Clean Eating: December and January

As promised, here are some of the clean eating meals we’ve had the last couple of months! Eating healthy through the holidays and during very cold weather is not the easiest. I have let myself enjoy more treats than usual, but I am mostly back on track this month. I feel better and look better when I’m eating healthy and drinking plenty of water!

This breakfast was SO DELICIOUS and very filling!  I heated up some leftover roasted veggies (sweet and white potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli), sautéed some kale, and topped it all with 2 fried eggs.  I need to eat something like this every morning!

Roasting a variety of vegetables on Sunday or Monday is a great step toward eating healthy throughout the week. 

Simple, clean dinner….sauteed kale and grape tomatoes with crushed red pepper and parmesan; avocado; fried eggs.

These Honey-Garlic Chicken Thighs are done in the crock pot and can be made gluten free by using GF soy sauce.  Todd and I loved the sauce on this chicken!  I served it over brown rice, which we buy in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s.  It comes in a box, is organic, and just has to be warmed for 3 minutes!  We also had steamed broccoli (Davis’ favorite) and Thai Sweet Chili Green Beans – yummy!!  This will be a repeat meal at our house.

Side note: Should I write a “What I Buy from Trader Joe’s” post??

Fish Taco Burrito Bowl.  I always buy frozen, wild-caught Alaskan cod from Trader Joe’s.  It is light, healthy, from a good source, and we all (our 3 year old included) love it!  I seasoned it with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and roasted it until cooked through.  The base of the fish taco burrito bowl is brown rice, sautéed cabbage, corn and black beans, grape tomatoes.  Then we added some cheddar cheese, and we topped them with salsa verde from Trader Joe’s.

Baked Chicken Nachos. Layer tortilla chips, chopped spinach, black beans, shredded cooked chicken, cheese and bake until cheese is melted and chips are toasted some around the edges.  Top with fresh jalapeño, avocado, salsa and a squeeze of lime juice.  This was the perfect post-church, football-watching Sunday lunch!

Caesar Salad + Collard Green Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

Brown Butter Rosemary Popcorn. We regularly make popcorn at home.  I use a brown paper bag to pop it in the microwave.  I mix non-GMO corn kernels with coconut oil and sea salt…I discussed it further in this post.  But this recipe involves tossing the freshly popped corn with browned butter, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, and sea salt.  YUM!

Day date with my love.  We went out for sushi before Christmas, and tried to pick healthy-ish sushi rolls.

Other ideas: (these are out of order, but they give the general idea, because for some reason this collage keeps scrambling!)

–Salads: anything and everything you can find in your fridge or pantry that is healthy!  We love to use kale, spinach, or romaine lettuce, and I especially love to top salads with leftover roasted vegetables.  We almost always include a protein (chicken, boiled egg) and some avocado.  Keep dressings light, and homemade dressings are ideal!

-Eggs – Scrambled, fried, or boiled.  I typically cook them with or serve them on top of greens.  Eggs are cheap, easy to make, and a great source of healthy fats.  Buy cage free or from a local farm.

–Roasted Whole Chicken in the crock pot.  (my chicken was thawed). This doesn’t have the same flavor of a roasted chicken in the oven, but it was perfect for a week’s meal prep.  I actually made 2 because I now have 2 crock pots.  You know you’re old and boring when you ask for a crock pot for Christmas. 😉 😉 We ate the chicken plain, with veggies, in salads, in collard green wraps, etc etc!

-Avocado Toast. duh.

-Roasted Cod with roasted veggies…I discussed the cod with the Fish Taco bowls above.  Adjust the seasonings (try lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper) if you’d like!

–Lentil Soup.  I sort of went by this recipe to make it in the crock pot.  I sautéed the mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery, garlic) in some olive oil first.  I also chopped the veggies to be very small, cooked it with a bay leaf, and seasoned with cumin.  We topped ours with avocado and some sour cream for the boys.  Davis loved this!

-Egg Tacos.  Easiest dinner ever.  I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.  In a small taco shell, wrap up the eggs, avocado and some salsa!

-I made some chili to have during the Panthers’ game last weekend.  I don’t have a recipe, but I will say to add vegetables (I included celery, onion, carrot, garlic, bell pepper), beans, and to use grass-fed beef.  I served it with my Gluten Free Honey Polenta Cornbread.

 

I have been working out about 5 days/week for the last month, but I have been letting myself eat much more.  I’m going to begin working on cleaning up my eating even further: fewer grains and less cheese, specifically.  I am okay with higher calories, but they need to be the right kind.  I also have a goal to eventually cut out my favorite (and only) completely processed indulgence: hazelnut coffee creamer.  That’s scary to admit, because it is a morning staple.  BUT IT IS SO BAD FOR ME!  Do any of you have a similar “one thing” that you can’t seem to give up?!

I will continue to post healthy eating ideas and maybe even some fitness progress!

Thank you so much for reading and for being interested in these posts!  I truly hope these lists help you with menu planning and encourage clean eating choices!