Here’s my simple solution to stay on track with clean eating during 2012: identify one simple goal and work toward it between now and the end of March. Let’s break things down and think one quarter at a time so as not to be overwhelmed.

I know, you’re probably saying, “I have a laundry list of goals I want to accomplish this year with my health, why only one?”

Simply put, I want you to focus on what’s most important and make small steps in that direction. When you have a long list of goals you diffuse your attention across too many activities and it’s easy to feel like you’re not making any forward progress.

Instead, why not adopt just one clean eating goal – your biggest, juiciest clean eating goal that you want to achieve no matter what! Something that will motivate you and get you into action. Here are a few examples:

• Drink at least 6 glasses of water per day to support clear, glowing, you-can’t-be-over-25-looking skin
• Juice fresh fruits and vegetables at least 3 times per week for super-charged energy, kissing the mid-afternoon I-just-have-to-take-a-nap slump a triumphant goodbye
• Prepare one clean eating meal per week where half can be frozen for later use to create a mini-stockpile of, healthy, delicious and easily accessible meals – no expensive, less than healthy takeout needed

I think you get the idea – it has to be something that’s important to you, with a specific, desired result that will keep you going when you want to give up.

When we focus on only one goal at a time, we can give it our full attention yet take small steps in the right direction. I can think of plenty of baby steps to move toward the goal of at least 6 glasses of water a day:

• Buy a beautiful, recyclable cup to keep in the car and hydrate while you’re driving as well as use at work
• Fill the bottle at night so it’s ready to roll in the morning without the least bit of effort
• Set an alarm twice a day for water alerts – say mid morning and mid-afternoon – to keep you on track and remind you to drink up
• Find a water drinking buddy at work to help hold you accountable, ask him or her to check in with you each day at a certain time
• Record how much water you drank at the end of the day – to increase your awareness and see how you can do better the next day

Then be sure to identify how you know you will be successful like:

• Not a trace of acne or dry skin
• You look in the mirror and feel perfectly content with what you see
• A steady stream of “your skin looks SO amazing” compliments

Once you master your first, most important clean eating goal for the first quarter of 2012 and you’re feeling victorious (and have solidly integrated it into your busy life), THEN move on to creating a new, equally juicy goal for the next quarter.

So…what’s your number one goal for 2012, clean eating wise? What are you committed to doing no matter what? What’s got you inspired to get and stay in action?

Let me know what you’ve got in mind and the first steps you plan to take. Need some help getting started? Just let me know and I’d be happy to provide some coaching.

With this past weekend’s super frigid temperatures (when I pretty much don’t want to leave the house and love hunkering down with some movies), it just screamed comfort food to me.  But instead of reaching for one of my fav comfort foods (like homemade mac and cheese), I was busy creating a comfort food makeover – with a healthy twist.

Check out the ideas I shared on WTNH’s Good Morning Connecticut yesterday for clean eating, cozy comfort foods — Panko-crusted baked chicken (instead of fried), souffled sweet potatoes (light and airy, and oh so delicious instead of mashed potatoes and gravy) and some Hoppin’ John (collard greens and black-eyed peas – a Southern favorite, but without the pork).

Here are the two yummy dishes that I featured which I think you’ll enjoy:

Souffled Sweet Potatoes
(Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

I first tried this recipe at Thanksgiving as a savory side dish that was a departure from other sweet potato dishes I’ve made in the past. Sweet potatoes are a great substitution for white potatoes and nutritional powerhouses, full of antioxidants and fiber. This dish is a perfect makeover for traditional mashed potatoes and gravy.

Ingredients:

4 pounds sweet potatoes, well scrubbed
1 head garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, prick each one several times and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until soft.
2. Place the garlic gloves in tightly sealed foil and bake on a separate baking sheet for about 30 minutes until tender.
3. Remove potatoes and garlic and let cool.  When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes, squeeze the garlic from the skins and combine in a bowl with the broth. Mash until smooth and then add the rosemary, salt and pepper.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar.  Use an electric mixer on high speed and whip for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Fold half the egg whites into the potatoes with a rubber spatula and then fold the rest in.
5. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and transfer the potato mixture. Bake in the oven at for approximately 30 minutes until the top is slightly browned then serve and enjoy!

Savory Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas (Hoppin’ John)

I absolutely love collard greens, especially when prepared in this quick and simple fashion without hours of cooking.  Traditional Southern cooking calls for adding pork for flavor, but we can keep this dish happily vegetarian and healthy yet still flavorful. I love adding in the black-eyed peas for a more complete meal which you can serve with a side of brown rice.

