Chicken gets a bad rep for being ordinary, but it’s a protein-rich, blank canvas for creative cooking. If you’re ready to expand beyond topping salad greens with grilled chicken, try one of these healthy recipes that either pairs chicken with delectable, easy-to-make sauces or remakes comfort-food favorites like chicken tenders.

1. Kale & Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken | The Healthy Maven
Simple but flavorful kale and sun dried tomato stuffed chicken is lean and protein-packed. Chicken breast is pounded thin and stuffed with superfood kale, tomatoes and creamy goat cheese. Recipe makes 4 servings at 2 pieces each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 342; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 117mg; Sodium: 968mg; Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 48g

2. Skinny Chicken Parmesan | Skinnytaste
Want to indulge in chicken parmesan while still skimping on the calories and fat? Yes, please! This take on chicken parm is crispy baked chicken breast smothered with a layer of marinara sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese. Oh, and butter is still involved where it really counts. Get started on this kid-friendly dish your whole family will love. Recipe makes 6 servings at 1/2 chicken breast each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 163; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Sodium: 751mg; Total Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugars: 5g; Protein: 11g

3. Chicken in Balsamic, Orange & Rosemary Sauce | BBC Good Food
If you’re looking for a fast but tasty way to jazz up chicken breasts on a weeknight, this recipe is it. The elegant sauce pairs sweet orange juice with acidic but sweet balsamic vinegar and piney rosemary—a perfect balanced flavor combination to make another chicken dinner anything but boring.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 259; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 63mg; Sodium: 300mg; Total Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 5g; Protein: 34g

4. Baked Honey Mustard Chicken | The Honour System
Juicy baked honey mustard chicken is easy to throw together and pop right into the oven. Just mix up your marinade, pour over the chicken and bake. Dinner's ready in an hour with minimal effort. Recipe makes 4 servings at 4 ounces each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 282; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 98mg; Sodium: 295mg; Carbohydrate: 19g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 18g; Protein: 39g

5. Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders | Eating Bird Food
Enjoy this healthy and crispy alternative to greasy chicken tenders. This recipe for baked chicken tenders uses crispy brown cereal and tangy Greek yogurt for a gluten-free crunch minus the deep frying. Spice up the chicken with harissa or any hot sauce of your choice, but you can also eliminate the hot sauce if you're making this for the little ones. Recipe makes 4 servings at 4 tenders each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 172; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 47mg; Sodium: 585mg; Carbohydrate: 12g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 25g

This juicy Baked Honey Mustard Chicken from The Honour System is easy to throw together and pops right into the oven. Just mix up your marinade, pour over the chicken and bake. Dinner’s ready in an hour with minimal effort.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

• 24 ounces uncooked Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ¼ cup Honey (local if possible)
• ¼ cup Mustard (preferably stone ground)
• 1 tablespoon Parsley, fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
• Sea Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit.

Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts and place in a large glass dish. Season them with sea salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Flip each one over a few times to coat it well.

Cook for 45-50 minutes, turning and basting them half way through.

Note: Make sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to assure an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, slice into the thickest part of the breast to assure there is no pink.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4  |  Serving Size: approx. 4 ounces of cooked chicken breast

Per serving: Calories: 282; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 98mg; Sodium: 295mg; Carbohydrate: 19g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 18g; Protein: 39g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 61mg; Vitamin A: 8%; Vitamin C: 7%; Iron: 11%; Calcium: 4%

The Healthy Maven‘s simple by flavorful kale and sun dried tomatoes stuffed chicken is lean and protein packed. Chicken breast is pounded thin and stuffed with superfood kale, tomatoes and creamy goat cheese.

Kale & Sun Dried Tomatoes Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup goat cheese
• 1 head of kale, stemmed and chopped finely
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not canned in oil), chopped finely
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place kale in a large pot and top with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 cup of water and heat over medium. Cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Remove top and sauté for several more minutes, until all kale has wilted. Add in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes. Set aside.

