Sample Clean Eating Snack Ideas

I know that one of the biggest struggles can be just coming up with a few simple snacks to have and bring with you when eating clean on the go!

The easiest way I do this is by having a lunch cooler to throw my snacks in with an ice pack so if I'm taking kids to sports etc I am ARMED and READY to Stave off the hunger that attacks when we get busy!

Clean Eating Snacks Ideas:

Apple Almond Butter or almonds
Celery with Peanut or Almond butter
Handful of raw mixed nuts, almonds or walnuts
Broccoli, cucumbers, carrots or other raw veggies w hummus
Greek Yogurt and Berries (I like mine with Vanilla Stevia and pecans--- NUMMY)
Chop an an orange and 3 dates... such a great treat! Like a Dessert!
Strawberries with a little sprinkle of raw coconut and cocoa powder and a teaspoon of raw honey
Watermelon
brown rice cake with peanut butter and raw honey
Hard Boiled Eggs and Banana
Mary's Gone Crackers and Hummus
Mary's Gone Crackers and an oz of Manchego Cheese (goat cheese---AHHHMazing!)
Healthy Pancakes I will make these and spread fresh fruit jam or maple syrup on top if I'm going to be gone awhile... it's even good cold and you can eat half for a snack or the whole thing!

Cooler Plan 2 for steady weight loss

Cooler Plan #2- Eating for best long-term results

I get so many people who want to eat clean but don't know where to start.  How many servings a day!  What is a complex carb, is Corn a vegetable?  So hopefully this will clear the air just a bit!  Tosca Reno the author of the Eat Clean Diet calls her meal plans, cooler plans!  She has different cooler plans based on the type of results you want to get.  So today I am focusing on Cooler plan #2, which is for steady weight loss and maintenance until your goal weight is reached.  So this is basically the plan I stick to year round at this point!  This will give you a good idea of what to eat and when!

What is it?  This IS EATING CLEAN!

  

Do this year round for steady, healthy weight loss.  But this plan can also be used for maintenance.  Here's why:  when your body begins to approach its set point (its genetically predetermined healthy weight) you will find that weight loss will stop or slow.

The occasional treat (glass of wine, piece of chocolate, ect) is permitted in limited amounts.  Unhealthy sugars and fats are not recommended.

How it works:
 Follow the eat clean principles as listed below
What to do:

• Eat more- eat six small meals each day.
• Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.
• Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbs at each meal 
• Eat sufficient (two to three servings) healthy fats every day.
• Carry a cooler packed with clean foods each day.
  
• Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.
• Adhere to proper portion sizes.
• use unrefined coconut oil for cooking
• Organic virgin olive oil, vinegar and lemon for dressings.  there are many delicious homemade dressings that do not take much time at all.  Braggs is a brand you can trust if you'd like to purchase in the store.
  

What to Avoid:

·         Avoid all over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar.

·         Avoid all chemically charge foods.

·         Avoid foods containing preservatives.

·         Avoid artificial sugars.

·         Avoid artificial foods such as processed cheese slices.

·         Avoid trans fats.  NO canola or vegetable oil

·         Avoid sugar loaded beverages, including colas and juices.

·         Avoid or do your best to limit alcohol intake.

·         Avoid all calorie dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. I call these anti-foods.

·         Avoid super sizing your meals.

Complex Carbohydrates from Fruit and Vegetables:
6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cupped handful or a piece of fruit such as berries, banana, grapefruit, melon, apples and mangoes.
• 2 cupped handfuls of vegetables including broth based/vegetable puree soups.

Complex Carbohydrates from whole grains and starchy carbohydrates: 

2-4 portions each day.  A portion is:
1 handful of cooked cereal
1 piece of whole grain bread or wrap (Ezekial Brand or Alvarado is great)

1 handful sized serving of legumes, sweet potato, yam, carrots or squash

Lean Protein

6 portions each day.  A portion is:

• 1 cup or handful of dairy products or alternatives such as almond or coconut milk, occasionally organic cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, organic cheese or plain fat free sugar free yogurt. For Dairy I STRONGLY recommend organic!  With Non Dairy Milks please look for Caraganeen, it is a common additive and not good for you.  I like Thai Lite Coconut Milk concentrate in the can or Whole Foods 360 Brand organic unsweetened Almond Milk  Silk also has Almond Milk that’s Non GMO Caraganeen free.
  
• 1 scant handful of raw, unsalted nuts (also a healthy fat)
• 1-2 tablespoons of all natural nut butters such as almond or peanut butter (also a healthy fat). Nut butters should have nuts only-no additives-read ingredients-- 
• 1 palm sized portion of lean meats-I prefer organic beef and chicken and wild caught fish or tuna 
• good quality  

Beverages:

• 2-3 liters per day of fresh water with no sodium
• Clear herbal tea (unsweetened)
• Black coffee in moderation
• Green/Black tea

Sweeteners:  Use in moderation.  Avoid Artificial Sweeteners.

