Eat Healthy

Steamed Chicken with Vegetables and Rice

When your stomach is feeling delicate, this dish of simple steamed chicken and mildly flavored vegetables provides gentle sustenance and beneficial nutrients.

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Adding lemon slices to the steaming liquid subtly infuses the chicken with flavor while it cooks. For added flavor, substitute chicken broth for the water when preparing the rice.

If you are up to it, add a dipping sauce to drizzle over the chicken. Combine two tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari, one tablespoon rice vinegar, one tablespoon mirin, two teaspoons honey, and one teaspoon dark sesame oil.

For a more modern spin, wrap the chicken and veggies in a tortilla or lettuce leaf (if you're not having diarrhea) and eat like a taco.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 1 cup basmati or other rice, rinsed
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch “strips”
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced

A pasta pot with an insert for steaming works well for making this dish. A mandoline or food processor with a slicing blade cuts the vegetables thinly in a jiffy.

Instructions

  1. Prepare the rice according to the package directions.

  2. Meanwhile, in a stockpot, place the lemon slices in 1 to 2 inches of water (the water shouldn’t reach the steamer). Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

  3. Lightly coat a steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, place it in a single layer in the steamer basket, and top with the carrot. Set the basket in the stockpot over the simmering water. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and squash slices. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the rice.

Per serving

Calories: 300
Fat: 3.5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg
Sodium: 75 mg
Carbohydrate: 39 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 28 g
Calcium:  40 mg
Potassium: 540 mg

Excerpted from

What to Eat During Cancer Treatment
Copyright ©2018 American Cancer Society.
cancer.org/bookstore

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