Food for 'Tauk with Genevieve Salamone

Honey Crunch Chicken

So it's summer - finally - and we're all enjoying being outdoors, basking in the sun at the beach or on the boat, visiting local farm stands and hosting BBQs. Summer also means we show a little bit more skin that usual, and for me that means I need to be watchful regarding my diet. By diet I'm not talking about frozen diet foods or supplemental shakes. I don't play by those rules. I need to have the freedom to eat whatever I'd like, but the key is to watch your portions, stop eating when you're satisfied and make healthy choices.

Some of my go-to foods that fill me up nicely and won't lead me to snack on unhealthful items include yogurt, which I love to have for breakfast, or sometimes I'll have an English muffin with some butter or peanut butter. For lunch I usually try to brown-bag it and make my own ham and cheese sandwich, and maybe add a few slices of pickles on top for some crunch and salty flavor. No microwavable meals for me - they are loaded with sodium, which will only cause my ankles to bloat up like an orange.

Dinner is my largest meal of the day, and I always try to have a protein, a starch and a vegetable. The best way for me to control my portions at dinner is to stick to the one plate rule - fill up only one plate, load it with veggies, a little bit of whatever starchy side dish we're having and a decent portion (about the size of my fist) of whatever meat we've made.

Now don't get me wrong; I don't always follow my own rules. I "cheat" all the time, but somehow I seem to find a balance that works for me. I've been eating like this for almost three years now. I basically taught myself how to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating the right way, and erasing all the bad habits from my mind. It's hard to watch what you eat, especially coming from a large Italian family like mine, where the mindset was always "mangia, mangia!" and you mangia-ed because you had no choice! But it's where my love affair with food began, so I have no regrets.

So what's the one thing I'm always craving but I know I shouldn't have? Fried chicken. You know, breaded and deep-fried, like mom makes it......I like to snack on the leftovers, straight from the fridge, nice and cold. Yes, I allow myself to indulge every once in and a while (when mom is feeling wicked enough to make a batch). So instead of all the frying and the grease, I make a lighter version, bake it, and bump up the flavors so I don't feel like I'm missing out. How does "Honey Crunch Chicken" sound? Let me tell you, it sure tastes good, you wouldn't even guess that it's good for you too! And once you master this recipe, you can play around with your favorite cereal and create your own fake-out guilty pleasure!

Honey Crunch Chicken

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray so chicken does not stick. Place crumbled cereal mixture in a bowl. Combine egg whites, honey, water and salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat chicken first in egg mixture, and then dredge in crushed cereal until well coated. Transfer to sheet pan, and repeat with remaining chicken. Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray before placing in the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is golden brown and crunchy. Serves 4-6 people.

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