• Stevia from the Stevia plant-preferred brand Pictured
• Raw Honey
  
• 100% pure organic maple syrup

• Coconut Sugar or Coconut Palm Sugar

For more tips on what a typical day of eating looks like for me and how I prepare go to my meal planning page.  I will be adding information and improving each week!


Have a great day!


Jen Zakaras  

jenzakaras@cox.net

602 750 0374

12 Ways To Eat Better

12 Ways to Better Eating-Mental Approach

Lots of people are trying to eat better,... trim off some extra pounds gained over the holidays, or get beach-ready for a moment in the sun. Eating better is hard, and many people get frustrated, fall short or give up. Here are some key ways to make your eat better stick.

1. Set Goals: It starts by having clear and realistic goals. Write a list of things you want to change about your diet. Also incorporate goals that you may have regarding your body and plan your diet around those goals. I recommend setting present goals, short term, and long term goals. If you try and do everything all at once you can be overwhelmed and want to quit. Take it one goal at a time if need be, and one day at a time, this isn’t a race. You may also want to write reasons why you want to make a change in your eating habits. You might share your goals with others who will help you meet them. You can put your goals where others can see them “on the fridge, at work” to motivate you to work harder. This will also get others behind you and involved in your new routine. As you achieve your goals, check them off. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and add excitement leading to your next goal.

2. Have Realistic expectations- Any diet plan needs to work with you and not against you. You need to be realistic when setting up the parameters of your new diet. Your plan needs to work for you and your situation. It needs to fit your schedule and your budget. If you don’t follow your budget, your cooking costs will get too high and you will have to withdraw from the diet you set up. If you don’t cook for your schedule and your eating times you will find yourself without food and scrambling to find a healthy choice.

So be realistic with time, and give yourself extra time to prepare food, or have food pre-packed. Also know that obstacles can and will come into your path from time to time to derail you and your progress, so don’t think that everything will be easy and will just happen. This takes work.

3. Be Proactive - Make a list of healthy foods you enjoy, and what foods you can take with you to work, in the car, school, etc. You can create entire menus revolving around where you will be at what time of the day. Never give yourself an excuse to not have something available for you to eat, no matter where you are when you are supposed to have a meal. Always keep healthy foods on hand. If you don’t you will probably eat whatever is available at the time whether it be fast food, office treats, etc. This can throw off a diet plan and get you in the habit of making bad food choices and eat whatever is fast and convenient. Know where you will be at what time of the day, when you are open to cook, to eat, to shop for groceries, and plan accordingly. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

4. Consistency is key - Most people respond well to consistency. Make a plan and stick to it. Try to eat at around the same times daily and keep to the same portion size and caloric intake.. Your body will recognize this pattern and in turn keep your metabolism burning and your energy levels will stay high. You will feel better, and get in a healthy routine. It is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing nasty snacks to meet uncontrolled cravings. The time you spend on planning and consistency is a true investment that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

5. Be flexible - Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change. Where you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Example: Bag of almonds, protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit. Also educate yourself on nutrition through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet, for example if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch.

6. Don’t be so hard on yourself -Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track. You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Being healthy and eating healthy does not mean you can’t enjoy foods not on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. YOU CAN DO IT!

7. Stick with your plan - It takes time to develop healthy behaviors. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habit. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.

8. Have fun - Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable.

9. Give yourself praise - You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. Realize that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, you deserve the praise. Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn help keep you on your path to betterment.
10. Don’t rush into this - People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you.

11. Focus on the journey and not the destination - To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all the ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way, they add up.


12. Measure Success and Set New Goals: Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognizing your accomplishments. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategizing your goals takes long-term visualization. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into doable steps.

Now go out and make a difference in your life today!!  Did you enjoy this article?  Would you like to receive more support from me on a daily basis?!  Ask me about my next challenge group!  Together we can set goals and achieve them!!

21 Day Fix Asian Citrus Vinaigrette and 21 Day Fix and Clean Eating Approved Salad!

I love this Asian Flair Salad Dressing from the 21 day fix!
1/4 cup 100% Orange Juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Reduce sodium soy sauce or Tamari
2 teas raw honey
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1/4 sesame oil

Combine Everything in a bowl and whisk until blended, slowly add sesame oil and mix well.  Keep in the refridgerator, if it gets more solid let it sit out a bit and mix it up again.  I keep mine in a glass airtight container so I shake mine :)

2 STUFFED Green for #21 Day Fix or 2 cups mixed Greens/Spinach

1 green cup or 1 cup rainbow veggies, whatever you like--- this was Red Onion Mushroom and Red Pepper

1/2 avocado

2 omega 3 organic hard boiled eggs

1 TBSP Asian Dressing Above

1 TBSP sunflower seeds

SO Delicious!

