The transition towards healthier eating…CLEAN EATING!
In an ever-changing world…there is always so much more to learn, things to improve or just small adjustments to be made that can make a huge difference in our life. As many of you are aware I have been experimenting with Clean Eating and some of you are really enjoying the recipes I have shared with you in the last 6 months. And they really taste good!
All this started with an effort to decrease the amount of processed food consumed by my children…I started to notice if I wasn’t home or didn’t have dinner prepared…it was instant food or box food or fast food. Some of it can look healthy at first glance till you look at the salt, fat, & sugar content on the label, or the list of unpronounceable items. But as my family grows up, teenager are going to enjoy fast food so rather than be unrealistic my efforts at home was to provide meals that were made fresh, without excessive salt,sugar, fat and additives and hopefully create a balance of 75% Clean Eating, using unrefined sugar and flour, some organic products, preservative free. I started by building a supply of snacks (granola bars, protein bars, breakfast foods, breads, muffins, cookies… individually wrapped in the freezer to facilitate this transition. Then started making meals with the same principles…and believe it or not…yes it took more organization and kitchen time…but we are really getting there. And 100% is never going to be a reality but working towards 75% is achievable.
CLEAN EATING IS http://wp.me/pm9hf-cG see website
My first goals
So I had already made the transition to whole wheat flour a few years ago, now I am experimenting with other whole grain flour( millet, kamut, spelt…) and loving the new flavors. It is so rewarding when you are making recipes with the higher level of nutrition and tasty results your family love.
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Removing the refined sugar and artificial sugars from our meals…lots of label reading. Harder sell with the family…especially when it came to cereal but still working on it…trying to find options and doing a bit of compromising. Other than that they are enjoying the things I make and barely noticing the change in sugar.
Reducing the salt…surprised by how much salt is added to can goods (tomatoes, peas, corn…) It all really adds up. It is unrealistic in our climate to eat fresh food…so the next best thing is dry beans or try Metro’s brand can goods have no added salt or sugar…go to frozen fruit & veggies to get a variety…without the additives. I am still challenged to find many dry fruit without sulfites, oil and extra sugar…but dried apple rings at Bulk barn…still searching for alternatives. And have been buying some organic items…
Loblaws organic products have come down considerably on some items. Bag of Organic apples $3.99-4.99, organic celery less than 50cents more…
Choosing healthier oils…always used olive oil…but now making salad dressing that are so quick and easy with flax, omega 3-6-9, rice bran oil.
Learning about new ways to increase the fiber…wow so tasty and so much better for you. Love flax meal (ground up flax seeds….REMEMBER…flax seeds once ground need to be kept in the fridge…no longer than 5-7 days) I do a little at a time add it to my wraps ( love cashew butter on a whole wheat wrap with ground flax seeds a banana or dates or both sometimes…and roll it up high potent nutrition to start the day.) I will sometimes replace some of the flour with flax meal. I also use more raw nuts and oatmeal in my cooking. Finally choosing grains that are higher in Nutritional content and fiber…like Quinoa the whole family can’t get enough, wehani rice or soba noodles. Keeping it interesting and tasty. Now from time to time a recipe isn’t a hit…so it isn’t one we remake…but we tried it. I make notes in my recipe books with dates and comments…VG or needs extra cinnamon.
And with all these changes I am not feeling deprived at all….I eat more than ever, have cookies every day…and maintain my weight easier than ever.
But the biggest change I feel we made with the biggest impact to our physical body was removing as much of the preservatives and additives from the food as possible. These were trapped in our fat cells making us bloated.
Ellefitness 