COLORFUL CLEAN EATING A beginner s guide By: Ana Sandee @ColorfulFoodie
Let s Get Started: This guide was created after multiple requests to share how I eat my meals each day in an organized manner. I do share that daily via my social media accounts, but here it is, compiled for your convenience. I created this guide to help YOU get on track and on the path to clean eating. This can be a challenge to a lot of people, but can also be quite simple and very much achievable if you really are looking to change your diet and take control of your health. I decided to partake in clean eating after my first year of marriage where we both gained 20 lbs. That was a big wake up call, and I decided I knew better and was going to do something about. At that point in time I did not know how to cook at all, so I began experimenting and learning as I went. What do you know, it actually worked and I changed my relationship with food forever, couldn t be happier! By using this guide, you will realize it s not difficult and can be enjoyable and delicious. I count colors, not calories it has always been my mantra since beginning my journey a few of years ago, when I myself was looking to modify my relationship with food and achieve balance. It s worked for me and now I want to share that with you. Thank you for downloading this guide and joining me! I hope you get inspired by how I prepare my food and adopt this style of eating without deprivation. Food is love, it s beautiful and it s meant to be enjoyed. Here you will find some of my recipes that will make eating enjoyable again, and hopefully help you to achieve balance like I have enjoying every bite along the way, through colorful clean eating! If you haven t yet, I invite you to download my grocery shopping list so you can build your meals accordingly. You can download it here: https://payhip.com/b/4cfp
BREAKFAST IDEAS I always start my mornings with a green smoothie. This works for me and my husband and it s great if you re a busy one who takes your breakfast on the go. It makes two 16 oz cups and we are happy starting our morning with that. You can modify this in any way you like, but since I started clean eating, this is the first thing that goes into my body. Start your day with my daily green smoothie Typically enjoyed but not restricted to Monday Fridays for those of us who are busy and take breakfast on the go. Handful of Spinach Handful of Romaine or iceberg lettuce Handful of Kale 2 Celery sticks ½ Green apples ½ Red apples ½ Pear 1 Kiwis 1 Banana 1 Orange ½ lemon ½ Grapefruit Alternatives to the green smoothie, or even a mid-morning snack which serves as augmentation to the smoothie (for example: eat one of these in the middle of your morning if you ll have lunch time workout). I typically include these simple dishes I absolutely love! CHIA PUDDING 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk 3-4 heaping tbsp chia seeds. Optional: 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey HOW Mix together and store in the fridge overnight. The chia seeds absorb any liquid making a rich, nutritious and fiber filled concoction! I like to sweeten with 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup. Makes for an instant breakfast or anytime snack.
BANANA BLENDER CAKE 2-3 overripe bananas 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt or apple sauce 1/4 cup honey or agave 1/4 cup coconut or brown cane sugar 1-2 eggs (or 2-3 egg whites) 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice) 1 cup any flour of choice or a combo of next 3 ingredients: 1/2 cup oat flour (or any flour) 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds 1/4 cup almond 1/2 tsp baking 1 tsp vanilla extract Dash of salt OPTIONAL: Handful of dark chocolate chips or walnuts/pecans for sprinkling HOW: Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin or cake pan with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in blender except for chocolate chips/nuts and blend until homogeneous. Pour batter into prepared baking pan, sprinkle toppings and bake for 20-25 minutes until center is set. Makes a great breakfast muffin, snack or even brunch item! QUICK COLORFUL VEGGIE OMELET 1 egg and 2 egg whites or 3 egg whites 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved 5-6 kalamata olives, chopped 4-5 asparagus spears 1 tbsp crumbled feta 3-4 fresh basil leaves ¼ cup avocado on top Salt and pepper to taste Nonstick olive oil HOW: Roast asparagus but lighting seasoning and spraying with EVOO oil and baking for 5-7 minutes. Blend egg/egg whites and season. Use a 10" nonstick pan to make omelet. Top it with suggested toppings minus avocado and flip it over. Serve with avocado and Enjoy!
OVERNIGHT OATS 1/2 cup oats of your choice (regular oats or unflavored varietal is fine) 1 cup milk of choice (I like almond or coconut) 1 tbs nuts (pecans or walnuts are my go to's) 1 tbsp low fat greek yogurt 1 tbsp nut butter (I love almond, but peanut butter or others are fine too) Optional: Any dried of fresh fruits for toppings (or shredded coconut, yum!) Cinnamon or other spices like nutmeg, cardamom, pumpkin spice Honey or maple syrup as sweeteners if needed (coconut sugar is also great) 1 tbsp Chia seeds 1 tbsp ground flaxseed Really, anything you love and enjoy! Get creative HOW: Blend all ingredients in a jar or my favorite, an empty almond, peanut butter, nutella, or jar where the good stuff is almost out. Add all your ingredients in there and leave it in the fridge overnight. Your oats will soak and all the flavors will marry in the jar - in the morning, just eat it right out of the jar or place in a bowl and heat it up. That is literally it. SO easy right? I like using berries, It's just my preference so I always top it off when I'm ready to eat it but feel free to add it to the overnight prep if you don't have a place to store your jar in the mornings!
