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?

I’ve been a meal planner for quite some time and I often talk about how planning your meals is both healthier and easier on the pocketbook.  When I break down the cost of making a meal versus going out, it’s a much better value (and almost always healthier too) to eat at home.  Plus, I can cook once to eat at least twice so it means I don’t have to be in the kitchen cooking every night.

The downside to making all these clean eating meals is that it can be easy to waste food, so I’m making an extra effort to use up all the food I buy.  How many times have you bought a series of items with the intention of making a meal and then life gets in the way and you don’t get to it? Or you buy an item like fresh herbs, use some for a recipe and then let the rest go bad even though you planned to use it in other things?

I’m convinced that none of us goes to the store with the intention of buying food and then wasting it, but truth be told, that happens much more often than we’d like to think. 

This year one of my goals is to waste a lot less food. I’m starting that household trend by keeping much better wraps on what’s in the refrigerator that I need to use up.  Here are three simple tips I employ to keep watch of things:

1. Make a List!I  keep a list on the refrigerator of items that need to be used up by the end of the week.  You can use a stickie, keep a chart or employ whatever method works best for you.

2. Repurpose Food. If I buy something for a recipe and don’t use it all, I plan how I can use it up pretty quickly in another dish. For example, last week I bought a rutabaga that was part of a delicious veggie stew that I made.  Honestly, I hardly ever use rutabaga, but I took the extra and roasted it with butternut squash I had bought for another recipe.  It made for a nice side dish without a lot of extra effort and I loved the fact that I didn’t waste it.

3. Juice Leftover Veggies.  I have a habit of letting veggies go bad but when I’m more aware of what’s in the refrigerator, it’s easier to use them up.  I have celery I need to use up so I’m going to make a celery, kale and apple juice today that’s yummy and super healthy.

What do you do to ensure that you don’t waste a lot of food? What’s your favorite tip that’s helped you eat plenty of clean eating foods yet not break the bank throwing food away?

Bittman adopted a vegan diet part of the time — he would eat vegan until 6 pm and then he enjoy whatever he liked after that.  But his shift to eliminating animal products and eating a much cleaner diet paid off – he lost 35 pounds over the course of three months.

I was drawn to this article because I’ve been toying with the idea of eating less meat for some time. And when I read it, it struck me that I pretty much practice part-time veganism too although it hasn’t been intentional. I didn’t wake up one day and say “today, I’m going to become a part-time vegan,” rather it unfolded through my weekly meal planning efforts and just felt right.

Since I do most of the cooking in the house, I plan the meals and do the grocery shopping.  I’m naturally drawn to more soups and stews in colder months and I often end up making vegan dishes that contain copious amounts of beans.  So in a very natural way, my husband and I started eating more meat less dishes at lunch time and lots of healthy snacks in the afternoon - like red pepper strips with hummus and an apple.  And since we don’t eat meat with breakfast, it’s not so hard to go through a large portion of the day without any meat at all.

Awhile back I did plan a week of no meat at all, even with dinner. Bruce reluctantly went along with the program but he wasn’t so thrilled.  Even though we don’t eat a lot of meat (usually chicken, turkey and fish), he missed the opportunity to have meat and he kept reminding me how important protein is to his weight lifting routine.  Needless to say, we got through the week but he was definitely not into my plan to extend our vegan experiment another week!  Ironically, just the other day he suggested that we have another week of no meat at all and you know I was game. That’s coming up next week and I’ll share the details of our menu planning.

I can see how being a part-time vegan is something that can work in our home.  It’s a healthier, clean eating happy medium that’s balanced by some meat later on in the day but even that doesn’t have to happen every day and can be in small amounts.  Seriously, this is so much a healthier way to eat and live and it feels like it fits both our needs better than the all or nothing approach. And I have to say that after four to five months of eating this way, Bruce has shed roughly20 pounds so he’s reaping the health benefits and feeling great about how he looks.  To me, eating this way screams, “I want to prevent chronic disease,” and we’re both committed to that.

