Chicken or turkey, noodles, and vegetables including carrots, broccoli, and/or dark-green leafy; cream sauce, white sauce, or mushroom sauce
Common food
Photo: Wikipedia
A comforting, creamy pasta dish where tender noodles and lean chicken or turkey are coated in a rich, velvety sauce, often featuring carrots, broccoli, or dark greens. The texture is soft and satisfying, with the sauce providing a smooth, savory backdrop to the vegetables. It offers a balanced profile of protein and carbs, with a moderate amount of fat from the sauce.
Calorie split: 19% protein · 42% carbs · 39% fat
↓ Full nutrition💚 Why it's loved
People love its comforting, familiar taste and the satisfying combination of creamy sauce with soft noodles and tender meat. It's a versatile dish that can be adapted to use whatever vegetables are on hand, making it a staple in home cooking.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
The cream or white sauce can be high in saturated fat and sodium, and the dish may cause blood-sugar spikes due to refined noodles. To counteract this, opt for whole-grain noodles, use a lighter sauce base like Greek yogurt or blended cauliflower, and load the dish with extra non-starchy vegetables to increase fiber and volume.
Key benefits
- Good source of lean protein from poultry
- Provides complex carbohydrates for energy
- Contains fiber and micronutrients from vegetables
- Versatile base for adding various vegetables
- Can be a balanced one-pot meal
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The 'cream sauce' in many such dishes is often a Béchamel, a classic French white sauce made from a roux (butter and flour) and milk, which dates back to the 18th century.
Full nutrition (USDA data · scales with serving)
| Water | 73.6 g |
| Energy | 128 kcal |
| Protein | 6.1 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 13.5 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.2 g |
| Total Sugars | 1.1 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 26.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.83 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 15.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 81.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 106 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 338 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.58 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.06 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 13.7 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 3.5 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.14 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.10 mg |
| Niacin | 2.0 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.07 mg |
| Folate, total | 42.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 32.0 ug |
| Folate, food | 10.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 64.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 24.6 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.13 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 82.0 ug |
| Retinol | 9.0 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 722 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 306 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Lycopene | 0.00 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 162 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.90 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.20 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 15.7 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 | 1.8 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 | 0.22 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 healthy?
It can be part of a balanced diet. Its nutritional value depends heavily on the sauce's richness and the noodle type. Choosing whole-grain pasta, a lighter sauce, and loading it with vegetables significantly boosts its health profile.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes. Substitute the cream sauce with a sauce made from blended silken tofu, cashew cream, or a roux made with plant-based milk and oil. Nutritional yeast can add a cheesy flavor.
What's the best way to store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The noodles may absorb some sauce upon reheating; adding a splash of broth or milk when reheating can help restore creaminess.
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 1.28 kcal/g · 19% calories from protein · 1.2 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: 3.19 (lower is better — aim for ≤ 1)
Sodium:potassium per WHO potassium guidance. Computed from USDA nutrients.