SNACK IDEAS 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt + ½ cup berries or fruit of choice + 1 tablespoon of granola ½ cup lowfat curd cottage cheese + ½ cup fruit of choice + Drizzle of honey or agave Toast or wasa cracker + 2 oz of lox + cottage cheese (with or without ¼ an avocado, sliced) 2-3 boiled Egg whites (optional: Add 2 oz lox or 2 oz of turkey) 1 oz almonds (or nuts of choice) I love spicy almonds. Toast or wasa craker + almond butter/peanut butter + ½ banana, sliced (with or without a sprinkle of chia seeds) 1 cup of Chia pudding with fruit
MY FAVORITE MEAL PREP IDEAS I usually prepare my meals for no longer than 3 days as to keep them fresh in the refrigerator. I know many people will prepare 5 days-worth of meals and they all look and taste the same. As you can see, I enjoy variety, and although these are prepared lunches and dinners to be eaten over a 3 day period, it doesn t mean you can t (and shouldn t) add to these. Eat according to how hungry you are, don t limit yourself but also don t overindulge where it isn t necessary. Portion control and colorful fruits and a healthy mix of vegetables will be your best bet to eating clean, consistently. SALAD DRESSINGS My favorite combos 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey + 1 tsp honey mustard 1 tbsp maple syrup + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + splash of fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp EVOO From left to right, top to bottom: 1) ½ baked sweet potato + 3oz grilled chicken breast + 3 oz green beans + ¼ cup of chopped bell peppers. 2) 4 0z smoked salmon + 8 roasted asparagus spears + ½ baked sweet potato + cherry tomatoes 3) 3 oz grilled chicken breast + 3 oz steamed baby carrots + 3 oz steamed broccoli + ¼ cup brown rice. Add your own Protein to these: 1) 3-4 Spinach and arugula+ Mixed berries +cherry tomatoes 2) 3-4 Spinach and arugula+ raw baby carrots, 5-6 kalamata olives+ cherry tomatoes 3) 3-4 Spinach and arugula+ ¼ sliced cucumber +1/4 green apple + 4-5 kalamata olives + cherry tomatoes.
MAIN COURSE IDEAS LUNCH OR DINNER Salad varietals that are perfect for either lunch or dinner! Throw away any negative thoughts you ve ever had in regards to salad, because my salad guide is a game changer. My husband never cared for salads until I started making them. Never boring, always tasty and full of nutritional content. You can also use this to trick the picky eaters in your life. I didn t start eating salad (meaning green leafy vegetables: lettuce, spinach, etc.) until I was in my late teens-early 20 s, and only started because I found out about ranch, one of the dressings with the greatest amounts of fat content. Thankfully I ve been able to adapt and substitute for other types of dressings that are also good for me, and you can too! Every meal-prepper s favorite protein: Chicken, which can quickly equal: BORING. Well, not on my time. Introducing: NO MORE BORING CHICKEN! Great for salads! CARAMELIZED HONEY LEMON CHICKEN Fajita Chicken breast (about 10oz) 1 lime, juiced 1-2 tbsp honey Salt and pepper to taste Use 1tbsp of evoo or avocado oil in a hot skillet and add chicken fajita meat. When half way cooked, add lime juice and shake things up. Swirl honey to taste on top and continue to stir/shake skillet until chicken becomes caramelized as such. Salt and pepper to taste and Enjoy! VERY BERRY CHICKEN SALAD 3-4 cups pf spinach and arugula 1 cup mixed berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries 12 cherry tomatoes 3-4 oz grilled chicken breast 1 oz goat or bleu cheese 1 tbsp pecans Dressing: Balsamic Vinaigrette LOW CARB SANDWICH Pita bread or sandwich thins 2 slices of ham, turkey or chicken ¼ smashed avocado 1 oz goat cheese Handful of arugula Optional: Drizzle of balsamic reduction
DOUBLE PROTEIN COLORFUL SALAD 3-4 cups of spinach and arugula 1/2 Granny Smith Apple 3 oz grilled chicken Handful of cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup cooked quinoa 1 tbsp dried cranberries 1/4 avocado 1 tbsp silvered almonds Dressing: 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp honey + juice of half a lemon. Mix together and pour over salad. PROSCIUTTO AVOCADO EGG SALAD 3-4 cups pf spinach and arugula ¼ avocado, sliced 1 roma tomato 3-4 oz grilled chicken breast 1 oz prosciutto (or ham, or turkey) 1 poached egg Dressing: Balsamic vinegar reduction LEMON HONEY CHICKEN AND PINEAPPLE QUI- NOA SALAD 2-3 cups pf spinach and arugula 4 oz honey lime chicken ¼ cup brown rice or quinoa ¼ cup chopped pineapple 1 oz gorgonzola crumbles 12 cherry tomatoes Dressing: 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey + 1 tsp honey mustard
