Interestingly, I’ve been checking out the gluten-free section of my favorite two health food stores for ages, yet never even spotted the crackers before.  As someone who tries to avoid wheat and gluten, mostly because it can aggravate my eczema, I’m no stranger to gluten-free products. In fact, it’s usually my inclination to reach for gluten-free brown rice crackers as a good option.

Recently a friend on Twitter connected me with Mary’s Gone Crackers, and they offered to send me some samples.  Little did I expect such a generous shipment and variety of crackers. I was immediately taken by all the flavors and varieties — onion, herb, original, black pepper and caraway, to name just a few. My clean eating care package also arrived with what they call “Sticks & Twigs,” miniature snack sticks in a variety of flavors like curry and chipotle tomato.

I have to tell you that when I opened up one of the snack sized packages and popped a cracker in my mouth, I was caught off guard. I’m used to the bland, not so exciting flavor of brown rice crackers.  They get the job done but there’s nothing to jump up and down about. And yes, even though several different brands come in a variety of flavors, I tend to opt for the basic ones. So when I bit into the cracker, I sure wasn’t expecting so much flavor.  At first, I wasn’t even sure I liked the crackers — they tasted bold and different. But I kept eating, and several crackers into the package it dawned on me that they tasted really good. That all the flavor and texture was a welcome and much needed change from my usual cracker routine.

What a concept — an all-organic, gluten-free and wheat-free cracker that’s also vegan, has no hydrogenated oils and contains Omega 3-fatty acids. Even better, they boast a variety of whole grains — quinoa, brown rice, flax seed, and sesame seeds. I thought all the flavors tasted great with my favorite hummus but I was especially enamored with the caraway.

My last time at the health food store I finally noticed the crackers on the shelf in the gluten-free section and they surely aren’t cheap,  but I would be willing to pay a little extra for something that’s organic, clean eating and so healthy.  And it looks like you can get better pricing by buying them online via Amazon which I might be willing to try.  Nonetheless, I’m excited to have a tasty, whole grain alternative to the usual gluten-free fare that’s got me so intrigued.

Have you tried Mary’s Gone Crackers before? What was your experience like?

• Bring your favorite delicious and healthy dish to a party you might be attending. That way, you know there will be something you can enjoy without all the guilt
• Fill up on water when you arrive at the party to curb your appetite before you get into snack mode
• For every alcoholic drink you have, drink a glass of water afterward. It will hydrate you and won’t be full of empty calories
• Substitute high fat, creamy dips for low-fat and tasty hummus
• Replace your favorite refined white flour crackers for whole grain varieties. I’m a big fan of Mary’s Gone Crackers, delicious gluten-free crackers that pack a flavorful punch
• Want chips? Make your own! You can easily bake homemade potato or sweet potato chips that will satisfy almost any fan
• Kale chips anyone? These yummy treats can be made in minutes and the perfect way to add in some dark leafy greens that even kids will eat
• Grill mini turkey burgers. You can save calories and fat by substituting low fat turkey for beef
  Use low-fat cheese instead of the full fat variety
• Make a batch of cookies with whole grain flour and your favorite natural sweetener. They’ll satisfy a sugar craving and taste great too
• Whip up a pot of delicious veggie chili. It’s so good you won’t even miss the meat!

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.

The inspiration for this recipe came from Vegetarian Times magazine. Several years ago I came across the recipe but never made it. It’s one of those that I copied, put in my recipe binder and pretty much forgot about it. Recently, I was going through my recipes in an effort to mix things up and try something different.  This one jumped out at me and I was really appreciating how simple it was to make.

I love that it’s all natural, is focused on a variety of clean eating foods and can be made in minimal time — all criteria that make this recipe a keeper.  And it’s the perfect winter soup — seasonal, hearty and satisfying.

I gave it my own spin by switching up some of the ingredients — instead of a white potato, I used a sweet potato (seasonal root vegetable full of antioxidants and fiber), instead of parsley, I used my all-time favorite veggie, kale (rich in Vitamins A, C, E, K, iron, potassium and fiber, to name a few).  And I added in a dash of rosemary which gave it a fantastic flavor. 

I thought it was so cute when my husband Bruce emailed me from work to tell me how delicious it was. You have to love getting others on the clean eating bandwagon too, without a huge amount of effort.

Check out the recipe below and let me what you think if you whip some up.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet potato, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

1. In food processor, mince garlic then add onion and chop; remove to plate.
2. Add carrots and chop until coarse.
3. In soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
4. Add sweet potato and 5 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
5. Puree half the beans in the food processor, adding some of the remaining broth to thin.
6. Add the pureed beans, whole beans, kale and remaining broth to the pot along with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
7. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes until kale is tender.

I know you know what I mean…you’re hankering for something sweet or full of fat even though you know it’s probably not a clean eating food, you’ve told yourself that you deserve a treat, you know you might feel bad after eating it but you go ahead and do it anyway. 

Yep, I’ve definitely been there before, especially for the part where I beat myself up over eating it. In my case, it wouldn’t so much be about losing weight, but the simple notion that I was indulging in less than healthy and clean eating foods.

