Great BBQ in your dorm room - no fire needed

When life demands a no-cook meal, it doesn't have to come from a takeout box. Or at the expense of good nutrition.

For example, the shredded meat of a store-bought rotisserie chicken can be used to create a number of quick, wholesome meals. The key to keeping it healthy is to always remove the skin, which contains large amounts of fat.

Buy rotisserie chickens from a store that sells a lot of them and marks them with the time they were prepared. This way you will be sure to get a chicken that hasn't been sitting under warming lights for a long time, which can dry it out.

Here are some easy uses for the pulled meat of a rotisserie chicken:

• Use to top a salad of pre-washed mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and bagged shredded carrots.

• Create quick burritos by mixing shredded chicken with salsa and wrapping it in flour tortillas along with some pre-washed and chopped lettuce plus some canned refried beans.

• Make a curried chicken salad by mixing the meat with reduced-fat mayonnaise, curry powder, halved grapes and chopped walnuts.

One drawback to rotisserie chickens is that they often are high in sodium. If you are watching your salt intake you might consider using a home-roasted chicken that you have prepared ahead of time.

This simple recipe for spicy barbecue pulled chicken sandwiches takes only a few minutes in a microwave, making it perfect for students who are cooking with limited kitchen access.

Shredded rotisserie chicken is mixed with your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce, some cider vinegar for extra zest and a few dashes of hot sauce. The mixture is heated, then served on toasted buns or wrapped in warmed tortillas.

When purchasing a bottled barbecue sauce read the label carefully and select a brand with no high-fructose corn syrup and less than 300 milligrams of sodium per serving.

As a side dish, try this easy-to-make creamy blue cheese coleslaw. It's prepared using your favorite low-fat blue cheese bottled dressing combined with a pre-shredded coleslaw mix. You also can use shredded broccoli slaw mix.

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