Many of us are looking to make healthier lifestyle choices and one way to do that is in the kitchen. By making simple variations in our cooking, we can help to reduce calories and lower fat. We can do this, while preserving flavor by baking instead of frying our favorite foods. Try basting with broth instead of butter and removing the skin from chicken prior to cooking. Add extra flavor by adding your favorite seasonings or spices and stay away from pan frying foods, which adds extra fat. This helps lower your risk of metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes and increases the overall healthfulness of your diet.

A great recipe for baked chicken starts with eight chicken pieces. Prepare the dipping mixture by combining an egg, 2-3 tablespoons of Cajun mustard, 1/4 cup of buttermilk, and salt and pepper in a small dish. On a flat plate combine 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup of oatmeal, 1/4 cup sliced almonds, 1 tablespoon powered garlic, 1 teaspoon crushed pepper, 1 teaspoon Cajun spice, 1 teaspoon basil flakes, 1 teaspoon Italian herbs and 1 teaspoon parsley flakes. Coat the chicken in the egg mixture and then coat with the flour mixture and place on a baking sheet sprayed with canola oil. To help the flour on the chicken cook, spray the chicken pieces with canola oil before placing in a preheated oven at 425° and bake for 25-30 minutes until it’s golden brown. This chicken is much healthier than the fried version, and can also be made with boneless chicken.