You hear it all the time: “clean eating.” Since summer is here there’s a huge focus on eating fresh and eating “clean” to help you lose weight. But what does it mean? A lot of different people have a lot of different opinions, so it’s hard to know what to actually eat when you are trying to lose weight, fit your clothes better, increase your confidence, and boost your energy. The main idea when eating clean is to eat as “real” food as possible. This means minimally processed foods--basically, sticking to the outer aisles of the grocery store. This means meats, fruits, veggies, and some dairy. Of course, while eating this way is very healthy, it’s not all that practical for a lot of people. What’s summer without some ice cream or a few indulgences every now and then. Keeping that in mind, today we wanted to give you some guidelines to what we mean when we say “clean eating”: C- Choose foods touched by the fewest hands before hitting your plate. L- Love the food you’re eating, especially if it’s a cookie! E- Enjoy the process of creating your own food vs. going out to eat. A- Allow yourself to slow down at a meal to recognize when you’re full. N- Never force yourself to finish everything on your plate; it will happen. E- Experience one new food each week to expose yourself to new flavors. A- Ask how much is in a portion when you go out to ensure good decisions. T- Try incorporating fresh fruits & vegetables to at least 2 meals per day. I- Invest in kitchen tools, supporting your goal of being self-sufficient. N- Nutrition panels on foods are important to understand. G- Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We hope this helps you this summer as you journey to reach your goals!
