Have your heard the term "eat clean?" Many have but there are a lot of people out there that have never heard this phrase.
Eating clean means staying away from processed foods and choosing to eat whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and protein. This way of eating means cutting back or eliminating refined grains, pesticides, additives, preservatives, unhealthy fats, sugar and salt.
Living a healthy lifestyle and eating clean go hand in hand. You're wanting to put good, wholesome foods in your body so it runs properly and lasts a long time, right? The best way to be healthy and fuel your body appropriately is to eat clean foods that are chemical free!
With clean eating, shopping at the supermarket can be easy. Stay mostly in the produce section, limit your time in the deli and meat section, choosing lean cuts of beef, chicken, pork and seafood, and try your best to stay out of the middle isles! This is where all the processed, chemical laden food resides. Let it stay there and not in your cart!
Having fresh fruits, veggies, grains and proteins at home gives you the opportunity to cook clean and eat clean healthy dishes! However, the daunting task of eating out can derail those wanting to stay on track! But, it doesn't have to be that way at all!
Eating out does not mean you can’t have exactly what you want or what you would make for yourself at home. The menu at any restaurant is just a template for you to customize your own meals! All you have to do is ask! If you find a delicious meal on the menu, but it has a sugary sauce on it or a protein is cooked a certain way and you prefer it be grilled, ask your server for different cooking methods and leaving off sauces! Or, if you want different sides than what is listed on the menu, again, just ask! It’s amazing what restaurants will do to help accommodate your dietary needs! Tailor the food to how you would want it prepared!
Here are five ways of how to order healthy, clean foods when you’re on the go or dining at your favorite steak house!
Drink Water
Skip the sugary coke and sweet teas and stick to water, water with lemon or even unsweet tea. Not only will you save yourself the empty, unwanted calories, you’ll save some money too!
Skip the Chips or Bread Bowl
I know, they look and smell tempting and are oh so good, but a basket of chips can pack up to 500 calories! If you’re starving and need something to tide you over, order some grilled veggies or a small side salad.
Veggies all the Way
Order an all-veggie meal instead of one with minimal veggies and an overload of protein and simple carbohydrates. It is OK to go meatless! Plant based proteins like legumes, quinoa, some leafy greens and meat alternatives like tofu and tempeh are great ways to get your essential vitamins, minerals and protein! Many fast food joints now offer a veggie burger, which is a great vegetarian option if you’re on the go! Salads are another great choice too, just make sure to ask for the dressing on the side!
Keep it Simple
You can enjoy a nice, clean, simple meal with steamed veggies, a grilled protein like chicken or fish and a small baked sweet potato! Lentils, beans, and wild rice are other great whole foods to eat in place of French fries, and sugar-laden starchy carbohydrates.