The thing is, you can easily overcome those tempting moments by hitting the pause button and stave off unnecessary weight gain.  You know that moment in between thinking about what you might eat and then actually retrieving it from the pantry or refrigerator? Well that’s the moment we want to seize and think about our choices by pausing briefly to consider the options.

Case in point, this morning I had a couple of breakfast choices — a bowl of granola, naturally sweetened with almond milk or a green smoothie with raw kale, antioxidant berries and avocado.  I could already tell that eating the cereal was the path of least resistance. Put it in a bowl and start eating immediately. I also could tell that making the smoothie would take more time but would also ensure that I could get in some much needed nutrients first thing in the morning — a serving of vegetables along with a couple of fruits not to mention some healthy omega 3s.

When I thought for a moment about my health goals for the day — getting lots of water in, fresh fruits and veggies and healthy fat, that’s all I needed to remind me that a few minutes of effort would move me closer to my health goal.  For me, hitting the pause button and stopping to consider my options was a simple yet powerful action to keep me focused on my clean eating goals for the day and week.

One of the tools I find helpful to keep the pause button within reach is utilizing my friend Millie Grenough’s book, Oasis in the Overwhelm.  Millie is a life coach who got inspired to write this book after a near-fatal accident several years ago. This quick read is chock full of helpful tips to help you hit the pause button in less than 60 seconds like the 3-B-C, the 3 breath countdown. By tuning it, relaxing in the moment and slowing down, you can be more mindful about your choices and support better health.  For me, it means that clean eating doesn’t have to be hard at all — a reminder that it’s always within reach.

I also sometimes set my kitchen timer for one minute and just sit quietly before making a food choices.  When I slow down and get out of my head, I can listen to what my body most needs — healthy, energizing foods.

What’s your favorite trick to hit the pause button before overindulging and ensure what you’re about to consume is a fresh, whole, clean food? What do you have actively due to prevent weight gain?

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?

With the new year upon us, and many of us wishing we hadn’t indulged so much during the holidays, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be so hard to get on track. 

If you didn’t eat so clean during the holidays, no worries. Now’s the perfect time to practice slow but steady clean eating changes that have nothing to do with going on a diet! Yep, it’s true, diets don’t work and all they really lead to are depriving yourself, expending too much energy on trying not to fall off the wagon…and ultimately, falling of the wagon!

Here’s my post holiday advice: establish a few realistic goals for clean eating — not the “I’m going to lose 25 pounds in the next month” kind of a goal, but a goal that you can actually achieve.  Here’s a sampling of some clean eating goals that might spark your imagination:

• eat at least two more servings a vegetables a day
• drink 32 ounces of water by 12:00 and another 32 ounces by 5 pm
• eat at least 4 out of 7 dinners per week without any distractions like the TV
• chew each mouthful of food at least 25 times
• add at least three types of whole grains to your diet per week
• add 2 more vegetarian meals to your diet per week

Clean eating is all about improving the quality of your food — less processed food, more whole foods, more locally grown food, — and the experience you have while eating it. To me, it’s about increasing your awareness and tuning in.   When you eliminate distractions like the TV, you taste your food more fully and eat less.  You’ll actually need less food to feel filled up because you’ll be enjoying your food with reckless abandon and paying attention to the signals your body is sending you.  This is key to successfully losing weight and keeping it off.

And then there’s the steady part — consistently putting a meal plan into action week after week. To me, meal planning is the system by which I stay on track with my clean eating. It’s the vehicle by which it all happens on a weekly basis. And not only do I practice this religiously, but I work with my clients to do the same and what a difference it makes.

I’d love to hear about what you’ve got planned for 2010 to practice clean eating. What are you clean eating goals that will help you maintain your weight or loss some? What will you do differently this year to feel your best?

Here are a few clean eating goals of my own:

• Eat at least three different varieties of greens per week (I just bought kale, collards and Brussels sprouts as part of this week’s meal plan)
• drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, consistently (I struggle with the consistent part, working on new strategies; check out a recent post on how I’m getting better)
• eat less meat and create at least 2  meat-free dinners (this shouldn’t be hard, we don’t eat that much anyway) per week
• whip up a raw, green smoothie for breakfast with fresh greens at least 3 times per week

So cough it up, let me know what you’re inspired to do and create in 2010 regarding clean eating! If I can do it, you can too!

PS If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to clean eating, let me know. We can set up a complimentary 30-minute consultation to talk about your health goals and how yours truly, the Clean Eating Coach, can help you reach them.

Due to a host of factors including sometimes not drinking enough water, making a few detours from my usual clean eating, healthy fare, and these pesky fibroid tumors that I have — things can sometimes move a bit slow, if you know what I mean.

And I’ll be the first to tell you that I’ve been at a host of family functions and parties where there’s been a bevy of food. I’ve literally been working on practicing what I preach — avoiding holiday overindulgence and the weight gain that comes with it.  Doesn’t mean I’ve totally avoided eating some super rich foods but I’ve been trying only small samples to whet my appetite and avoid going overboard.  I’ve also been working on the idea that holidays aren’t only about food — they’re also about enjoying the company of our family and friends.

