Eat Clean Meal Planning - Sample Meal Timing

Confused about when to eat? We transformed our lives eating every 2-3 hours like the schedule below (you can read about our transformation story here)! This schedule shows when we normally eat each day. Of course, you would need to adjust if you wake up earlier and/or go to bed earlier but typically you will want to eat within one hour of waking and continue eating every 2-3 hours during the day. Eating every 2-3 hours will help you from reaching that "starving" point where you want to eat every single thing in sight! Don't skip meals. You don't necessarily need to eat less - you need to eat right!

The basics:

• Eat every 2-3 hours
• Protein and fiber at every meal

Not sure about how much you need to eat? This article "Clean Eating: How Much Should You Eat" will tell you what you need to know!

These additional resources may help you:

• Clean Snack Ideas
• Clean Food to Keep at Your Office

Don't forget to check out our recipes in order to plan your meals for the week! We have you covered from the main dish to dessert!

Need personal coaching? Check out our coaching options here.

8 Things You Should Know When You Start Eating Clean

When you first learn about eating clean, it can be hard to figure out exactly what you should be eating, how much you should eat and when to eat. Don't get caught up in the details - you will never start living the lifestyle if you do! We get countless emails from people wondering exactly what their macros should be and even if they are doing it the "right" way. The truth is, eating clean does have some fundamental rules, but all the other "specifics" have to do what works for you.

Below, you will find 8 of our rules for things you should know when you start eating clean. These rules are easy to follow and leave some room for personal interpretation. At the end of the day, for you to make a lifestyle change, it has to make sense to you. Make eating clean work for you!

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8 Things You Should Know When You Start Eating Clean

1. The fundamental idea of eating clean is "If it has a mother or grows in the ground, eat it."
2. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, don't buy it or eat it.
3. Try to eat 6 small meals per day, but if you can't, eating 3 clean meals per day is better than stuffing your body full of junk! Get started with our 1,500 Calorie Clean Eating Meal Plan.
4. Eating clean lends itself to A LOT of variety - you do NOT have to eat chicken day in and day out! Try one of our Most Popular Recipes!
5. The exact ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is specific for you. The amount of calories your body requires is different from the amount of calories your friend requires. Nutritional needs are never static - they are always changing.
6. You can jump into eating clean with both feet, all at once or take baby steps toward your ultimate goal. You do what is right for you as long as you are making positive progress toward changing your eating habits.
7. Eating clean isn't a diet - it's a lifestyle. Making lifestyle changes vs. dieting is key to shifting your views toward eating clean. 
8. Do not deprive yourself. Find alternative methods of making your favorite desserts and snacks that contain less preservatives and more closely resemble the eat clean spectrum. Have you seen our desserts/treats recipes?!

Need more help with getting started eating clean? Join our FREE Healthy Living Challenge, check out our "Lifestyle" resource page and grab our workout plans and eBooks to get the information all in one place.

What do you wish you knew when you started eating clean?

5 Ways to Increase Variety with Clean Eating

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Note: We're on Snapchat! You can find us under hesheeatclean. We will be posting more of our meals, workouts, and money saving tips! Also, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!

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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?