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.

And nothing’s better than finding new clean eating resources that inspire me in the kitchen. This past week, I had the pleasure of attending Terry Walter’s talk on Clean Food at the New Haven Public Library. Terry, a fellow graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, is the author of the recently published Clean Food cookbook, a seasonal guide to eating close to the source.

She shared about the power of preparing and eating real food for her and her family and how any of us can take baby steps in the right direction using seasonal, locally grown food. I’m always of that mind with my clean eating clients — it’s never about changing up everything in your routine at once, but about simple choices we can make everyday to step in the right direction.

Terry has a warm personality and engaging style that shone through during her talk. Along the way, she prepared some yummy dishes — a quinoa salad with fresh mango, black beans and mint, and a delicious garden salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing — that we all had the pleasure of enjoying.

Nothing was a better follow up to the evening than noshing over a healthy meal with my good friend Jannae as we compared notes about what we were going to make from the cookbook over the weekend. 

And just as I promised myself, I got busy on Saturday and whipped up her sweet potato, corn and kale chowder.  I used Trader Joe’s frozen, fire roasted corn and loved the rich flavor.  I also tried her banana, coconut and chocolate chip cookies.  They are so easy to make and I like that the only sweetener is a 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  These vegan cookies were a bit hit at the dinner party we attended on Saturday night.

I really like the way Terry has divided up the cookbook by seasons.  Given that spring is officially here, I naturally gravitated to that section and am giving special focus to recipes that contain greens, one of the best springtime detoxifiers around.

If your aren’t familiar with Clean Food, you have to check it out, it’s worth every penny of the price. And it’s the perfect resource for clean eaters like me that are looking for some fresh, new recipes to build into my repertoire — it reminds me how fun it is to experiment in the kitchen as I support my health.

Have you had a chance to try out Clean Food already? What do you think? What’s your favorite recipe that you just can’t get enough of?

Another benefit of fresh herbs is that you can save a lot of money when you grow your own.  A basic tenet of the clean eating lifestyle is to be kind to the environment. What’s better than growing your own and not having to incur the cost of packaging and transportation to get them to you — this is locally grown food at its best!  It’s a simple way to stretch your dollars, be eco-friendly and give you time to commune with nature.

There are times, however, when I may need more than just a tablespoon or two of my favorite herbs.  My approach is to maximize use of the herbs by creating a series of recipes where I can use them all up and not waste them. If you’re like me, I just bet you’ve had moments in the past where, despite your best efforts, you managed to let your leftover herbs go bad.

Avoiding waste is really simple — you’ve got to have a solid meal plan that builds them into a variety of dishes.  I always begin with the end in mind and start my meal planning with some good old brainstorming about how I’ll use the herbs.  One of my favorites, cilantro, is so easy to use in a variety of recipes.  In fact, you can see what I mean by checking out this video on how I’ve made three different recipes from one bunch of cilantro.

You can check out the mango salsa recipe that I mentioned in the video. It’s so good! And even though summer is over, I’ll still sometimes buy a mango and whip some up.  I’m also a big fan of  juicing herbs along with other fruits and vegetables and sprinkling them on my salad, when leftover.

What do you do to use up your fresh herbs and ensure they don’t go bad? What are some favorite ways you use herbs as part of a clean eating lifestyle?

Clean eating inspiration for fall starts with a quick spin around your local farmers’ market where you can see plentiful amounts of beautiful winter squash – butternut, acorn and pumpkin. Not to mention potatoes and sweet potatoes and lots of greens. For me, it’s the perfect opportunity to turn my sights and creative energy to making healthy fall creations.

The key here to is eat what’s in season, focus on clean eating that shuns processed foods full of sugar, salt and fat and to have some fun with it.  A little meal planning on a Saturday morning can yield a week’s worth of healthy, seasonal clean eating meals that won’t have to keep you in the kitchen for hours. Just today, I’ve cooked up a healthy soup with collard greens, beans and sweet potatoes, fresh tuna burgers and some delicious Jamaican style oatmeal.  All clean meals full of nutrients and flavor.

How are you doing with creating clean eating, seasonal meal plans that maximize nutrition and flavor? If you’re stumped for how to keep it simple, you have to join me, The Clean Eating Coach, for my upcoming teleclass on Wednesday, October 21, Fabulous Fall Seasonal Eating & Meal Planning. I’ll be sharing all my secrets and strategies for creating healthy, fall meals and why eating seasonally is so important. And I’ll be sharing a host of simple, quick and healthy recipes that won’t have you in the kitchen for hours or break the bank. 

Come on over and join in the fun! You can check out all the details here including a short video to learn more.  The cost is only $19 and you’ll leave with motivation and inspiration to get into action.  Learn more here: http://budurl.com/falleating.

