clean eating

In an attempt to eat a little healthier and break some bad habits,  David and I are going to be "eating clean" for at least the next 10 days. We already eat fairly healthy meals, it's the snacks and treats we keep around the house that get us. And since the holidays (beginning of session... darn those office treats) I have noticed myself eating too many sugary treats. So rather than just scale back on the sweets, I figure the best way to fix the problem is to cut out all sugar, right? Let's hope so.

So what did we decide eating clean means for us? Cutting out refined sugar, preservatives and additives (to the best of our ability), as well as any non-lean meats. To many other people eating clean would mean other things: no dairy, no eggs, only organic/ grassfed meat, etc. But we are just trying to make ourselves healthier, not indulge some crazy fad diet, restrict too many of the foods we enjoy, or jack up the price of our grocery receipt- and we think we settled on a happy medium.

After giving it much thought we settled on a menu for the next 10 days and did a little grocery shopping. Above is what we came home with. We did fudge a little bit on our rules (cottage cheese, canned chickpeas), and let a few "bad" things slip by initially unnoticed (frozen peaches), but overall I think we did well. Now we just have to stick to the plan and only eat the things we bought- which is always a challenge at work.

And why 10 days? Simply because we did wanted to be able to partake in family Easter dinners, we needed time to get to the grocery store after our weekend away, and we have company coming next weekend.

I will of course be updating you along the way with how we are doing- recipes we are enjoying, the amount of depravity we are feeling, change in energy levels, and any tips I think you might find useful if you decide to partake in such an endeavor.

Day 1: Wednesday, April 3

Breakfast:(This was an easy one, as I have been eating this exact breakfast for a few months now, just normally with brown sugar)
-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
-1/2 Tblsp chia seeds
-Sprinkling of frozen berries

Lunch: 
-spinach and mixed greens salad with chickpeas, red pepper, red onion, feta cheese, and homemade dressing (olive oil, honey, and balsamic vinegar)
-1/2 cup greek yogurt with honey and cinnamon
-2 Clementines

Snack(s) (not pictured):
-homemade "clean" muffin
-2 Tblsp Peanut Butter & Co All-Natural Dark Chocolate Dream peanut butter
-Almonds

Dinner:
-Tilapia breaded with wheat flour and spices
-sauteed collard greens with garlic, red onion, and red pepper flake
-roasted sweet potatoes