Ingredients:
2 bunches collard greens
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans black-eyed peas
2 tsp. apple cider or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper taste

Directions:
1. Wash collard greens, cut out stems and stack several leaves on top of each other.  Roll like a cigar and chop collards into small bite size pieces.
2. Heat olive oil in pan, add onion and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes until soft.
3. Add collard greens to pan and saute until bright green. Add a little bit of water if greens start to stick.
4. Add black-eyed peas and cook for a few minutes more until heated through.
5. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper.

What’s your favorite comfort food and what do you do to give it a healthy spin?

Have you ever had the experience of walking into a party, seeing a spread of food and diving in without any notion of how many calories or grams of fat you were consuming? If you’ve been there before, I totally understand – I’ve definitely overindulged that way in the past too. But these days, especially as we get older, eating everything in site with reckless abandon may taste great going down, but isn’t so good once the new year rolls around.

Instead of feeling like you don’t have a lot of healthy options at your next gathering, why not bring a dish you know is healthy that you and others can enjoy?  Focus on healthy, low fat clean eating ingredients such as beans, greens, whole grains and lean meat. Substitute olive oil for butter and Greek yogurt for mayonnaise.

One of my favorite dishes to bring to a potluck during the holidays, or any time of year for that matter, is super simple and absolutely delicious.  It features high fiber, gluten-free quinoa, chick peas and spinach.  A liberal amount of orange zest plus raisins and cinnamon add fantastic flavor.  It seems like every time I make this, it’s a bit hit, as I discussed on Good Morning Connecticut yesterday morning:

Here’s the recipe for you to enjoy and share at your next event.

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
½ tsp. sea salt
zest from two oranges
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup raisins
1 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned organic chickpeas)
6 cups washed and chopped spinach leaves
salt to taste
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
1 orange, cut into wedges

Rinse the quinoa well and drain in a fine-mesh sieve. Combine water and orange juice and bring to a boil in a 1-½ or 2 quart saucepan. Add the salt, orange zest, and the rinsed quinoa. Return to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered for 10 minutes to fluff up.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet that has a tight-fitting lid.  Add the onions and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

Add raisins, chickpeas and spinach. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Adjust heat if necessary. Drain any excess water after cooking the spinach. Season to taste with salt.

Combine the vegetables into the quinoa. Stir in cinnamon. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and orange wedges.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

What’s your favorite healthy, clean eating dish to take to bring to a party that you know others will love? How do you avoid holiday overindulgence?

Are you headed to Thanksgiving dinner and in charge of bringing a side dish or dessert? Are you tasked with creating a whole Thanksgiving meal – turkey and the trimmings? With a little pre-planning and setting an intention for a clean eating holiday, you can pull it off without adding tons of calories and fat too.  

I say make a healthy shopping list, get to the store before the crowds (I’ve waited until the day before far too many times in the past – those days are over!) and ease into your healthy cooking feeling relaxed, no last minute scrambling necessary.  

Here are a few simple tips to get your clean eating juices flowing: 

1. Skip the marshmallows in your sweet potatoes!  So many sweet potato dishes are needlessly loaded with sugar but the truth is that sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, and roasting them brings that out.  Instead of dousing your sweet potatoes in marshmallows, use more natural sweeteners like pure maple syrup, if you need any at  all.

2. Forego the butter and try olive oil instead.  Saute or roast your favorite vegetables in heart healthy olive oil instead of butter.

3. Reach for the pumpkin puree.  Making a pumpkin pie for dessert? Instead of buying pumpkin pie filling loaded with sugar, go for pure pumpkin to which you can add your favorite spices and a natural sweetener.  Your waistline will thank you!

4. Go for the green veggies! Focus more on healthy vegetable side dishes like green beans, Brussels sprouts or collard greens and less on calorie and carb-rich dishes like stuffing made with white bread.

 5. Use whole grain bread.  Whether serving stuffing or dinner rolls, increase the health factor by using whole wheat bread instead of white.  I bet your guests won’t even be able to tell the difference. 

What will you do to help create a clean eating Thanksgiving meal for your family? What’s your favorite holiday dish that you’ve made healthier over the years? Do tell!   

That’s exactly what yours truly, The Clean Eating Coach, shared with Steve Villanueva and Anne Craig on WTNH’s Good Morning Connecticut yesterday morning. We had great fun talking about three simple dishes that are sure to make your fall a little healthier and tasty: kale chips (a great substitute for greasy, calorie-laden potato chips!), butternut squash soup (bursting with Vitamins A & C and fiber) and roasted apples with pumpkin puree.  All the dishes we discussed are full of antioxidants to help prevent disease, low in calories and oh so good for you!  The perfect addition to your clean eating lifestyle.  And you can find butternut squash, apples and kale, along with a host of other fresh produce, at your local farmers’ market.