Fix containers:  3 green 1 orange (half seed half dressing) 1 Red Half Blue (avocado)

Chicken Fingers and Fries, HEALTHY QUICK DELICIOUS- 21 Day Fixed Approved Recipe! MOM, KID, AND HUBBY APPROVED!

Chicken Fingers and Sweet Potato Fries w Asparagas
21 Day Fix APPROVED!

This is my addiction!  We usually have it twice a week!  It's SOOO good and SOO healthy and KID APPROVED!  They gobble it down!  Here is the recipe:
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time:  45 min total
21 DAY FIX CONTAINERS:  1 Red 2 yellow 1 green 1/3 blue
PRE HEAT OVEN TO 400 Degrees
Sweet Potato Fries
UnRefined Organic Coconut oil 2 TBSN
2 pounds Sweet Potatoes
1 teas Black Pepper and 1 teas Himalayan Sea Salt
Cayenne Pepper for flavor and spice, please note... if you don't like spicy skip it or use chili powder instead
Cut up the fries like so :

Toss in the Coconut Oil and seasonings, mix well

I put a little coconut oil on a pan as well and spread them out on the pan after seasoned :
Bake for 40-45 minutes, we like them a bit crispy :)

Chicken Fingers:

1 pound or a little over of chicken.. this was 1.33 (now we like to make 2 pounds to have leftovers)

I like to buy the tenders so I don't have to cut them up but if you buy regular chicken cut into tenders. Put 3 egg whites in a bowl and make the bread crumbs.  The amount of bread crumbs below is for around 1 pound or a little over so double if doing 2 pounds or over.

Bread crumbs:   

1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese

4 slices ezekial bread toasted, cooled and ripped up

Seasonings... I sprinkle lots of Italian seasoning, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Granules

Blend in a higher powered blender like a Vitamix or a food processor to make the crumbs.

Dip the chicken in the egg white, then the bread crumbs and place in a glass dish and again I rub a little coconut oil on the dish to prevent sticking and create a nummy crisp.  It's a way to get my daily portion in ;)

Bake in the oven with the sweet potatoes for 30-35 minutes again depending on how crispy you would like!

Finished!   Add some steamed asparagus or green beans and VOILA!

Your Body Needs Food!

I LOVE my mid morning snack, so NUMMY, 2 omega 3 eggs and steel cut oats w a dab of raw honey and cinnamon, all prepared on my prep day and ready to roll....

This is SOOO me!  If I don't eat throughout the day, and take care of myself..I am VERY affected by it!  I get grouchy, disoriented, I can't think.  Not everyone is like this, my hubby can go for hours, but regardless of your "hungry disposition" remember it's good to feed your body healthy nutrients throughout the day and keep your blood sugars level!  The biggest mistake people make is not take the time to have a plan--- so eating throughout the day even healthy things becomes grazing and snacking on too much of a good thing!  I am loving the 21 day fix helping hold me accountable on this!  

As a busy mom this happens to me all the time!  I usually keep almonds in my purse as an emergency, and still do.... BUT I am feeling amazing doing it this way!  I am filled with energy and so alert!  

I am also thankful my hubby is taking the time to eat several meals throughout the day----even though he doesn't feel it as much as I do his health has improved because of it and he does notice a difference!   When I met him he did not eat breakfast and had larger portions for dinner.... just by eating a healthy breakfast and watching his portions more at dinner he has never been the same size and that was 12 years ago he started those changes! (the little body for lifer in me couldn't watch him do that to himself) Yes he's fluctuated a bit with holidays etc but overall just that was a 25 pound permanent change!  Do NOT starve yourself!

Fun Weight Loss Challenge

I wanted to give an update! I weighed myself today because I haven't for awhile and wanted a "starting point" for the fix and my eating clean this week--- plus with superbowl etc I was a little nervous about it. I was down two pounds from my low! So I already got to move 2 hearts from Funky to Spunky 

This is something I saw a month or so ago and have wanted to do it since, today I decided I wasn't putting it off any longer! So this is an example but many people use Marbles (I almost did). Someone else I saw used Nails for "nailed it" in T25. I went to the dollar store and got some fun things. For me... as I've been on this journey, a fun part is feeling like myself again... getting my "spunk" back, my personality! A fun inspiration for me is to once again feel fashionable, look like I feel on the inside, wear things I love---that are really my style. Feel like I can do a "hot" date night with my hubby and feel like it! I am fun, I am spunky.. and somehow I became an introvert these past few years! If you knew me you wouldn't think this was possible! I LOVE our challenge groups and the friends I've made because I realize a part of that was just missing friends. A fun assignment today is try to create some sort of goal for you, if you do not have a lot of weight to lose maybe it's how many times you work out this month, or maybe it's a health goal like how many times you bypassed soda or drank your shakeology... whatever it is try to create a visual! I am so excited to lose my first pound and put it in my FAB glass ! Bring on the heels!