Have you tried being a part-time vegan? What’s your experience been like and how has it helped you create a healthier, clean eating lifestyle that supports preventing chronic disease?

One of the things I like best about clean eating is that a few simple ingredients blended together can make a delicious meal that can be super easy.  I routinely like to keep it simple with the freshest ingredients. Make it a one pot meal and it’s even better – less mess in the kitchen.

The inspiration for this recipe came from Clean Eating Magazine.  Awhile back I had seen a recipe with black eyed peas and collard greens but I wasn’t so wild about the potatoes.  I actually was looking for it recently, couldn’t find it and put together what I thought sounded good, with some additions and changes.  It was absolutely delicious and it’s so basic that I can see making this pretty regularly in my meal planning routine.

You’ll love this clean eating recipe because it’s so fast, you have it made in about 30 minutes. And with greens, beans and sweet potatoes, it’s brimming with a whole host of nutrients your body needs.  I love that it features so many complex carbohydrates and it will keep your energy up for hours.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 32 oz. carton low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 bunch collards greens, chopped
15 ounce can black-eyed peas (I like Eden Organic)
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (I love Muir Glen, all organic)
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried rosemary
Sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add broth, water and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add black-eyed peas, tomatoes, collards greens, oregano and rosemary and simmer until collards are tender, approximately 10-15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

What’s your favorite way to combine beans and greens in a soup? Have other ideas for a quick and delicious soup that’s healthy? Do tell!

I was speaking at the 8th Annual Women’s Health Conference sponsored by the Women and Family Life Center(WFLC) in Guilford, Ct. This awesome nonprofit provides amazing programming for women and families including this annual event.  We had a great time on Sunday morning as I presented my favorite topic, “5 Simple Steps to Eat Clean and Lose Weight Without Going on a Diet.”

The great news is that I not only had a chance to present at the conference and go to other sessions, but it was a fun weekend away with my mom. We enjoyed some “girl time”, saw old friends on Saturday night for dinner, and really relaxed. 

But being away for the weekend can also present clean eating challenges for me when I return home if I don’t have a plan.  For me, nothing is more anxiety producing than enjoying a weekend away only to come home and have no plan for what we’ll be eating during the week or have made a prior plan to get to the store and pick up some clean eating foods.

This past week, however, anticipating my busy weekend schedule, I planned ahead to ensure that this week would be full of clean eating foods without the anxiety of trying to play catch up.  Here’s what I did last week to make this week a breeze:

• Last Friday morning I planned out this week’s meals. It didn’t take long, but having that vision made all the difference in knowing what we’d be eating
• I changed my schedule around to make sure I could get to the store on Friday and get the ingredients I needed. In my case this included going to two different stores – the health food store and the big grocery store.
• Friday night I made a pot of my favorite stew — quinoa southwestern stew — it’s quick, easy and delicious and this week we’re eating it for lunch for the first few days
• Saturday morning I roasted sweet potatoes that we had with Sunday night dinner
• Sunday afternoon as I was driving back from the conference, Bruce was roasting a chicken that we had for dinner. When I got home I simply finished the sweet potatoes and roasted some Brussels sprouts. We had a healthy and delicious dinner that we also enjoyed last night
• I got the ingredients to make a simple stir fry that we’re having tonight and can finish tomorrow for dinner.  Throw on a pot of brown rice and we’ll be good to go.
• I’m also anticipating making one of my favorite soups that has kidney beans, kasha (a whole grain) and kale.  I’ll cook the  kasha tonight and then make the soup in about 30 minutes tomorrow night. This will provide a healthy lunch for us the rest of the week along with a salad.

For me, the combination of clean eating food and meal planning can’t be beat. When I have a vision for the week and know how good I feel when I’m following the clean eating lifestyle (like no PMS symptoms!), I happily make the time and find a way to plan, shop and prep.  My simple efforts last week are already paying off in feeling less anxiety, feeling energized by healthy food and still having plenty of time for exercise.  Now that’s the way to create a clean eating lifestyle even when you’re traveling and gone for the weekend.

