Every now and again, I will spend one week bringing awareness and conciousness to what I am putting in body, to what I am eating. I spend one week “clean eating,” and I always feel great afterwards!
Clean eating, at least the way I approach it, is NOT a diet. (I realized after this experience that restrictions and starvation are not good for me in any way.) It is not about denial, control or losing weight. I do a week of clean eating and believe in it as it acts as a giant RESET button.
I know that unprocessed foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, are far better for me than chips and cookies. But as life gets busy, bad habits start to form. I find it helpful to spend one week taking a hard look at my habits and reassessing what’s working and what’s not.
Clean eating does require some forethought, especially if you’ve never done it before. I am sharing my most recent one week clean eating plan in the event it is helpful to you.
What is Clean Eating?
There are many, slighty different definitions of clean eating. And people have different feelings as to how strict to be.Â
But the short version is: clean eating is cutting the crap and giving the body nourishing foods.
It is about loading up on whole foods like whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. It is using organic and non-GMO foods as much as possible to cut out the hormones and mandmade chemicals that we ingest daily without even realizing it. It is getting rid of refined sugars. It is a return to the way we used to eat and still intuitively (and scientifically) know is best for our bodies.
Some advocate cutting out all dairy, as well. I find that some cheeses are a great source of protein and Greek yogurt is an important part of my daily life. That said, if you haven’t done it before, it is an interesting exercise to remove dairy from your diet and see if that makes you feel different/better.Â
Still want to know more about clean eating? This link has seven points that explain clean eating in a nutshell.
The Reason I Love Clean Eating
Besides treating my body the way it deserves to be treated, there are a few reasons I love my week of awareness to what I consume.
I get to eat when I am hungry and I do not count the calories at all. Instead, when I am clean eating, I allow myself more intuitive snacking and eating because I know what is going into my body is good for it, not just empty calories. It helps me tune into my body’s particular needs.
Other things I love: I generally have more energy. It feels like a chance to be creative and mix up my meals, beating some boredom. Plus, I get to add in alternative ingredients that have proven benefits for the body that I don’t normally think of, such as local honey, cinnamon, chia seeds.
Finally, I’ve noticed a strange upside to a week of clean eating. One of the greatest feelings is to open my fridge and see fresh produce spilling out. There is such bounty and I feel blessed beyond measure when I experience this. It is a reminder as to how lucky I am. Clean eating teases out more gratitude than I generally acknowledge when I am in my kitchen.
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Quick Tips for Clean Eating
There are some quick tips I’ve learned over the years that help make my one week of clean eating most successful:
- Don’t overbuy! Fresh food does not have the same shelf life as processed foods (which should be a red flag about the processed foods, to be honest).
- Allow yourself some splurges. This isn’t a diet, it is a reconsideration of how to fuel the body. So things aren’t “off-limits,” they are just consumed with awareness and conciously enjoyed.
- Buy prepared hard-boiled eggs (if you run out of ways to use them, check out Recipes to Use Hard-Boiled Eggs).
- I work out at home, using Les Mills On Demand, but for more tips on working out at home check out this post.
- Don’t be afraid to repeat snacks and meals (particularly if you have expensive food in your fridge – don’t waste it!).
- Clean eating doesn’t have to be expensive, but it will likely cost more than eating processed and refined grocery goods. I consider it an investment in me.
- Plan ahead and know that you will spend time on food preparation. For tips on meal planning, visit this article; for tips on how to cook healthy without working too hard, visit this article.
- YES! YOU CAN DO THIS WITH YOUR FAMILY. You do not need to cook separate meals for the rest of the family if you decide to do this.
- If any of these recipes don’t work for you, I have followed this plan before with sucess. (Note that I work out a lot and am very active, so I know that I can’t dip below 1,500 calories a day without feeling awful. Be aware of the calorie consumption on some of these plans and ensure that you are matching your body’s needs.)
Clean Eating Plan for One Week:
Day One
Breakfast:
Steel Cut Oats with 1/2 Banana, local Honey and Chia Seeds
Coffee
Snack: 0
Lunch:
Whole Foods Salad Bar (raw veggies only) with balsamic vinegarette dressing
1/2 Whole Wheat Roll from Whole Foods
Splurge:
2 Madagascar Dark Chocolate Melts
Snack:
1/2 Sprouted Grain English Muffin topped with Organic Peanut Butter, 1/2 Banana and sprinkled with Cinnamon (I was gifted this cinnamon and it is amazing)
Dinner:
Salmon Roasted with Garlic Butter with Roasted Asparagus (based on this recipe)
1 piece of Rustic, Homemade No-Knead Bread (from one of my favorite recipes ever)
Exercise:
BodyPump
Day Two
Breakfast:
Spinach Smoothie
Coffee
Snack:
1 hard-boiled egg
Lunch:
Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
1/2 Whole Wheat Organic Roll from Whole Foods
Splurge:
2 Madagascar Dark Chocolate Melts
Snack:
Honeycrisp apple with slices of Cheddar Cheese
Dinner:
A few slices of Homemade Grilled Steak (serving size & quality of beef are key)
Wild Rice
Side Salad including: butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, pumpkin seeds and pepperoncinis with tahini dressing
Exercise:
Walk
Day Three
Breakfast:
Steel Cut Oats with Blueberries
Coffee
Snack:Â
1/2 Sprouted Grain English Muffin with Organic Peanut Butter
Lunch:
Turkey Avocado Wrap in a Whole Wheat Wrap
Splurge:
2 Madagascar Dark Chocolate Melts
Snack:
1/2 c of Plain Greek Yogurt with Sliced Strawberries and Granola
Dinner:
Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Crust topped with Veggies (such as fresh tomatoes, roasted yellow peppers, red onions and sauteed mushrooms)
Exercise:
Hot Yoga
Day Four
Breakfast:
Avocado Toast
Snack: 0
Lunch:
Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
1 slice of Rustic No-Knead Bread
Splurge:
3 Madagascar Dark Chocolate Melts
Snack:
1/2 Sprouted Grain English Muffin with Organic Peanut Butter
Dinner:Â
Homemade Turkey Taco Meat (consider using Penzey’s taco seasoning) topped with Plain Greek Yogurt, Romaine Lettuce and Fresh Salsa
Exercise:
Spin
Day Five
Breakfast:
Against All Grain Avocado Smoothie
Coffee
Snack: 0
Lunch:
Tuna sushi roll (from grocery store) with brown rice
Snack:
1/2 Sprouted Grain English Muffin with Organic Peanut Butter
Dinner:
Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes (I make this meal all the time–Â we love it)
Splurge:
Glass of Red Wine
Exercise:
Walk
Day 6
Breakfast:
1/2 Sprouted Grain English Muffin
2 hard-boiled eggs
Lunch:
Black Bean Burger Patty
Splurge:
2 Madagascar Dark Chocolate Melts
Snack:
Coconut Water
Plain Greek Yogurt with Sliced Strawberries and Granola
Dinner:Â
Pesto Shrimp
Tomato & Basil Salad
Exercise:
Spin
Day 7
Breakfast:
Steel Cut Oats with Strawberries and Honey
Lunch:
Curried Egg Salad Sandwich -1 Sprouted Grain English Muffin topped with Curried Egg Salad
Baby dill pickles
Snacks:
PopCorners snack bag
Dinner:
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Exercise: 0