Clean Eating
Clean eating is a lifestyle of forsaking artificial and processed foods in favor of a natural, nutritionally-balanced diet. By selecting only natural foods, you are free to enjoy the added energy, improved health, and weight management they provide. While this sounds simple enough, there are plenty of problems one may face when opting for organic and putting a truly clean plate together.
Avoiding processed foods requires vigilance; you may find yourself more closely examining ingredient labels and cooking more often. Many popular meals include refined, processed, or artificial ingredients, and finding alternatives that please your palate in the same way may take time. Additionally, buying natural may require a bigger budget or a change in buying habits. No matter your dilemma, we aim to make clean eating as easy as possible.
The Clean Eating Diet
Clean eating entails more than simply seeking natural foods. It’s also imperative to maintain a balanced diet with the nutrients your body needs. Any healthy diet starts with a blend of fruits and vegetables to supply fiber, vitamins and minerals. Healthy carbohydrates from legumes, whole grains, and starchy vegetables are equally important, as are fats and protein. Lean protein from free-range or wild-caught sources are ideal.
Though clean eating aims at avoiding artificial and processed foods, certain compromises are more acceptable than others. Not everything you eat will brandish an organic label, and opting for frozen foods is perfectly fine; our freeze-dried vegetables for example, maintain most of their nutritional value. What is important is to seek a minimal ingredient list with no GMOs.
Other considerations include selecting whole grains whenever possible; most restaurants offer a substitution of brown rice for little to no extra cost. Reducing your consumption of red meat, salt, and sugar should also support your efforts. Instead, opt for poultry and fish as your primary sources of protein and season your meal with real herbs and spices. Swapping out sources of saturated fats like butter for unsaturated fats like olive oil can also supply all sorts of benefits, such as the lowering of your LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol levels.
Clean Living
Eating is only one aspect of your lifestyle and, though it is arguably the most pivotal, a clean life requires a real commitment to health across all facets of your life. Reducing alcohol consumption can be essential in supporting healthy blood sugar levels and maintaining hepatic health. An active lifestyle can also prove crucial in your battle to maintain a healthy weight and enhance your cardiovascular health.
If you find you’re having a hard time fitting exercise into your busy schedule, then you may find that buying in bulk saves you both time and money. Freeze your proteins and cook a week’s worth of food at a time in one large batch to really feel the savings.
Clean Eating Recipes
Searching for some ways to create meals and snacks of your own with the organic ingredients you keep in your pantry? Find replacements for your favorite meals awith the simple recipes below as formulated by our registered dietitian!
Blueberry Chia Seed Jam Recipe
A clean and healthsome jam that provides the ideal topping for your whole wheat toast or bagels to start the mornings with a burst of energy and a blast of fruity flavor.
Ingredients: Blueberries, chia seeds, organic agave syrup.
Total Time: 10 minutes
| Yield: 1 cup
Matcha Green Tea Smoothie Recipe {gluten-free, vegan}
For days that require a quick meal in the morning, this simple smoothie supplies a scrumptious start to your day.
Ingredients: Almond milk, matcha green tea powder, hemp protein powder, almond flour, dried mulberries, pitted dates, flaxseed meal, ice cubes, stevia powder.
Total Time: 5 minutes
| Yield: 4 smoothies
Spirulina Smoothie Recipe
This superfood-based blended beverage can be enjoyed in the morning, afternoon, or night and offers a sweet taste from naturally wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients: Spirulina, banana, fresh spinach, apple juice, crushed ice, lemon juice.
Total Time: 2 minutes
| Yield: 2 smoothies
No-Bake Granola Bars Recipe {gluten-free, vegan}
Finding replacements for your favorite snacks is often challenging and may require innovation in the kitchen. Create your own clean granola bars with this quick and easy recipe.
Ingredients: Gluten-free rolled oats, peanut butter, dried tart cherries, pistachios, flaxseed meal, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, agave syrup. unsweetened applesauce, melted cacao nibs or dark chocolate.
Total Time: 15 minutes
| Yield: 8 - 10 servings
Broccoli Quinoa Salad Recipe {gluten-free}
A healthy lunch or side dish for dinner, this salad is packed with all the nutrients you need to help you stay healthy while keeping clean.
Ingredients: Fresh broccoli, quinoa, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, raw pumpkin seeds, sea salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard (optional), vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup.
Total Time: 1 hour
| Yield: 8 servings
Farro Vegetable Salad Recipe
Another nutritionally sound salad with the rich protein source of whole grain farro, this dish is simple delectable.
Ingredients: Organic farro, sun dried tomatoes, frozen corn (thawed), scallions, black olives, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, salt, fresh dill, fresh mint, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar.
Total Time: 1 hour
| Yield: 6 servings
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Recipe {gluten-free}
Mix up your whole grain salad with this scrumptious side or mini meal. Quinoa provides an abundant source of protein and complex carbs to fill you up and provide lasting energy.
Ingredients: Quinoa, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh parsley, fresh mint, black pepper, salt.
Total Time: 40 minutes
| Yield: 4 servings
Almond Truffles Recipe {gluten-free, vegan}
Enough with the salads, this clean dessert supplies a sweet savor that you’ll absolutely love. With less than ten grams of sugar, less than three grams of fat, and only 80 calories- this sweet is as easy on your body as it is on your taste buds!
Ingredients: Pitted dates, almond flour, almond butter, water, flaxseed meal, freeze-dried raspberries, unsweetened shredded coconut.
Total Time: 15 minutes
| Yield: 14 - 16 truffles
Clean Eating Snacks
While the recipes above supply some ideal ideas for munchies and meals, sometimes you need a quick snack and have no time for preparation. For those in such a circumstance, simply check out the clean snack foods below as selected by our Health Nut and Registered Dietitian.