What do you do to ensure you have a plan for clean eating meals when you arrive home from a weekend away? What are you favorite tips to keep your sights on clean eating after you’re back?

This week, yours truly, The Clean Eating Coach, is on clean eating fire, having planned, shopped, prepped and cooked my way to delicious healthy food that my husband and I can enjoy all week.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you to think that every week is perfect and I always have my ducks in a row. Far from it in fact.

This past weekend I was wrapped up with my niece visiting, and doing a photo and video shoot for my new clean eating website.  In between leaving the studio and going to see “Annie” with my niece and mom, I squeezed in some quality time at Whole Foods, both eating lunch and doing some shopping.  I honestly hadn’t had sufficient time to plan out the meals, so I brought my meal planning gear (planning forms, recipes and cookbooks) with me and literally hatched my clean eating meal plan while eating lunch in Whole Foods.  Then I quickly navigated the aisles getting the items I needed.

Here’s a look at what I’ve whipped up so far and plan to eat the rest of the week:

• Asian style salmon baked in parchment paper. This is one of my favorites. We had this for dinner on Sunday night and it was delicious.  Watch the video I created to see how easy it is.  I substituted the salmon for flounder. It works well with most fish.
• Steamed broccoli with a touch of toasted sesame oil, kosher salt and pepper. I bought some beautiful broccoli and made enough for leftovers on Monday night.
• Quinoa tabouli. I love this side dish, so super easy and delicious, and quinoa is a whole grain high in protein.  Check out the recipe and video. We’ll be enjoying this for the next several days.
• White bean and kale soup. I’m a big fan of eating soup for lunch, especially during cooler months.  This soup is so easy and delicious and you can whip it up in no time. Plus, getting more greens in is simple when you put them in soup.
• Turkey meatloaf w/kale and spinach.  I love the clean eating recipe I found in Tosca Rena’s Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook.  It’s super simple and delicious. I made it on Sunday even though we didn’t have it until dinner on Monday. We’ll be enjoying this for the next several days so there will be minimal cooking, allowing time to get our workouts in at the gym.
• Roasted asparagus w/shallots and lemon zest.  I love asparagus and it’s so easy to roast.  A bunch will last us a couple of meals.  I’ll be whipping that up tonight.
• A stir fry is in the plans for Thursday night.  I’ll thaw out a couple of chicken breasts on Wednesday and prep the veggies so cooking will be simple and quick on Thursday.  I’m sure there will be enough for either lunch or dinner on Friday.

I will tell you that I did spend quite some time in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon prepping and cooking, so unfortunately, it didn’t magically appear already made, but the effort was worth it.  We now have delicious, healthy food that’s supporting our health.

What clean eating meals are on your menu for this week? What are you inspired to make? Do tell!

I’ve always said that the best vehicle to ensure clean eating is to plan your meals.  Meal planning helps you begin with the end in mind, create balanced meals with a variety of clean eating, no- processed foods, and save big bucks because those random acts of buying what strikes your fancy are long gone.

These days we’re all trying to maximize our dollars and do more with less given the state of the economy and the cost of food. One of my favorite ways to maximize savings is to do a periodic pantry challenge.  Simply put, I go through my pantry and see what I have stocked up that I can use for simple and quick meals.  So instead of always starting from scratch and creating dishes that have an endless list of ingredients, I put my creative skills to the test by coming up with interesting recipes based on what’s around that can contain minimal ingredients.

Here’s a short list of what I found in checking things out in my pantry:

• quinoa pasta
• fire roasted salsa
• steel cut oats
• gluten-free bread mix
• tandoori chicken seasoning packet
• canned salmon
• quinoa
• vegetable broth
• kidney beans
• black eyes peas
• coconut milk
• brown rice
• organic canned pumpkin

Based on what I found, I can already see making some quick and simple dishes that require minimal additional ingredients. For example, I’ll make beans and brown rice and add the salsa in for flavor.  I’ll make pumpkin soup in my Vitamix blender which also calls for coconut milk. I’ve made it before and its yummy.  I’ve got chicken breasts in the freezer that I can use with the tandoori chicken seasoning packet and I’ll use the canned salmon in salads for lunch next week.  I’ll whip up steel cut oats for breakfast and add some chopped nuts and fresh fruit.