Slice chicken pieces in half and using a mallet, pound chicken slices to make them thinner. Crumble a tablespoon or so of goat cheese onto each piece of chicken and top with about 2 tablespoons of the kale and sun-dried tomato mixture. Roll up pieces and place seam side down in a baking dish. Top with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until chicken has cooked all the way through and is no longer pink (mine takes about 23 minutes). Serve warm.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 2 pieces

Per serving: Calories: 342; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3g; Cholesterol: 117mg; Sodium: 968mg; Carbohydrate: 11g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 5g; Protein: 48g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 612mg; Iron: 10%; Vitamin A: 106%; Vitamin C: 76%; Calcium: 7%

Using just 5 key ingredients (no, we didn’t count salt, pepper, oil, ice water or sweeteners here), you can whip up breakfast that’s worth waking up for. Don’t believe us? Put some of these simple and tasty recipes to the test, and see for yourself.

SWEET BREAKFASTS

1. Make-Ahead Instant Oatmeal Jars | MyFitnessPal Original Recipes
Instant oatmeal packets are a godsend for busy mornings, and you can create your own version using 5-ingredients or less. Buy oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts in bulk, then portion out your ingredients into adorable mason jars or light ziplock bags. Add hot water and enjoy! Recipe makes 1 oatmeal jar, but you can always double, triple, quadruple and beyond to serve your needs.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 229; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 152mg; Carbohydrate: 38g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 7g; Protein: 6g

2. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies | Skinnytaste
Can you eat cookies with no added sugar and none of the artificial stuff? Sure you can! Just 3 ingredients are needed to whip together these chewy chocolate chip breakfast cookies. Make a batch the night before, and watch them disappear at the breakfast table. Recipe makes 8 servings at 2 cookies each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 96; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 18g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 8g; Protein: 2g

3. 4-Ingredient Berry Smoothie | Dietitian Debbie Dishes
Beets in a smoothie? Why not? Besides being delicious, beets are high in many beneficial nutrients, most notably potassium, iron, folate and fiber. One of these beet-berry smoothies uses less than 5 ingredients to provide 11 grams of protein and over 5 grams of fiber, making it a quick breakfast option or mid-afternoon snack. Recipe makes 1 serving at 1 smoothie each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 234; Total Fat: 5g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 391mg; Carbohydrate: 42g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 33g; Protein: 11g

4. Mango-Pineapple Yogurt | MyFitnessPal Original Recipes
Just 5 ingredients are needed to pull off this easy breezy mango-pineapple yogurt bowl, and 3 of them are already in the recipe title! Plain yogurt is an excellent breakfast choice because it's a probiotic (i.e., a source of good bacteria) and it contains a good dose of protein, calcium and vitamin D. Recipe makes 1 serving at 1 yogurt bowl each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 334; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 172mg; Carbohydrate: 38g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 32g; Protein: 16g

5. Avocado Coconut Smoothie | Chew Out Loud
Smoothies are so much more satisfying, especially if they're full of healthy fats instead of just sugar. Buttery avocado blends beautifully with yogurt, honey, coconut milk and spinach. If you're sugar-conscious, look for unsweetened coconut milk and pare down on the added honey. We suggest making the smoothie with 3 tablespoons honey instead of 6; nutrition information reflects this. Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 345; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 15mg; Sodium: 67mg; Carbohydrate: 39g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 32g; Protein: 14g

6. Peanut Butter Banana Grilled Cheese | Clean Eating
This 4-ingredient grilled cheese has a sweet and creamy twist: peanut butter and ripe banana chunks! It's an overlooked combination that turns this sandwich into a winner since it bumps up protein and fiber. Recipe makes 1 serving at 1 sandwich each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 363; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 3mg; Sodium: 352mg; Carbohydrate: 54g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 18g; Protein: 16g

SAVORY BREAKFASTS

7. Simple Egg Sandwiches| MyFitnessPal Original Recipes
Slap together a simple breakfast sandwich using just 4 ingredients: English muffin, egg, avocado and cheese. Make the eggs ahead of time so that all you have to do in the morning is put your sandwich together. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 sandwich each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 369; Total Fat: 21g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 241mg; Sodium: 464mg; Carbohydrate: 27g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 18g