MORE SPECIFIC LUNCH AND DINNER IDEAS It s all about portion control, all day long really but especially at night. You re going to sleep so your body is on rest mode don t give it too much to do like digesting a huge meal. Keep it light at night. 3-6oz of lean protein you can weigh it or measure it depending your body size size of the palm of your hand (no fingers). This is poultry, fish, or meat although I limit red meat to once a week usually. You may also substitute or compliment animal protein with high protein grains such as quinoa or make good use of a variety of beans: fava, green black, brown, pinto, kidney or garbanzo (chick peas) which are also a great source of protein. Starch: Brown rice, Quinoa or a blend of the 2, couscous. Starchy Veggies: Sweet potatoes mostly due to low glycemic index which will maintain low blood sugar levels, white potatoes seldomly because they are not as effective. I use spaghetti squash because it mimics pasta, and looks like angel hair, but much more efficient. Butternut squash is also an amazing veggie, has an amazing taste and is quite light. Free Veggies: cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and broccoli. SOME MORE FUN DINNER IDEAS LIGHT LOX SALAD 3-4 cups of spinach 1 poached egg 2 ox lox ¼ lemon Salt and pepper to taste Dressing: Balsamic vinegar reduction BAKED LEMON TILAPIA PLATTER 2, 3oz tilapia filet 2 cups of spinach 1 oz steamed baby carrots 1 cup pureed cauliflower Cherry tomatoes Kalamata lives
EASY AND NUTRIENT RICH WEEKEND BRUNCHES You can splurge a bit, but still maintain a health conscious approach to eating, or as I like to call it Cheating clean. Please refer to the Brunch it on Sunday page on colorfulfoodie.com. SPRING ZUCCHINI AND SQUASH CASSEROLE WHAT 2 zucchini 2 Summer yellow squashes Optional: 1 medium size potato 1-2 oz crumbled goat cheese 1/2 cup chopped red onion 2-4 garlic cloves, minced 3-4 eggs Salt, pepper and spices such as sage, Rosemary, thyme 1-2 tablespoons of EVOO 1 avocado, halved and cubed HOW 1. Wash and dry zucchini, squashes and potato if using. Chop into 1/2 inch squares. If using potatoes, make sure they are chopped a bit smaller than the zucchini and squash because this will bake faster. 2. Spray a large baking sheet with EVOO, and pour onion, garlic followed by all chopped veggies. Season vigorously, you need it to be flavorful so don't be shy! 3. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tender. 4. Spray baking pans with nonstick oil And transfer baked veggies. Make "dents" or little cradles for your eggs to sit in and crack the eggs directly on top of the veggies. 5. Sprinkle goat cheese and avocado around the eggs. 6. Bake for about 10 minutes or when the eggs set. 7. Remove from oven, take pictures and tag me in them! This makes for a great healthy option for brunch, But most importantly, for anytime you like! I hope you remake and enjoy!
3 INGREDIENT HEALTHY PANCAKES 3 medium or 2 large bananas, mashed 3 eggs or (2 eggs, 2 egg whites) 1/2 cup almond meal (or oat flour, or any flour) Optional (not needed, but enjoyed): 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (because Omega 3s!) Cinnamon for added flavor 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of salt TOPPINGS 2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter) Optional Slivered almonds for sprinkling Maple syrup for sweetness HOW 1) Literally mash bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add eggs and whisk away. Add almond meal. Actually these work quite well with just bananas and eggs, but some people complain they fall apart easily, so adding almond meal makes it easier to handle. I also like adding ground flaxseed and cinnamon for taste. The batter is lumpy, that's how you want it. If it's too runny you'll have trouble flipping the pancakes. 2) On a frying pan or griddle, pour small quantities of batter. Smaller pancakes are easier to flip! This will make about 12-14 small pancakes. Serves 2 for a nice brunch size meal. 3) Heat up almond butter, (or half almond, half peanut butter). I used 2 tbsps of each and spread some in between pancake layers, topped off with fresh blueberries and sprinkled with silvered almonds. DE-Lish! I hope you try, xand Enjoy!
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY This is not the focus of this guide although you must be mindful of this. Eating healthily is the main ingredient to attaining health, but maintaining a constant level of physical activity is also extremely helpful if one is looking to lose or maintain healthy body weight. Not only that, it is so important to our cardiovascular (heart health), and the general well-being and health of our musculoskeletal system (bones, muscles and joints). Find something you love to do and try to be active at least 30 minutes a day, with a healthy mix between cardiovascular activity, which is basically any activity that elevates your heart rate for that the period of time you re exercising, and weight training which is key to joint and muscle health. If you have pre-existing conditions requiring further medical care, be sure to consult with your primary care physician before starting any physical activity routine. Thank you for downloading this initial guide to clean eating. I have added a limited number of recipes to this guide, sweet and savory to help you kick start your journey and get on track. Please refer to my blog, www.colorfulfoodie.com for over 250 recipes to lead you along the way and provide you with variety, because clean eating should NEVER be boring. Refer to my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/c/colorfulfoodie for short videos that go with most of my recipes. If you re not yet following me on instagram, make sure you follow @colorfulfoodie for daily recipes, workouts and healthy fun lifestyle tips! Don t forget to download my Clean Eating Shopping list by clicking here http://colorfulfoodie.com/my-clean-eating-shopping-list/ Xo, Ana