That’s just a simple start based on a quick round of brainstorming. I can already see that I will buy so much less at the store over the weekend based on what I already have.

So that means healthy meals, money saved and lots of clean eating — that sure sounds good to me!

What about you, are you up for the clean eating pantry challenge? Can you see the possibility of creating healthy meals based on what you’ve got in the freezer, refrigerator and pantry? I challenge you to not only go through and see what you have but to also cut your grocery bill in half in the coming week based on this activity!

So get busy now. Go check things out and come on back and share what you found. We all have the ability to practice clean eating without a huge amount of effort or expense…you just have to have a plan.

After a few weeks of eating more than I normally would during the holidays, not to mention being out of my usual routine with family and friends visiting, I’m happy to be back in rythym with my meal planning efforts. For me, meal planning has everything to do with practicing clean eating, day after day, and week after week, in a way that’s inviting and delicious.

Although I didn’t totally overindulge during the holidays and go crazy, I did eat more meat and cheese than I normally would which has me feeling a bit congested. All the more reason for some simple recipes and clean eating meals this week.

Here’s a look at what I’m whipping up:

• Tuna burgers  — I love this recipe from Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook. They are super simple to make and so delicious!
• Quinoa with sundried tomatoes – also found this in the Eat Clean cookbook
• White bean and kale soup — I adapted a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times years ago and gave it my own creative spin. First time making it and it’s delish. Yesterday my husband was wowing about it as he ate it for lunch (and truth be told, I was too — lol)
• Moroccan spiced turkey meatballs — I found this recipe on the Clean Eating Magazine site and it looked easy and delicious. I made the sauce already and it smelled divine while cooking. I’m a big fan of Moroccan cooking and the mix of cinnamon, cumin and ginger in the sauce just makes me smile. I’m going to whip up the meatballs tonight
• Sauteed collard greens with sea vegetables.  I’m sauteing the collards with some wakame, one of my favorite sea vegetables, chock full of important minerals that our body needs
• Broiled salmon to round out the week

I love that everything I’m making is simple, uses fresh ingredients and is satisfying.  Breakfasts are focused on raw, green smoothies that include kale, spinach, bananas, avocado and berries, just to name a few.  Lunch always includes a salad along with soup.  All these whole foods means boundless energy and are helping my body re-engage with clean, light eating.

What’s on your meal plan for this week? What are you making that’s simply irresistible and is supporting your clean eating efforts, post holidays?  How does planning meals support your clean eating efforts?

One of the key elements about creating a clean eating lifestyle is focusing on fresh food free of salt, sugar and preservatives. But the reality is that our favorite fresh foods sans preservatives are only good for so long.  So no, we shouldn’t be keeping freshly cooked chicken or whole grains for 10 days!

My motto is, less is more.  To keep food waste to a minimum and to eat what’s fresh, we’re in the habit of buying food and preparing meals that we can eat in one to two days.   For example, last night I made a pot of veggie chili, gluten-free cornbread and a spinach salad.  We had a couple of friends over for a relaxed dinner and conversation.  I sent my friend Lisa home with some chili and cornbread (she’s packing up to move and no time to cook so what’s better than home cooked food?). We’ll be eating chili for lunch the next couple of days but we’ll make quick work of it and use it up while it’s at its optimal freshness.  Tomorrow I’m whipping up a healthy pasta dish using whole grain rice pasta, leeks and sweet potatoes, yum! Again, something we can have for dinner and then for lunch the next couple of days along with a salad but doesn’t involve it hanging around for far too long.

Simple approach — use it or lose it.  As simple as that sounds however, it’s amazing how many people actually get sick from eating food that’s a little too old.  I think we’ve all been there — you look in the refrigerator, you don’t remember exactly how long it’s been there, it doesn’t look or smell like it’s going bad so you partake only to have tummy troubles later on. Sound familiar at all?

