5 Ways to Increase Variety with Clean Eating

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Eating clean doesn't mean that you are locked into a lifestyle where you eat the same meals every day or even each week. (Of course, if you would prefer that, you are more than welcome to do so.) Adopting the clean eating lifestyle can provide as much variety as no dietary restrictions.

As soon as we start talking to people, a few will mention that they have a hard time sticking with clean eating because they got sick of eating the same thing week after week. If you are they type of person that enjoys trying new foods, why pigeon-hole yourself into a situation you won't WANT to stick with! There are countless possibilities for foods when eating clean - don't get in a rut!

How do we do it? We follow 5 rules when we plan our shopping lists and menus for the week.

5 Ways to Increase Variety with Clean Eating

1. Try at least three new recipes per week. Think breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, dessert, shakes, protein bars, etc. 
   
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2. Try one vegetable that you haven't tried each week. If you have tried them all, find a new way to cook a more "rare" vegetable.
3. Have a theme day, not just a theme night. This will force you to cook a certain food a particular way, including your breakfast, lunch, dinner and side dishes. Think Mexican, Italian, etc.
4. Let your spouse, children or a friend choose one of their favorite dishes for a weekly meal. It may be the same as last meal, but if others are excited about it, it will make eating it more appetizing.
5. Set a rule in your home for how many times you will repeat a meal (perhaps during food prep) per week. For example, if you make Salsa Chicken this week, you cannot make it again for 2 weeks. 

How do you increase variety week to week while still eating clean?

Greek Yogurt vs. Traditional Yogurt - What's Your Better Choice?

Greek Yogurt vs. Traditional Yogurt - What's Your Better Choice?

If dairy is something you are including in your eat clean diet (yes, we consider organic dairy clean - in moderation), you need to know the difference between Greek yogurt and traditional yogurt. While there are recipes and situations that warrant the use of both, when in doubt, go Greek!

Here's the simple stats:

On average, Greek Yogurt has double the amount of protein than traditional yogurt. Think 20g vs 10g! The added protein will not only help rebuild your muscles and keep your body functioning at top capacity, but it keeps you feel fuller, longer.

Greek Yogurt typically also has half the carbs too! The taste is a little more on the tart side, but with the addition of berries, nuts and/or a small amount of honey, you can definitely trick your taste buds from noticing the difference!

Not sure what to look for when you go to the grocery store? Here are a few things to think about:

• We always try to buy organic dairy.
• NEVER buy flavored yogurts. They typically have added sugars and more ingredients than just fruit. If you can find one that ONLY has fruit, go for it, but we are yet to find one!
• 2% milk fat or 1% milk fat is a better choice than non-fat dairy products. Fat is a good thing if incorporated into your diet correctly! Non-fat varieties often have added sugars to compensate for a lack of milk fat.  

Have you incorporated Greek yogurt into your diet? What is your best suggestion for those who are yet to make the switch?

PS - We looked at the nutritional facts on FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt and Stonyfield Farms Organic Lowfat Plain Yogurt for the purposes of this article.

Cooking with Dry Beans

Our post a few weeks ago, Canned or Dry Beans? What You Should Know... was so popular and we received so many questions on how to cook with dry beans, that we thought we would dedicate an entire post to it! Below you will find out how to soak the beans, cooking methods (including in a Crock Pot!), and how to freeze them.

1 cup of dry beans yields approximately 3 cups of cooked beans (or if comparing to canned beans, 3 cups)

Traditional Soaking Methods for Dry Beans

Soaking Overnight - In a large bowl, combine 6 to 8 cups of cold water with 2 cups of beans. Soak at least 6-8 hours - the longer the better! Drain and rinse your beans in cold water after soaking. You will also want to sort beans as foreign material (like rocks) may very well end up in your bag of beans.

Note: We don't recommend quick soaking your beans as you need quite a while to cook your beans, so it really doesn't save you too much time as long as you remember to soak your beans overnight.

Cooking Dry Beans (Remember to Soak First!)

Stovetop - Using a large saucepan or stock pot, fill with at least 6 cups of fresh water. Add drained and rinsed, soaked beans to the pot as well. At this time, you can add any type of seasoning should you wish for the beans. Cover pot and bring water and beans to a boil. Tilt lid so that some steam can escape and lower temperature to low or medium-low. Allow beans to cook for at least 2 hours or until tender (this may take a while).

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot - Add 6 cups of fresh water and rinsed, soaked beans to a slow cooker. If you wish to add seasoning of any kind, do so at this time. You could also add chopped garlic or onion, or even use Low-Sodium, Organic Chicken Stock in place of some of the water. Cover Crock Pot and place on high for 6 hours or low for 12 hours.

Freezing Cooked, Dry Beans

Allow beans to fully cool prior to storing. Transfer beans to freezer bags and store flat in your freezer. When you are ready to use them, take the bag out, give it a little shake to break up any beans that may have stuck together and add to your recipe.

What's your favorite addition - either spices, herbs or vegetables to use while cooking your beans?