This Low Calorie Sesame Chicken Stir Fry is under 500 calories per serving. The mix of veggies, pasta, and sesame chicken is flavorful and filling.
This Sesame Chicken Stir Fry is kind of my knock-off version of the Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken. I have to admit, when I was working in an office and only had 30-minute lunch-breaks I had the Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken all the time. In fact, it was my favorite quick, frozen, lunch. My biggest gripe about it was that there wasn’t enough and I still felt hungry after eating it. The total weight of it is only 9 oz., which really isn’t a whole lot if you think about it.
I came up with this recipe the other day when I was craving Chinese food, yet I was in the mood for a healthier, lighter dish. For some reason the LC Sesame Chicken came to mind and I decided that I wanted to improve on it. It turned out SO good— way better than the LC version and healthier too (no artificial ingredients)! I used coconut oil to saute the veggies and chicken and I used the Ronzoni Smart Taste noodles (you can use whole-wheat noodles, I just love the smooth texture of Smart Taste…). It was a HUGE hit with the whole family and guess what? Everyone was completely satisfied after one serving… that’s because one serving of this (yes, I weighed it out) was 16 oz! That is almost TWICE as much as one package of Lean Cuisine.
Ok so I did some research comparing the two– FFR vs. LC, here are my results (I’m sure these can vary slightly but this is what I found based on my research using “My Fitness Pal” nutrition calculator):
Actual Food Weight: FFR=16oz LC=9oz
Fat: FFR=6g LC=9g
Calories: FFR=414 LC=330 (In our defense, you ARE getting more food. If you cut the sauce in half you can reduce the calories by about 55 calories per serving… but I like lots of sauce and it’s not something I want to sacrifice)!
Sodium: FFR=509mg LC=650mg
Carbs: FFR=45 LC=47
Fiber: FFR=10 LC=2 (This is if you use the packaged stir-fry vegetables)
Uh yeah… we killed it in this competition.
I wish I would have come up with this recipe years ago! I totally would have just made my own individual freezer meals. These re-heat GREAT and would make awesome freezer lunches for close to the same price or even cheaper than buying them (and you get MORE per serving). If you are making this with the intention of freezing, I would put the stir-fry veggies into the container without sauteing them. Put them straight in frozen, as they are.. that way when you microwave it up they aren’t being re-cooked and will taste better.
(makes 6 servings)
Low Calorie Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
- 1 12oz pkg. thin spaghetti noodles (Ronzoni Smart Taste)
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. "lite" soy sauce
- 1/2 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/2 c. white distilled vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger finely grated
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c. water
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 2 Lb. pkg. frozen stir-fry vegetables (or a mixture of fresh stir-fry vegetables)
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 Lbs. chicken breast sliced diagonally into thin strips
- 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds or to taste
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Cook noodles according to package directions.
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While noodles are cooking, combine sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes) in a saucepan and heat gently over medium heat.
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When sauce is smooth and sugar has dissolved, SLOWLY add cornstarch mixture a little at a time (you may not need ALL of it) and stir constantly until sauce has thickened to desired thickness. Set aside
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In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry until they become hot and crisp-tender. Remove from skillet and set aisde (cover with aluminum foil to keep hot).
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In the same skillet, add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Add chicken and stir fry until chicken becomes white on all sides (doesn't need to be completely cooked through), drain any excess water.
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Add sauce to the skillet with the chicken and stir to coat. Simmer on low heat for about 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring often. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds.
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Drain noodles and serve on individual plates. Top with vegetables and chicken/sauce mixture.
jackie carroll says
Made this last night for dinner. Didn’t have lite soy sauce so used regular. Also used sunflower oil instead of coconut due to cost. It turned out delicious!!!. Does not taste low cal and fills you up. I will definitely make again.
Echo says
Yay! I’m glad it was a success. Thank you for sharing your substitutions!
Tammy says
Could you use ground ginger in place of fresh ginger or would that ruin the dish?
Thanks looks delicious.
Erica says
It won’t ruin the dish, a little ground ginger would be better than no ginger at all 🙂