If you read yesterday’s post on getting back to clean eating, then you’ll know that this post is as much reminder for myself on how to eat clean as it is information for anyone else.  Eileen, remember all those delicious and healthy meals you’ve enjoyed from your own kitchen? Eat those!

When discussing clean eating, a common question that comes up is “How hard is it to cut the junk?”. This is often preceded by “HOW DO YOU LIVE WITHOUT PROCESSED FOOD?!”. The general consensus outside of clean eating is that this change would be drastic, difficult, and limiting; and to be honest, the first few weeks felt like that. Meal planning was confusing and stressful since my old go-tos (frozen dinner, heaping bowl of pasta, etc.) were now off the list. My brain felt locked in a limbo of feeling too overwhelmed by this new diet to truly explore it, and at the same time, pouting over having to give up excessive consumption of some of my favorite (though wildly unhealthy) foods.

But, a few weeks in, after a little research, reading, and recipe browsing, the picture of clean eating started to come together. Eight months later it is still coming together. From what I’ve learned, truly embracing clean eating requires shifting the focus from what is restricted to the incredible amount of options available.

Today I’m sharing “A Day in Clean Eating” to show the variety and satisfaction of a typical day. While clean eating is not a lifestyle that everyone may choose for themselves, there are fantastic gems that can be easily adapted in one’s effort to make healthier choices.

Q: What does clean eating mean?

A: Clean eating, put simply, means eating more vegetables, fruits, grains, and whole natural foods by cutting out processed foods rich with preservatives, saturated and trans fats, and non-natural refined sugars. In the grocery store, this leads to my ritual ingredient check: more than five ingredients, or the use of any preservative terms ending in -ates, -ites, or corn syrup, and the product goes right back on the shelf from which it came.

Need more info? Read this post on getting started with clean eating.

Let’s get on with our play-by-play of a day in clean eating!

CLEAN BREAKFAST:

• fruit/vegetable smoothie OR slow-cooker steel cut oats
• hot herbal tea (Earl Grey for the win) with soy milk topper, cinnamon, and nutmeg

CLEAN LUNCH:

• salad: roasted vegetables with spinach, aged balsamic, goat cheese
• spicy vegetable & bean soup
• mixed raw veggies. white balsamic or hummus for dipping
• warmed slice of fruit & nut bread: pumpkin, banana nut

• banana & almond butter topped rice cake or piece of fruit
• hot thai herb broth (from Wow Bow)
• lots of other snack options here.