Clean Eating

People often ask me: Robin, what do you mean by "clean eating?"

Well, to me it means selecting and preparing foods that are as unprocessed and unrefined as possible.

When shopping, read labels and select items with the fewest and most pure ingredients listed first, such as whole wheat in grain products. The order in which ingredients are listed tells us how much of something is in a food. Fewer ingredients means food is more pure and contains less fillers, such as salt, refined sugar, and saturated fats. Does this mean less taste? No, more test, actually! Try it sometime.

Instead of your favorite ice cream, try a bowl of fresh strawberries (or another sweet fruit of your choice) topped with a dollop of whipped cream (remember, look for the fewest, purest ingredients), maybe even making your own. I'm pretty sure you'll be amazed at how rich, sweet, and pure the flavors are... a party in your mouth!

Here's another clean eating tip: cook from scratch whenever possible. Yes, like our mothers and grandmothers did! Now, I'm not suggesting that you must do this every night (or, at least not without some serious planning on your part). That would be a lofty goal with our crazy-busy schedules, but shoot for a few nights a week, if you can. I found that when I tried to come in every night and cook from scratch, I became resentful and didn't want to do one of the things I enjoy so much: prepare yummy meals! So I do use prepared items, such as pre-cut veggies or canned beans (low sodium), on some of the nights, but still make sure that there are as few "scientific ingredients" as possible.

I hear you: "The pure stuff costs more!" Yep, I agree. Eating healthy seems to cost more, but the truth is, if you're eating in a healthy way, you're also watching your portion sizes. In our house, food goes further because we eat less of it at a sitting. When foods are pure, "less is more" to get the full flavor. Result? Less "junk" in your food, fewer calories, and consideration of your budget as you stretch your ingredients for a week... bonus!

How are you building clean eating into your lifestyle, and how is your family responding to it? Looking forward to hearing your stories....