I’m a big fan of fresh, wild salmon, one of the cornerstones of clean eating — it’s fresh, unprocessed, a whole food that’s low in saturated fat but brimming with healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Indeed, it provides important nutrients our bodies need and it’s heart healthy.

But with global warming, it’s estimated that the habitat for salmon and seven other fish could dramatically decrease over the next century.  Salmon is a cold water fish that grows and lives within a certain temperature to survive.  With the increase in global warming, water temperatures are rising, jeopardizing these fish. In fact, some experts estimate that the habitat for these species could shrink by as much as 17% by the year 2030, 34% by 2060 and 42% by 2090.

The challenge of climate change is just one of many issues that affect wild fish, like salmon, given other environmental challenges likes loss of habitat to development and the introduction of other invasive species.

And climate change not only affects many of our favorite and healthiest fish, but it also has the ability to impact something as simple as an avocado. Do you know that the guacamole you love so much could also be in danger?  Warmer temperatures in California are predicted to affect avocado production by as much as 40% in coming years.  Less yield means higher prices on our favorite healthy foods.  And it’s not just avocados, think oranges, almonds, walnuts and grapes too — these are all whole foods that have the ability to help keep us healthy and support clean eating.

So what does that mean for each of us, what can we do to protect our environment and so that clean and healthy foods are still readily available?  To me, it starts locally by being a steward of environmental consciousness. In my own little world I can contribute by doing such simple things as conserving energy by using energy efficient light bulbs, buying locally grown food that’s grown in sustainable ways that does less harm to the soil, and doing a lot more walking than driving.

Yes,  I know, those might seem like minor actions, but to me, it’s all about starting with small steps, mobilizing others and sharing these messages, like through the power of Blog Action Day.  To see more of the impact of our actions, check out this article on how global warming is affecting us in over 100 different ways!

What simple action can you take today that will have a lasting impact on the food that we eat in the future?

That post created lots of great conversation and one of the responses was about the need to execute to eat clean consistently — that it, how does one put great ideas about clean eating into action and actually make them happen?

For me, eating clean consistently, as we do from week to week, has everything to do with having a solid meal plan.  In fact,  I make meal planning a huge priority by setting aside time each week to plan out clean and healthy meals, yet ones that don’t have to have me in the kitchen for hours.  I like to do my meal planning on Friday afternoons or Saturday mornings.  I get a kick out of listening to Car Talk on NPR on Saturday morning and that’s often the time I’ll pull out my weekly meal planning form to brainstorm what we’ll have. I take into consideration the week’s schedule, the season and foods that feel inspiring to me.

My goal is to get to the store on Saturday as well as the farmers’ market.  We have two farmers’ markets within a 2 mile radius on Saturday mornings and I make it a point to see what’s fresh and local that fits into the week’s meal plan.  This time of year there are still amazing tomatoes, corn and squash not to mention the bevy of fall produce that’s coming into its own.  To me, this is clean eating at its best.

I also make my way to the health food store or large grocery store for any other items I may need. Because I make a list of everything I’ll need, I can usually knock this errand out in short order – no having to stroll up and down all the aisles. And because almost everything we eat is fresh, I spend almost no time in the aisles with packaged food full of preservatives.  I will however, stock up on Kashi frozen meals, as I mentioned in a post earlier this week, that keep me on my clean eating track for those infrequent days when cooking just isn’t possible.

Finally, to put my plan into action, I get busy in the kitchen on Sundays, creating a clean eating feast for my husband Bruce and I. But given that it’s football season and I’m a huge fan (Go New York Jets!), I have to work my food prep and cooking around seeing the game!  I cook enough to get our week started — at least healthy lunches that will sustain us through Tuesday and dinner that we eat on Sunday and can repeat on Monday.  I also plan in the other days during the week when I’ll have a window of opportunity to cook. This week, it was a simple whole grain rice pasta dish on Tuesday that doubled as lunch on Wednesday along with a healthy salad and a side of sauteed kale (I mean seriously, if that isn’t clean eating, I don’t know what is?!)

What do you do to put your good intentions of clean eating into action? How does meal planning play a part in your clean eating efforts?

If you’re stuck for ideas on how to marry clean eating with weekly meal planning, you won’t want to miss my upcoming teleseminar: Fabulous Fall Seasonal Eating and Meal Planning on Wednesday, October 21 at 8 pm ET. It’s a live, interactive call on how to eat locally and seasonally AND create healthy meals. You can get all the scoop by going http://budurl.com/falleating. Come join us!

Even better, there are simple ways to prepare collard greens that won’t have you cooking them for hours and using pork fat, or boiling all the nutrients away.  My preferred method for preparing greens is sauteing.  It’s a quick cooking method that lends itself to creating a super clean and healthy dish in less than 30 minutes.  I like to make a plentiful amounts so that we can enjoy them over several days.

