Spring has officially sprung and it’s time to reset and start fresh! It’s the time of year where you can open the windows, let in some fresh air and get organized! They say the most successful way to tackle spring cleaning is to focus on one area at a time and I find it’s the same methodology when cleaning up your diet!
To start, focus in on each meal. What are your go-to’s for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and any in-betweens? What are you drinking throughout the day? How often do you eat out? What’s currently in your pantry or refrigerator? How can you make healthier swaps or eliminate processed foods all together?
Eating clean may seem overwhelming, but it’s actually really easy once you get in the mindset to do it!
Buy Fresh, Real Food
The first rule of ‘clean eating’ is to eat, real, whole foods. Remove any processed (generally packaged) foods and replace them with whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean proteins. You also want to avoid food or beverages that might have any added sugar and opt for minimally processed cooking fats such as olive oil or ghee over vegetable oils or margarine.
Read Your Labels
This is one area that can be a bit overwhelming at first but you will be shocked as you start reviewing the ingredients on some of your favorite foods. The general rule when reading your labels is if you can’t pronounce the ingredients or know what they are, look for another option. Another thing to note, is that ingredients are generally listed in the order of how present they are, so the ingredients used the most in the food are listed first. Many jarred or canned foods are chock full of added sugar or processed foods so this really is an important step when it comes to cleaning up your diet… also organic is great, but organic cane sugar is still cane sugar, so look for products that leave it out!
Do Your Research
I find the easiest way to stick to eating clean, is to look up recipes and make shopping lists ahead of going to the grocery store. It also helps to know ahead of time, which brands offer cleaner options when it comes to canned or jarred products. There are lots of great choices these days and it’s rare to not find a clean alternative for
To help get you started, I create the below Grocery Guide highlighting great Clean Eating Options. I’m also linking to a few of my go-to Clean Recipes. Each one of these is simple to make and absolutely delicious!
The Defined Dish: Sloppy Janes
The Whole Cook: Easy Chicken Curry (I make this with shrimp ALL the time)
Nom Nom Paleo: All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce (I use this on Salmon, Chicken, and Shrimp)
Olive Magazine: ‘Roast Chicken’
