Hungry Girl: Get My Recipe For Guilt-Free Chicken Nuggets

Lisa Lillien is the author of the popular Hungry Girl website and email newsletter, featuring smart, funny advice on guilt-free eating. She is also the author of ten books, six of which debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Read her PEOPLE.com blog every Monday for slimmed-down celebrity recipes and more.

We all like to think we’re very grown up and mature, but part of us will always have a soft spot for chicken nuggets. But since we are technically adults, we know that the fried nuggets from our childhoods aren’t exactly a nutritious choice. What’s a comfort-food lover to do? DIY!

This recipe is what I call Clean & Hungry: No artificial ingredients, and it won’t pack on the pounds. (For more about my real-world approach to clean eating, check out my new cookbook, Hungry Girl Clean & Hungry: Easy All-Natural Recipes for Healthy Eating in the Real World.)

‘Til next time… Chew the right things

Hungry Girl’s Chicken Nuggets

Serves: 2

¼ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. each salt

⅛ tsp. black pepper

8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 10 nuggets

2 tbsp. egg whites (about 1 large egg’s worth)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. In a wide bowl, combine breadcrumbs with seasonings. Mix well.

3. Place chicken in another wide bowl. Top with egg whites, and flip to coat.

4. One at a time, shake chicken to remove excess egg, and coat with breadcrumb mixture. Evenly place on the baking sheet, and top with any remaining breadcrumbs.

5. Bake for 8 minutes. Flip chicken. Bake until slightly browned and crispy, about 8 more minutes.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: ½ of recipe (5 nuggets): 179 calories, 3g total fat (0.5g sat fat), 377mg sodium, 7.5g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugars, 28g protein