But when it comes to clean eating and keeping things moving during the holiday season, I’m a big fan of eating as many raw veggies as possible. To me, that’s one of the most powerful ways I keep myself regular.  Even though it happens to be frigidly cold today and more warm foods would naturally be in order, I can’t help but create a beautiful green salad along with the other items I’m making for a family birthday dinner that we’re hosting.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to get more raw fruits and veggies in your diet during the holiday season. Here are just a few ideas:

• bring raw veggies and hummus to a holiday party
• make a delicious raw smoothie with fresh fruit and a serving or two of raw kale or spinach thrown in
• juice your favorite veggies and fruit like cucumber, celery, kale, apples and ginger
• cut up bell peppers and cucumbers for snack time instead of high fat treats like cheese and crackers
• create a raw salad with your favorite lettuce and added some roasted vegetables on top for a nice mix of flavors and textures

What’s your strategy to keep things moving during the holidays and feel your best? What are you doing to ensure you’re eating enough raw fruits and vegetables?

It’s not that I don’t want to drink water.  In fact, without fail, I always feel more alert and focused when I’m drinking lots of water everyday.  And my skin looks so much better too!

What usually trips me up though, is days when I have a busy schedule of speaking and/or teaching.  On those days, to prevent myself from lots of trips to the bathroom, I tend to drink less.  I have one of those teensy weensy bladders and it feels like I constantly have to go. But it’s on just those days that I can easily get into a water deficit. And if I have a couple of those days in a row, I can easily find myself in a state of dehydration that affects how regular I am…or not.

I’ve blogged about water drinking many times before, sharing some of my tricks to keep hydrated.  In Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, I’m a ‘vata’ constitution type which means I’m naturally dry by nature.  Water drinking is one of my biggest, personal health missions to keep things operating at optimal levels.

With the holidays upon us and lots of gatherings to attend, I find that it’s even easier to be water deficient.  Stop by a friend or family member’s home, and the first question may very well be, “what can I get you to drink?”  When you look around and see lots of festive cocktails, it’s a natural inclination to go with the flow and have one yourself.  So for me, it’s all about finding some balance with the water drinking at both parties and at home.

When I’m heading to a function, I like to begin with the end in mind and set my sights on drinking at least one eight ounce glass of water before having any alcohol.  If I’m really on my game, I’ll up that to two. Then I feel so much better about having a glass of wine or cocktail.  In a perfect world, I’d also have a glass of water in between every glass of alcohol I’d drink.  The funny thing, though, is that I’m not much of a drinker anyway. One glass of something, and I’m usually good for the whole evening. 

I came across a handy water drinking tool recently that’s been helping stay on my water drinking toes.  My friend Tracie has a cool website called tinyrituals.com.  She is all about the power of water drinking to feed your body and soul. I especially like her Time to Hydrate sticky pads, a simple way to keep track of your water drinking during the day.  In fact, I thought it was such a handy tool that I’ve given each of my clients a Time to Hydrate pad as a holiday gift.  

So far, I’m at about 26 ounces for the day and it’s just about noon.  Not too bad, but I find that I often start the day strong with water and then fizzle out over time.  This is a good reminder to keep on going.

What do you do to stay on track with water and make sure you get enough in? Water’s your secret to stay sufficiently hydrated during the cold winter months and the holiday season?

PS You can get a full list of simple and fabulous ideas to keep you feeling your best during the holidays with my audio recording, “Clean Eating During the Holidays: Outwit Holiday Overeating and Overindulgence.” You can check out all the details here: http://bit.ly/109omL

I use the same strategy with my clients.  It’s never about a laundry list of things for clients to avoid and never eat again.  Clean eating is really about simple foods and lifestyle changes that can be integrated over time. I think the slow but steady approach is a winner in encouraging development of habits we can maintain, not something we pick up only to drop a few months later.

I was excited when my friend Denise, the Motivated Mindset Coach, told me about futureme.org.  I was part of a super cool call she did last Friday on creating an amazing, motivated 2010.  One of the resources she encouraged us to use was this website where you create a letter to yourself about what you want to create in your life and you choose a date in the future when you want to have it sent to you.  Think of it as a motivating and inspiring way to create the life you’d like to lead. This is simply one tool to help you get there.

I love the concept so much and I’ve already written myself an encouraging letter to be delivered late next year.  For me it’s about maintaining my healthy lifestyle, staying fit and healthy in my body, and working toward some important career and business goals, among other things.

And this is something I’m planning to use with my clients as well. It’s a wonderful tool to help think about how you’ll feel when you embrace a healthy lifestyle. Imagine the feeling of boundless energy, clear skin and being at your optimal weight? Or how about creating that you’ll be a powerful and efficient meal planner, whipping up clean eating meals your family will love?

What are you health goals for 2010? How can you use futureme.org to to support your vision? When are you going to go on over there and write yourself an amazing letter?!