8. Spinach and Cheese Omelet | Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook
For a hot and savory breakfast, it doesn't get that much simpler than omelets! Omelets are a versatile way to enjoy eggs—you can add as many or as little ingredients to it as you want. This recipe uses tomatoes, spinach and cheese, but you can sub in your favorite veggies. Recipe makes 1 serving.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 190; Total Fat: 13g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 432mg; Sodium: 319mg; Carbohydrate: 2g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein 15g

9. Italian-Style Baked Eggs | Flat Belly Diet Cookbook
A runny, sunny egg yolk over toast is one reason you should get out of bed! These simple baked eggs require few ingredients but plenty of lovin' from your oven. The dish calls for a delicious sauce made with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, a wonderful thing for those of us who like to dip our toast. Dress it up on a mini-casserole dish, and it'll make the perfect breakfast for houseguests. Recipe makes 4 servings at 1 toast plus 1 egg each.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 305; Total Fat: 20g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 11g; Cholesterol: 187mg; Sodium: 336mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 3g; Protein 10g

10. Simple Egg Breakfast Quesadilla | Taste of Home
These tasty breakfast quesadillas blanket fluffy eggs and gooey cheese in a crispy tortilla shell. The recipe sprinkles in bacon for a savory kick, but you can omit or replace with black beans to be vegetarian-friendly. Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 401; Total Fat: 22g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Monounsaturated Fat: 5g; Cholesterol: 357mg; Sodium: 728mg; Carbohydrate: 27g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 24g

11. Omelet in a Cup | Once a Month Meals
So you forgot to boil eggs last night, and you can't muster up the morning energy to turn on the stove. We get it—it's one of those days! Our suggestion is to load up your cup with simple omelet-esque ingredients and then pop it into the microwave. If you still don't believe us, try out this recipe. Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 246; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 373mg; Sodium: 275mg; Carbohydrate: 4g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 18g

12. Poached Egg + Crispy Prosciutto Avocado Toast | Elle Penner, MyFitnessPal Registered Dietitian
It's easy to get into a sugar crash after breakfast. Between the coffee, banana, bagel and other quick fixes we grab in the morning, where else can we squeeze in the fat and protein that add balance to the meal? Thank goodness the solution is less than 5-ingredients and 7-minutes away: poached egg and prosciutto avocado toast! Recipe makes 1 serving.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 273; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 195mg; Sodium: 661mg; Carbohydrate: 22g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 15g

13. Egg Muffins with Ham, Kale & Cauliflower | Food Faith Fitness
Egg muffins are a portable and popular low-carb breakfast, and with good reason. Whip up a batch of egg muffins loaded with ham, kale, cheese and cauliflower—so few ingredients, but so much flavor! Recipe makes 6 servings at 1 muffin each. At under 100 calories per muffin, you can enjoy more than 1 serving for your morning meal.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 63; Total Fat: 3g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 101mg; Sodium: 208mg; Carbohydrate: 2g; Dietary Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 7g

As you may remember, back in February MyFitnessPall announced that we have joined forces with Under Armour. We've been hard at work since then looking at ways this partnership can make your MyFitnessPal experience even better.

We're excited to share that we're now working more seamlessly than ever with Under Armour's health and fitness network, UA Record.

UA Record is a personalized platform that provides tailored instruction, information and inspiration based on your data. You can track workouts and calories burned on the app and sync seamlessly with MyFitnessPal. If you use a connected heart rate monitor with UA Record, you can see current heart rate, peak heart rate, and average heart rate in real time during your workout. Then, you get an even more accurate count of your calories burned.

Connecting a UA Record account with MyFitnessPal gives you even more ways to achieve your health goals.