Here’s a handy resource I think you’ll like that helps you get to the bottom of “how long can I keep that in my frig and safely feel like I can still eat it?”  A few weeks ago I came across a cool website, Still Tasty, that let’s you type in and find out how long you can safely keep your favorite foods.  Freshly cooked chicken? 3-4 days.  Raw, unpeeled carrots? 3-4 weeks.  Raw eggs in their shell? 3-5 weeks in the refrigerator (in fact, did you know you should always store them in their container, not in the egg compartment in the frig? It’s too warm. And yes, you can go beyond the expiration date on the carton).

I love how the site visually breaks down how long you can store foods in both the refrigerator and freezer and provides some handy tips for the best packaging (airtight container, plastic wrap or aluminum foil).  It’s an easy to use, super helpful resource for staying on top of your favorite clean eating foods.

What do you to do ensure you eat foods within the time frame when they’re fresh? When was the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator and disposed of food that’s past its peak?

clean eating, healthy meal

It’s the Clean Eating Coach here, trying to get back into rhythm after so much cooking during Thanksgiving a few weeks ago.  I cooked up a storm of healthy and delicious food but then I have to admit, it felt like I overdid it a bit and I was happy to not cook the rest of the weekend. 

Last week we started off with some of the leftovers from Thanksgiving and I made a bean casserole to supplement, but by mid-week I was a bit out of steam and just trying to get by to the weekend.

Truth be told, sometimes I just need to take a kitchen break which means finding ways to have clean eating meals that require minimal prep — whole grain pasta with organic canned tomatoes and portella mushrooms or pesto, for example, is something that takes minimal time yet is focused on clean eating.  I like to always have a back up plan for a quick, clean eating meal I can make in a jiffy.  For me, that translates into having key ingredients on hand like organic chicken broth, canned tomatoes and beans that can easily be morphed into a healthy dish.  Without a good meal plan, clean eating can be more of a challenge.

The good news is that after some down time over the weekend during which I made time for meal planning, I’m back on track in the kitchen, with some healthy meals already under my belt, and a few more lined up.

Here’s a sampling of what I’m making this week:

• Southwestern Quinoa Stew — this favorite dish is super easy and quick to make and tastes so good!  It’s perfect for lunchtime or a light dinner
• Stuffed acorn squash with shrimp, brown rice and spinach.  I don’t cook that often with acorn squash (I tend to go with my old standby butternut, which I love) but when I was flipping through the January/February issue of Clean Eating magazine, this caught my eye. 
• Curried potatoes with kale — I’m not a huge potato fan but every once in a while I like to mix things up.  I love that these potatoes have so much flavor and since kale is one of my favorite veggies, you just can’t go wrong getting more veggies in. I used Teeny Tiny Potatoes (seriously, that’s what they’re called) from Trader Joe’s.
• Multigrain pasta with sweet potatoes and leeks.  I found this recipe online at realsimple.com and it just sounded tasty. I’ll be making this later in the week but it’s quick and easy. Since I try to avoid wheat, I’ll make it with brown rice pasta instead.
• Sesame chicken with gingery bok choy.  We don’t eat a lot of meat but when we do, I like to get the highest possible quality.  I bought six organic chicken breasts from the health food store that have been sitting in my freezer for a few weeks now.  I found this recipe on realsimple.com and it sounded delicious. I can already see how I might adapt it a bit for my own taste but it’s a good point of departure. 

When I take a look at the variety of ingredients I’m getting in this week it’s pretty good – sweet potatoes, acorn squash, butternut squash, kale, bok choy, spinach,  black beans, tomatoes, brown rice, and quinoa just to name a few. And that doesn’t include the fresh cilantro and sage, garlic, leeks, onion and olive oil I’m using.  Definitely a clean eating menu with nothing processed and fresh ingredients. Yum!

What’s on your clean eating menu for the week that you’re jazzed about? What will you make for you and your family to keep you feeling your best?