Check out the video and recipe for the apples below:

3 farmer’s market finds to have in your kitchen: wtnh.com

You will love this apple recipe – it’s so easy to make and it’s the perfect way to take advantage of the fruits of your apple picking adventures this fall. Even better, you can nip your sugar cravings in the bud with this simple recipe.

Roasted Apples with Creamy Pumpkin Puree

(Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients:

4 crisp apples (Fuji, Gala or Braeburns work well)

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place apples in a square pan and add one inch of water. Cover with foil.

3. Bake apples for 30 minutes then remove foil and bake for an additional ten minutes.

4. Remove apples and allow to cool.

5. In a bowl mix create the pumpkin mixture by adding pumpkin, yogurt, maple syrup and spices.

6. Cut apples in half, removing seeds and stem, and then top each apple with 2 tbsp. of the pumpkin mixture.

7. Serve and enjoy at room temperature.

What’s my do-over for fall? Well since I’ve just done a cleanse and I’m in a groove with clean eating, I’m focused on adding in 1-2 more servings of vegetables, leafy greens specifically, each day. Not so much a do-over but an add-on.

When I was younger, I always liked the concept of “do-overs” – you know, when you mess something up, you get another try. I love applying that metaphor to our health. It’s easy to be overly hard on ourselves – maybe you didn’t eat so clean over the summer – too much sugar, alcohol or caffeine and processed foods – or perhaps you went to one too many barbecues where you filled your plate and ate with reckless abandon.

So instead of beating yourself up if you didn’t eat as healthfully as you wanted to this summer, let’s have a do-over as we move into fall. But let’s do it in a gentle way that doesn’t feel so restrictive and difficult to maintain. Here are a few suggestions to help you refresh and refocus on clean, healthy eating as we move into fall:

· Identify one food to “crowd out” – It generally doesn’t work to try to change up all the things you’re eating at once, that just sets you up for failure. Removing one less than healthy item, however, can get you on the path to healthier eating. What’s one food for which you’ve been overindulging that you could eliminate? Think about a healthier option for that particular food, something that you would find satisfying. For example, you could crowd out potato chips by making a batch of kale chips. You can still have that crunchy texture in a much healthier form.

· Do a cleanse for a few days – In late August I did a 5-day raw food cleanse that gave my body a nice break – no sugar, dairy, meat, processed food or salt. I ate and drank the most delicious soups, smoothies and green juices that gave me the perfect restart and I’ve been doing a great job of maintaining my healthy eating ever since plus my sugar cravings are completely gone! The good news is that a cleanse can be very simple and inexpensive – for example, identify a few items that you would like to eliminate for a few days so your body and digestive system can rest.

· Eat in silence at least once per week – I love eating in silence with no distractions although I don’t do it nearly as often as I should. Cutting out all distractions helps you connect with your food and get in tune with your body in a powerful way. When we turn off the TV, step away from the computer and learn to be with ourselves, we can often discover that we’re eating far more food that we need to. Quiet down and slow down and your body will appreciate it.

What’s my do-over for fall? Well since I’ve just done a cleanse and I’m in a groove with clean eating, I’m focused on adding in 1-2 more servings of vegetables, leafy greens specifically, each day. Not so much a do-over but an add-on.

What’s your simple do-over plan that will help you reconnect, recharge and take your health up a notch this fall? Do tell!

I’m of the mind that we should all slow down and tune in, reflecting a bit more on our food choices. I’m not suggesting that you always need to choose the food that’s perfectly healthy (that’s why I like to employ the 80-20 rule — most of the time I make healthy, clean eating choices) but some forethought goes a long way to feeling good about your decisions, avoiding food guilt and managing your weight.  String together a few days of poor food choices and I bet you can easily beat yourself up over the pound or two you’ve gained.

This begs the question of how one becomes more mindful about what you choose to put in your mouth.  For me, it goes back to the notion of slowing down and tuning into the messages my body is sending and what feels right.  Whether you’re in your favorite restaurant with a bevy of menu choices before you or you’re at home planning tonight’s dinner, here are five questions to ask yourself that will help you become more aware of your body.

• How hungry am I?
• What food looks or sounds inspiring to me?
• What does my body most need right now?
• What, if anything, am I craving?
• Can I choose/make a clean eating meal (not full of fat, sugar or salt) that tastes good and will be just as satisfying?

I like to ask myself these questions because it gives me time to pause and reflect and determine what feels right. Usually I end up making a healthy, clean eating choice but sometimes I don’t. But I feel a whole lot better making my decision and enjoying the food from a place of self-awareness.  And when I’ve already slowed down to reflect on my choices, I often eat with greater awareness to the tastes and flavors and don’t rush through my meal at a breakneck pace.

Do you mindfully think before you eat? How has it helped you make better choices in the past? When can you start practicing it to support better health and awareness?