If you find yourself relying on restaurant takeout or processed convenience foods more than you like, we feel you. Making time to prepare healthy, home-cooked meals can seem like a chore, especially if it's not yet part of your daily or weekly routine, but it's really a key component of achieving good nutrition and long-term success. Here are 10 easy, healthy cooking hacks to make your time in the kitchen just a little bit easier:

1. Make breakfast in 90 seconds. Breakfast doesn't need to be a large production; keep it simple for mornings when you have to be out of the house fast. Homemade breakfast burritos are a fast, simple way to grab a meal in the morning using only a microwave. Place one 6-inch tortilla in a cereal bowl and crack an egg onto the tortilla. Add toppings like green chilies, a sprinkle of cheese, onions and leftover roasted veggies from the night before. Microwave for 90 seconds or until the egg is cooked. Top with salsa and voilà: breakfast in 90 seconds.

2. Have 3–5 healthy, go-to dinner recipes. If the thought of full-on meal planning is a bit too much to bite off, start by collecting a few simple, healthy dinner recipes. These are dinners that can be made with less than 10 ingredients in under 30 minutes. Make them and memorize them if they're worthy. Working with recipes that you know by heart makes cooking way less of a hassle.

3. Take it one dish at a time. Learning how to cook takes a bit of practice, so start simple and take it slow. Begin by selecting one new recipe, preferably one that's done in 30 minutes or less. If you like it enough, perfect it next time by adjusting the seasoning to your taste buds. Do this a few times a month, and before you know it you'll have a rotation of familiar favorites to choose from. You can even add your top recipes to the MyFitnessPal food database for quick and easy logging!

4. Plan for leftovers. If you are preparing a large meal, double the batch. Prepare 1 to serve and the other to put in the freezer or fridge. This way, you have double the food but half the mess! You can also prepare extra chicken or steak to cut up and add to a salad to make for a filling lunch the next day.

5. Learn some simple ingredient substitutions. Oftentimes, adapting a decadent dish into something a little more nutritious can be as simple as swapping out 1 or 2 ingredients. For example, dollop some 2% Greek yogurt on top of your spuds in place of sour cream for a protein-packed potato. I've found Pinterest to be a great resource for healthy ingredient-substitution ideas.

6. Prep a big soup. Soups are a simple way to eat more produce and fiber-rich beans. Opt for homemade, broth-based soups instead of creamy ones. Make a big batch, and freeze some of it for another week. Pour single servings into to-go containers to make it easy to grab and go for work lunches. Sip on soup for lunch to fill your body up with good stuff.

7. Blend your veggies. Add a smoothie or fresh juice to get a few servings of fruits and veggies in your diet. Smoothies make a great breakfast or snack. Make them yourself so that you're in control of the ingredients. If you're making it a meal or want a snack that lasts, blend fruits and veg with proteins like Greek yogurt, kefir or milk and healthy fats like cashews, nut butters, avocado or coconut oil.

8. Make mason jar salads. Not only do these look awesome, but they also make salads fun and functional. No more oddly shaped plastic containers that don't fit right in a lunch box and never seem to get dry in the top rack of the dishwasher. To learn the best way to assemble, check out 5 Easy Steps to Making Mason Jar Salads. Once you start, you'll be taking salads to work on the regular.

9. Batch-roast your veggies. Before your week begins, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and roast off your favorite veggies, like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms, butternut squash, kale and sweet potatoes. This small step will help ensure healthy eating during the week. Toss roasted veg on a salad, in an omelet or a breakfast scramble, or serve on the side of grilled chicken or in a wrap. To roast vegetables, preheat oven to 425°, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, arrange veg on sheet (not overcrowding the pan), and mist veg with olive or coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 25–45 minutes, depending on toughness of the veggies, until they begin to turn brown and crisp.

10. Stock your pantry. Healthy pantry staples make it easy to whip up a homemade dinner in no time flat. Convenient, budget-friendly pantry items include low-sodium canned beans, canned tuna, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, nut butters, mixed nuts, unsweetened dried fruits, and whole grains like oats, brown rice and whole-grain pasta. Having a stash of these staples will save time and money and allow you to pull together flavorful dishes when you have food in the fridge that needs to be eaten up.