Start by adding chicken (preferably without the skin) and lots of veggies to your plate or   lunchbox.
Add a small helping of fat. Go for avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds or cottage cheese.
If you’re having a carbohydrate, stick to fibre-rich options (e.g. seed loaf, bulgur wheat or brown rice) or starchy vegetables (e.g. sweet potato or butternut).

Make the meal sing with a dash of lemon, lime, orange juice or vinegar.
Steer clear of sugary, high-kilojoule drinks. Enjoy your meal with a glass of sparkling water instead.

• The uneven thickness of chicken breasts can make it hard to braai them to perfection. The solution? Gently pound or butterfly the breasts before you put them on the fire.
• Marinate the breasts for at least 30 minutes. A marinade made with plain yoghurt, buttermilk or amasi makes for succulent chicken.
• Clean your braai grid with a halved onion and smear it with a dash of cooking oil before braaiing your breasts.
• Braai the breasts for 8 – 10 minutes or until cooked through. At the same time, braai a few slices of pineapple and lightly toast the insides of the buttered buns.
• Build your burgers with the toasted buns, juicy chicken breasts, pineapple slices, mayo, lettuce and tomato. Seconds, anyone?

• Mix 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder and ½ – 1 tsp chilli flakes (depending on how hot you want your rub to be).
• Crush the spices together – either with a mortar and pestle or with a spice/coffee grinder.
• Rub the spices all over the skin of the chicken and leave in the fridge for an hour or two.
• Braai or cook your chicken in the oven, and tuck in!

• Print out our recipe for chicken burger pita breads.

• Let the kids check which ingredients you have and which ones need to go onto the shopping list.

• Get the kids to help with the prep: they can set the oven, help make the tzatziki (while you supervise), and fill the pita breads.

• Let them clean the kitchen and do the washing up with your help. This is an important skill that every little chef should learn.

Here’s how to quickly turn stale bread into a delicious coating for chicken:

• Grate stale bread on the coarse side of your grater or blitz the bread in a food processor.
• Spread the crumbs out on a baking sheet. 
• Bake at 150°C for 25 minutes or until slightly toasted.
• Make your schnitzels, and enjoy!

• Roast a whole chicken and enjoy everything it has to offer. Use the carcass for stock and the giblets to make delicious sauces and gravies.
• Bulk up chicken dishes with healthy, budget-friendly legumes (e.g. beans and chickpeas). Go for dried instead of canned beans, as they tend to cost less.
• Use local, seasonal fruit and vegetables to make delicious chicken dishes. You’ll save money and enjoy the freshest produce there is.
• Don’t throw out that last bit of rice in the pot. Use it as a stuffing for chicken the next day.
• Grow your own herbs. You’ll waste less and save more.
• Lemons pair wonderfully with chicken and cost very little if picked from your own lemon tree. Get planting!

• Pre-heat the cooker, as this will reduce the cooking time.
• Season the chicken well before placing it in the cooker.
• Always brown chicken pieces before adding them to the slow cooker. This adds colour and flavour to the chicken.
• Place any root veggies (e.g. potato, sweet potato, carrots) at the bottom of the cooker, as they take longest to cook. Use celery, herbs and onion to add flavour.
• Add your sauce early in the cooking process, as this will add moisture, prevent the chicken from sticking to the cooker, and add even more delicious flavour to the dish.
• Remember that chicken dishes cook faster than, for example, lamb dishes. Keep an eye on the recipe – and the clock.
• Make sure your chicken is cooked through before serving. The juices should run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with a knife.

• Lay the skins of large chicken thighs skin-side down on a lined baking tray and scrape off any excess meat with a small, sharp knife.
• Sprinkle with good-quality flaky sea salt freshly ground pepper.
• Place another baking sheet and tray over the chicken skins to weigh them down.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180°C.
• Sprinkle over salad and tuck in!

• Start by using kitchen twine – plain, unbleached cotton string that won’t melt or burn. You’ll need at least 0,9m of twine for an average-sized chicken.
• Put the chicken, breast side up, on a chopping board. With the legs facing towards you, position the centre of the twine underneath the tailbone.
• Next, secure the legs by lifting the twine and wrapping each end around the bottom of the legs. Cross the two pieces in the middle.
• Now, holding both ends of the twine, pull tightly until the legs come together. Pulling the ends away from you, wrap the twine over the wings and around the front of the chicken.
• Turn the bird over so the neck is facing you and tie a knot beneath the neckbone.
• Trim the ends of the twine using a knife – it’s easier to clean than a pair of scissors.
• Turn the chicken onto its back again and pop it into the oven to roast.