's milk) feta on the fridge at the moment so we'll go ahead and try your fantastic recipe!:) Great work Ali! Panos and Mirella
  • I just made this for lunch...I can't believe how delicious it is!! Especially without using olive oil!! Amazing and will be making regularly :)
  • Very hopeful that this is a wonderful new addition to life long weight loss efforts!
  • This recipe was great! I can't believe it is only 1 serving!! There is sooooo much food. The one zucchini sure seems to "multiply". I had to use some olive oil though cuz I don't like the taste of cooking spray. Thanks for the great recipe.
  • Sounds great, but I don't like cheese - can you recommend an alternative, or will just leaving it out work fine? Thanks for the recipe!
    • If you are not a fan of cheese, leaving it out is the best option! If you're looking for any vegan cheese options, Ali has a great recipe for cashew cheese: https://inspiralized.com/2015/09/28/french-lentil-and-arugula-salad-with-herbed-cashew-cheese/
      • Awesome! Thanks so much! :)
  • Absolutely divine. My first spiral vege recipe and my husband loved it also! Big stars! I used shredded chicken, corriander, lemon infused oil and lime zest instead of garlic and forgot the spinach! Wouldn't change a thing it was fabulous thanks for the inspiration!
  • Loved this! Added a bit of cayenne pepper for some KICK.
  • This is the kind of spiraled recipe that I love... simple, versatile, and fast!
    • We're so happy you like this dish!
  • Hi ~ I just wanted to say thanks for this great recipe. It's my very first time cooking with "zoodles" and I had no idea what to expect. I doubled the recipe and added sliced roasted red peppers. My husband went back for seconds! I can't wait to try more recipes with my new spiralizer.
  • Just made this for lunch, tossed in some roasted cherry tomatoes from the garden. Yum!
  • Just made this for lunch as I had everything on hand. It was awesome. The only tweak to the instructions that I would suggest is to take the chicken out of the pan before adding in the zoodles, spinach etc, and then put it back in when those items were cooked, and toss together. Per the instructions, I left the chicken in after cooking for 6 minutes in the beginning of the recipe, turning once. I sliced a piece, tasted it to make sure it was cooked before adding in the other stuff. After 3 more minutes in the pan, my chicken was overcooked, not so I couldn't eat it but I preferred the texture of the chicken I tested at 6 minutes. I will note on my recipe to do this, and will definitely be serving this for my family very soon. Delicious!
  • This was my first try with my spiralizer. It was a huge hit! My 3 and 5 yo loved it, as did myself and husband. I doubled everything, omitted the cheese (dairy allergy) and added chopped asparagus. Cannot believe my 3 yo consumed as much "greens" as he did. Cannot believe how flavorful it turned out. So simple, definitely adding to my meal planning rotation.
  • Just got my serialized this is the second recipe that I have made the first came out so so. I made this recipe today for me and my wife it came out PERFECTLY he directions were easy to follow. It was delicious.
  • Loved it!! I added a bit of ground Thyme and sherry to the chunked chicken before cooking. Also added some halved cherry tomatoes. Really nice lemon pepper taste.