As Promised....

Eating clean....


Eating clean is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. It also means staying away from types of food that include man-made sugar, bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary. An easy way to remember if a food is clean is:  

 "if man made it, don't eat it"

The following food are 100% clean and safe, so when shopping buy the "Clean 15":

1.  Onions

2.  Sweet Corn

3.  Pineapple

4.  Avocado

5.  Asparagus

6.  Sweet Peas

7.  Mango

8.  Eggplant

9.  Cantaloupe

10.  Kiwi

11.  Cabbage

12.  Watermelon

13.  Sweet Potatoes

14.  Grapefruit

15.  Mushrooms

Eating clean can be VERY difficult and you need to assume that your shopping trip is going to take double (maybe triple) the amount of time because you have to read EVERY LABEL.  

I follow a blog that has been a huge help to me when "eating clean".  She has great advice and recipes.  You should check it out! (here)  Below is a recipe that I pulled from her website! I can't wait to try it!  

Clean Eating TexMex Dip
(Makes 20 servings – 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa, no sugar added
1 (15 ounce) can black olives, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can non-fat, refried beans, no sugar added
3 avocados
Juice of 1 lime
2 large roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, loosely packed

Directions
Step 1 – Combine the beans and the salsa in a pot and warm while stirring constantly. Once they are warm and well combined, remove from heat and pour the beans into your serving dish.
Step 2 – Make your guacamole using the avocados, lime juice, garlic powder and onion powder. Add salt to taste. Layer the guacamole over the beans.
Step 3 – Top with olives and tomatoes next and finish with the fresh cilantro.
Step 4 – Serve with your favorite, clean corn chips or whole grain crackers.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/4 cups
Calories: 98
Total Fat: 7 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 350 mg (this is a generic number based on regular salsa. Purchase low sodium salsa to fix this)
Carbohydrates: 9 gm
Dietary fiber: 4 gm
Sugars: 1 gm
Protein: 2 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 3