As you can imagine, I always like to go for organic greens, and when possible, I buy them locally.  I couldn’t find any at the farmers’ market on Saturday, but my nearby health food store usually carries a locally grown variety.  And whether bought locally or at the store, I’m a big fan of getting them home and preparing them as soon as possible to retain the nutrient value.

This particular recipe was an experiment, using ingredients I found in my pantry.  I had the mind to caramelize the onions and I thought it would be a nice contrast with the ever so slight bitterness of the collards.  And I was right —  I got the thumbs up from both my neighbor Haruko who joined us for dinner, and my husband Bruce. I think you’ll love this quick, simple and clean eating recipe that is so healthy!

Collard Greens w/Carmelized Onions, Raisins and Walnuts

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh collard greens
2 large onions
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. raisins
small handful of walnuts
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Wash collard greens, pat dry and cut from the stalk.  Lie several leaves on top of each other, roll up like a cigar and slice into 1/4″ strips. Chop strips into smaller pieces.
2. Slice onions into half crescents.
3. In large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until sweet, making sure not to burn them.
4. Add collard greens and saute for approximately 10 minutes until wilted.
5. Add raisins and walnuts and cook another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add salt, to taste.

What’s your favorite ay to prepare collard greens? What do you do so that they’re simply irresistible and you get your whole family to enjoy?

You’ve probably seen some of my posts this summer about the fun I’ve been having picking blueberries. They are my #1 favorite all time fruit.  I love how they’re slightly tart sometimes, other times full-on sweet. I love how easy they are to pick and eat. And I love all the powerful antioxidants they contain.

Last week, I shot this video right in the middle of the blueberry patch (thanks to my cameraman and hubby Bruce)!  I was so inspired to be outside, enjoying the weather and empowered by picking my own food. It got me thinking about just how much appreciation I have for clean, local, organic food grown without pesticides. The kind of food that truly supports my health and soul.

Simply put, I get inspired when I’m outside connected to what I’m eating and our summer activities of picking fresh, local food have deepened this appreciation like never before.  To me, it’s such a simple way to eat clean, whole foods.

Check out the video and see what I mean:

What are you doing to deepen your appreciation for your food? How does eating clean, whole foods support your healthy lifestyle?

As I was standing at one of the booths buying my corn, I started chatting with one of the farmers about a simple way to retain more of the nutritional value of corn (which is hardly a powerhouse compared to the likes of kale and broccoli.).  My typical M.O. is to boil it for a few quick minutes but we all know that those nutrients quicky seep away. 

No boiling she said, instead roast in the oven for 30 minutes at 350, husks and all.  Place the corn directly on the rack and when it’s done, let it sit for 5 minutes. Then peel the husks and enjoy.

The small group of us gathered around her table were all excited and ready to rush home and get the oven warmed up, especially after she mentioned how immensely sweet the corn was — melt-in-your-mouth sweet.

And guess what? She was so right! I won’t say the corn was to die for, that’s just a wee bit over the top, but pure bliss sums it up pretty nicely. It was so naturally sweet and fresh that I didn’t even need to put anything on it. This is such a perfect example of eating clean, supporting locally grown food and enjoying the best of summer.

Do you ever roast corn in the oven instead of boiling? Have other methods you love, like grilling, that retain more of the nutritional value? Do tell!

Guess what else? Kids will love this and will happily eat their vegetables.  If it’s a challenge to get your kids to eat healthy foods, come join us for my September 15th teleseminar, Kids Love Healthy Food Too! I’ll be sharing simple ways to make healthy food more appealing. You can check out all the details here: http://budurl.com/md6k

The dish was inspired by a recipe I saw in Woman’s Day magazine when I was on the treadmill at the gym. As I flipped through the pages, it caught my eye.  And a trip to the farmers’ market to buy some sweet, just-picked corn, heirloom tomatoes and flavorful zucchini and you can already begin to get an idea for why it was so tasty. To me, there’s nothing that’s more of a treat than sweet corn.                     

I gave the dish my own spin by adding fresh basil from my garden and a sprinkle of goat cheese which added just the right amount of tanginess. In the end, it was the perfect summer compliment to our meal.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, diced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ears corn, kernels sliced off
1 large tomato, preferably locally grown
1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
1⁄2 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. To help drain the water from the zucchini, place in a colander and set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt; toss and let stand 20 minutes.

2. Transfer zucchini to a kitchen towel and pat dry before cooking.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes until soft.

4. Add zucchini and corn. Saute 6 to 7 minutes until vegetables are almost tender.

5. Add diced tomato; sauté 2 to 3 minutes until softened and zucchini is tender.

6. Add basil and saute for 1 minute.

7. Remove from heat and stir in cheese if desired.

I think you’ll find this dish to be a big hit even with kids.  I added some black beans to it the next day and put it over some quinoa for a slightly different spin.

What are your favorite summertime vegetables to saute? What do you do to keep it simple and practice clean eating?