Clean Eating

I try to eat fairly clean, but I am just not able to make "strict" fit into my real life. I am not there yet. Mostly for me its just planning dinners (this is the time I have to consider others) that are a meat that is grilled or simply cooked and a side dish of veggies. I have been doing crock pot meals lately too...but I will use whatever seasonings and spices I want to. Many are the same essence. Meat, and veggies (many canned...and I rinse everything)...then my family can add things after and I can still eat it cleaner if I want. Here, its about the flexibility of the meals to suit me and them as well. We are working thru it day to day!

Today I have chicken breasts, onions, black beans, corn, cilantro, Rotel chilis and tomatoes and some seasonings cooking in the crock pot. I need to pull the chicken out and shred it then add it back in. Its a bit soupy-like. My hubby and teen daughter will likely make some rice-in-a-bag for themselves, add some cheese on top and maybe sour cream and scoop it with some tortilla chips they bought, or use some soft shells we have in there. I will eat it as is, maybe with a small sprinkle of cheese (I am not a big dairy fan).

Clean Eating Magazine has a FB page, if you FB. Has good tips, etc. Also http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/ is a great resource for anyone looking for healthy and REAL food ideas. This is a family who does no processed foods at all, challenges and mini challenges. Its a pretty extensive blog with great kids lunch and snack ideas, meals and living this clean eating way ideas. They make it seem so easy (on a budget ideas, farmers market tips and suggestions, etc). Good resource.

Good luck!

A few favorites of mine are :

- Squash and zuccini cut in chunks, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with minced garlic and a little salt... bake in the oven for 25 min and then add sundried tomatoes and bake 5 mins more

- Fingerling potatoes and halved shallots put on a baking sheet, drizzled with olive oil and salt and baked at 400 until the potatoes and browned - good with dill or garlic too

- Pan cooked eggplant with a little blue cheese on top

- Chopped cucumber with a little feta or blue cheese and mixed with tapatio/tabasco etc...

- Grilled romaine salad...cut a whole romaine in half length wise, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and grill on bbq for about 2 mins each side or until the leaves just begin to darken at the edges...top with hearts of palm or any other salad topping you like. It is so good you don't even really need dressing.

Go to the library! :) There is a magazine called, "Clean Eating" that is fantastic, as well as others like Living Without, Vegetarian Times, etc that have lots of great "clean" recipes. Look for vegan and raw vegan stuff too- books AND websites are great. There are even youtube videos out there.

Some great seasonal foods right now to think about and play with:
pumpkin, squashes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, greens (cooking and salad), apples, pears, and citrus.

www.chickiepea.wordpress.com is my food blog, if you're interested. There is a recipe tab at the top :)

M.

One suggestion I have to is to look around for your closest organic farm and sign up for a weekly share. You'll be inundated with veggies and have no choice but to eat tons of them, because another box is coming in a week. :)

Start integrating grains and seeds into your diet...they are surprisingly filling and nutrient-packed. Tonight I made quinoa with shitake and oyster mushrooms, toasted walnuts and fresh thyme. It was awesome (pm me for the whole recipe if you want it).

Also for the kids, I roast extra veggies (squash, any variety, green/yelllow beans, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, anything) and puree them. I slip them into pizza sauce, mac & cheese, hamburger patties, whatever.

i love www.everydaypaleo.com and www.wellnessmama.com

wellness mama actually has weekly recipes and shopping lists, which is really convenient and easy for me to follow. We only eat meat, seafood, nuts, fruits and veggies around here (a paleo/primal diet) and the combinations of foods are endless! Good luck :)