Chicken or turkey, noodles, and vegetables excluding carrots, broccoli, and/or dark-green leafy; cream sauce, white sauce, or mushroom sauce
Common food
Photo: Wikipedia
This is a comforting, creamy pasta dish featuring tender chicken or turkey, soft noodles, and a medley of vegetables, all enveloped in a rich, savory sauce. The texture is a satisfying blend of al dente noodles, tender protein, and soft-cooked vegetables, with the sauce providing a smooth, velvety coating. At just 132 kcal per 100g, it's a lighter take on a classic comfort food, offering a good balance of protein (6.09g) and carbohydrates (14.49g) for sustained energy.
Calorie split: 18% protein · 44% carbs · 38% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People adore this dish for its nostalgic, homestyle comfort and the way the creamy sauce melds the flavors of the tender poultry, soft noodles, and vegetables into a cohesive, satisfying bite. Its mild, savory profile makes it a crowd-pleaser and a versatile canvas for different culinary traditions.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The cream or white sauce can be high in sodium and saturated fat, and the refined noodles may cause a quicker blood-sugar spike for some. To counteract this, opt for whole-wheat or legume-based noodles, use a lighter sauce made with milk or broth, and add extra non-starchy vegetables to boost fiber and slow digestion.
Key benefits
- Good source of lean protein for muscle maintenance.
- Provides complex carbohydrates for steady energy release.
- Lower in calories than many cream-based pasta dishes.
- Contains a variety of vegetables for added fiber and vitamins.
- Versatile base that can be customized with different herbs and spices.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'cream sauce' in many such dishes is often a classic Béchamel, one of the five French 'mother sauces,' which was originally thickened with a paste of equal parts butter and flour called a 'roux'.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 72.5 g |
| Energy | 132 kcal |
| Protein | 6.1 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 14.5 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.1 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.1 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 24.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.83 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 17.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 84.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 111 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 345 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.60 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.06 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 13.7 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 0.60 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.14 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 mg |
| Niacin | 2.0 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.07 mg |
| Folate, total | 41.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 32.0 ug |
| Folate, food | 9.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 63.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 25.5 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.13 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 11.0 ug |
| Retinol | 9.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 23.0 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 6.0 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 10.0 ug |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 114 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.72 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.20 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 10.5 ug |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
Fat & fatty acid profile (per 100g)
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.0 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.01 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.03 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.74 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.21 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 2.0 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.09 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.9 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.03 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.0 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.8 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.21 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Cholesterol | 26.0 mg |
Amino acid profile (per 100g)
Estimated from Turnover, chicken- or turkey-, and vegetable-filled, reduced fat, frozen — USDA does not publish this profile for Chicken or turkey.
| Tryptophan | 0.16 g |
| Threonine | 0.41 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.47 g |
| Leucine | 0.80 g |
| Lysine | 0.61 g |
| Methionine | 0.23 g |
| Cystine | 0.13 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.47 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.37 g |
| Valine | 0.53 g |
| Arginine | 0.51 g |
| Histidine | 0.30 g |
| Alanine | 0.45 g |
| Aspartic acid | 0.80 g |
| Glutamic acid | 2.2 g |
| Glycine | 0.38 g |
| Proline | 0.87 g |
| Serine | 0.42 g |
| Hydroxyproline | 0.00 g |
FAQ
Is this dish gluten-free?
The standard version is not, as it contains wheat-based noodles. To make it gluten-free, use certified gluten-free pasta made from rice, corn, or legumes.
Can I make this dish dairy-free?
Yes. Substitute the cream or white sauce with a sauce made from blended silken tofu, cashew cream, or a roux made with plant-based butter and a dairy-free milk alternative like oat or soy milk.
How can I increase the protein content?
You can add more chicken or turkey, stir in a can of drained white beans, or mix in some crumbled tofu or tempeh. Using Greek yogurt instead of some of the cream in the sauce also boosts protein.
Nutrient density (calculated · NRF9.3)
Nutrient Rich Foods index: beneficial nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals) minus saturated fat, added sugar & sodium, per 100 kcal.
NRF9.3 index — Fulgoni, Keast & Drewnowski, 2009. Computed from USDA nutrients.
Weight-loss friendliness (composite index)
Energy density 1.32 kcal/g · 18% calories from protein · 1.1 g fiber · 1.1 g sugar per 100 g.
Composite of energy density (Rolls et al., 1999), protein & fiber satiety, minus sugar. A calculated heuristic — ranks satiety-per-calorie, not a clinical measure.
Dietary load (calculated from USDA values)
Potential renal acid load. Positive = acid-forming, negative = alkaline-forming.
Sodium-to-potassium ratio: 3.11 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.