Clean Eating

You have probably heard of clean eating but might be wondering what exactly those two words mean or how to go about cleaning up your pantry and frig. Eating clean is about focusing more on the nutritious foods that come from the earth and less on the not so nutritious. This means embracing foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus healthy proteins and fats. You don't have to count calories or give up entire food groups. You simply cut back on unrefined grains, added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats. You fill your shopping cart with more foods from the outer isles of the grocery store than the inner isles.

I know what you saying, "that is great and all, but how do I do it?"

When you make your shopping list each week, select one or two items to switch with clean items. For example, if you need bread this week, make it a point to find "clean" bread (100% whole grain, no added sugar and identifiable ingredients such as whole wheat flour, salt and yeast). If you ran out of white rice, pick up a package of brown rice this week. It doesn’t have to be difficult to make the transition to clean foods—nor does it have to happen 100% overnight!  With this slow and steady approach, you don’t have to spend hours at the store reading labels either. Start small: You are also more likely to stick with it if you don’t shock yourself with a sudden change. (SparkPeople, Clean Eating 101)

So now that you have your refrigerator stocked, what are you going to eat? This used to happen to me all the time. I would go shopping and buy all of this food, but then go and grab something to eat at McDonalds. The most important thing you can do is create a meal plan BEFORE you go shopping. 

And then enjoy delicious foods like these that are clean and easy to make! 

Now you are thinking WONDERFUL, but how can I afford all of this? If you think about, you spend more money dining out than you do shopping and eating at home. Last week, Wes, Harper, and I ate out 2 times. The total was $110.00 for 2..TWO meals. Sunday we spent $112.00 at the grocery store for 6 meals a day for three people for 6 days. In my opinion, we can't afford not to eat like this. Here are some tips from sparkpeople.com (Clean Eating 101) to help keep your budget in check. 

• Look for in-store coupons. Coupons and sales flyers for your grocery store are more likely to highlight discounts on real food (like fruits, vegetables and unprocessed meats) rather than the coupons provided by food manufacturers, which only discount processed foods.

• Shop in bulk. Bulk items are often far more affordable than the packaged varieties. If your store offers bulk food bins, you also have the option to buy as little or as much as you want at a given time.

• Stock up on sales. When your store does have a sale on clean food staples such as meats or frozen vegetables, take advantage of that by stocking your freezer. It will save you money in the long run.

• Manage your food well. This is a big one. We throw away a ton of food in this country every day and it contributes to our food bills in a big way. Freeze cooked foods you know you won’t get to right away and don’t cook so much that you can’t eat it before it goes bad.

• Buy whole chickens. These go on sale regularly. Be sure you use the entire bird by making broth for soups with the portions you don't eat (bones, necks, backs, etc.). You can always freeze it if you can’t use it right away. Try these suggestions to get the most for your money out of a whole chicken.

Remember these simple rules and you will win at clean eating!

Until next time..

XOXOXOXO