My top clean eating non-negotiables? Every week, without fail, I make the time to:

Plan a week’s worth of meals that feature fresh produce (always lots of leafy greens), whole grains and almost no processed food.  I get my inspiration from a variety of sources including Clean Eating Magazine, Vegetarian Times magazine, Clean Food cookbook and a host of other go-to cookbooks that I like to use.

• Go to the store and buy all the ingredients I need.  Invariably, it always takes longer than I think so I generally plan for a couple of hours to get this done. Usually I go to one of two local health foods stores but I often need to pick up other items at the big box grocery store near us.  Ideally, I try to plan and shop on either Friday or Saturday.
• Put aside time to cook on Sunday afternoons.  I like to get a head start on meal prep for the week so I usually spend time making meals that my husband and I can enjoy for the first part of the week. This includes everything from cooking a pot of brown rice (a regular weekly staple), making a pot of soup (my weekly ritual during the cold weather months) and putting together a meal that we can eat on Sunday and Monday, at a minimum to get the week started.  When I’m feeling even more ambitious, I often prep other items we’ll use during the week for meals or snacks.

Make no mistake, these three non-negotiables take time and commitment but like any other habit you may have, these are simply something I do and they’re part of my routine.  Over time I eased into this routine so now it’s not hard to put it into practice.

The beauty is that I get to reap multiple benefits from my efforts:

• We eat delicious, fresh healthy food that fuels our many activities during the week
• We sit down to a home cooked meal and make time for conversation.  Real food + no distractions = greater enjoyment and being present to all the wonderful flavors and textures
• We maintain a healthy weight.  Less unhealthy snacking and more real food means maintaining our weight isn’t so hard.  By making some simple changes and snacking less, Bruce has lost 20 pounds since the beginning of January
• I know what’s in my food! No unhealthy ingredients such as unneeded fat or sugar
• I’m not at a loss for what to eat during the week. With a game plan for the week, I have a simple plan for what we’ll eat and I don’t have to be wandering the aisles of the grocery store wondering what to buy
• We save a heap of money bhaving a plan and not ordering high priced takeout or going to the store without a list and racking up a large grocery bill

What are you clean eating non-negotiables? What are you committed to doing weekly, no matter what, to ensure you maintain a clean eating lifestyle that supports your health and longevity?

This gluten-free grain from South America is nothing short of amazing. With plentiful amounts of protein, B vitamins and fiber, a serving of this cereal will keep you satisfied all morning.  I’ve adapted this recipe from Claire’s Corner Copia, a fabulous vegetarian restaurant in New Haven, reducing the sweetener and changing up the ingredients a bit.  Have fun with it and add your favorite items to make it your own.

(photo courtesy of Jeanette’s Healthy Living Blog)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups almond milk (or soy or low fat milk)

1 tsp. cardamom

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp pure maple syrup (optional)

1 cup blueberries

1 pear or apple, diced

½ cup chopped walnuts

Ground flaxseed

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, add quinoa, almond milk, cardamom, cinnamon and maple syrup.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
2. Add cut up fruit, nuts and sprinkle with ground flaxseed.
3. Add additional almond milk or sweetener as desired.

Serve and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to serve up quinoa for breakfast that you find irresistible and just have to share?

I’m a sucker for sweet potatoes in particular, with pumpkin and butternut squash as close runners up.  All of these are staples of a clean eating diet in our household.

This is one of my favorite recipes that’s hearty and super healthy. I adapted the recipe from something I saw many years ago.  I was looking through my recipes the other day and when I saw it, I made a beeline to the farmers’ market to pick up some just picked items which I included in it. You’ll love the creaminess of this soup although it has minimal butter. And you can surely substitute olive oil in its place.

Roasted Sweet Potato Bisque Soup

Serves 6

4 sweet potatoes baked, about 2 pounds
4 tbsp. butter or olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced
6 -6 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cups green cabbage, chopped in 1 inch pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
4 cups chopped Swiss Chard, kale, spinach or collard greens

Seasoning Mix:

2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the seasoning mix in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Roast the sweet potatoes in a 350 oven for approximately an hour until tender.  Let cool, scoop out of skins and puree in the food processor or with a hand blender.
3. In a large soup pot, melt the butter or olive oil and then add the sweet potato puree, garlic and 2 tbsp of the seasoning mix.  Cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently (it can easily stick!).
4. Add 4 cups of the broth and continue to stir frequently until thickened, 5-6 minutes.
5. Add two more cups of the broth and then add the onion, cabbage, parsnips and greens.
6. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the parsnips are cooked. Be sure to stir frequently to avoid sticking. 
7. Add the remaining broth, if needed.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Give the recipe a spin and let me know what you think!

And tell me about your favorite fall root veggie soup that you just can’t get enough of in your clean eating routine.