This Is What One Day Of Clean Eating Really Looks Like (Recipes Included)

You've heard the phrase tossed around but what does "clean eating" really look like? Although the meaning can vary a little it is more or less trying to consume as many whole foods as possible, foods that have undergone as little processing as possible. Foods that look like they were just picked or just came to you straight from the farm or ocean. Foods that haven't spent any time in factory production floors. Prevention offers you these recipes from their new clean eating cookbook, Eat Clean, Stay Lean to show you what a day of perfect eating can look like!

Breakfast: Southwest Skillet Eggs

  SERVES: 2

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• ½ lg onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• ⅔ c cooked or canned black beans
• ½ c brown rice
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Cayenne, to taste
• 4 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 4 lg eggs
• ½ c chopped cilantro
• ½ c 2% plain Greek yogurt
• ½ avocado, sliced

1. HEAT the oil in a large (12 to 16 inches) shallow, lidded pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with juice), beans, rice, 1 cup water, the paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Add the spinach and gently wilt, about 3 minutes. 2. CRACK an egg into each quarter of the pan. Cover again and cook until the eggs are opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and garnish with the cilantro, yogurt, and avocado. Serve from the pan.

Mid-Morning Snack: Pumpkin Seed, Cherry, and Pecan Granola Bars

  MAKES 10 bars

• 2 c rolled oats
• ⅓ c pumpkin seeds
• ⅓ c chopped pecans
• ¼ c unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ c dried cherries
• 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp  kosher salt
• ⅓ c honey
• ¼ c almond butter
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. HEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with vegetable oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. PLACE the oats, pumpkin seeds, pecans, and coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 8 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. 3. MIX the cherries, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the toasted oats, nuts, and seeds to the bowl and mix together. 4. COMBINE the honey, almond butter, melted coconut oil, and vanilla in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds to warm the mixture, then stir together well and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together until uniformly coated with the wet ingredients. 5. SPREAD the mixture in the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bars are lightly golden on top. 6. COOL completely in the pan, at least 30 minutes, then cut into 10 rectangular bars.

Lunch: Arugula Salad with Zucchini Ribbons

  SERVES: 2

• 4 c arugula
• 1 sm zucchini (or ½ lg)
• ⅓ c salted roasted sunflower seeds
• ⅔ c (2 oz) pecan halves (optional: use toasted, if preferred)
• 1 oz Parmesan, shaved
• 1 lemon, halved
• Grated zest of 1 sm orange
• ¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

1. PLACE the arugula in a large bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, begin to shave the zucchini on one side over and over to make ribbons, turning every few strokes to evenly distribute its peel. Stop when you reach the seedy core (and no more ribbons can be sliced). Gently distribute the ribbons on top of the arugula. 2. SPRINKLE on the sunflower seeds, pecans, and Parmesan shavings. Squeeze the lemon juice all around the top of the salad. Sprinkle on the orange zest and drizzle on the olive oil. Serve immediately.

Afternoon Snack: Pizza Kale Chips

 

• ¼ c dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• ⅓ c unsalted dry-roasted cashews
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 1½ tsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ c grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast
• ⅛ tsp red-pepper flakes
• Fine sea salt
• 6 c roughly chopped kale (tough ribs removed)

1. SOAK the sun-dried tomatoes in ½ cup hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. 2. HEAT the oven to 300°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. 3. PLACE the cashews in a food processor and grind to a fine powder, about 3 minutes. Add the tahini, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon juice, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and blend until smooth, up to 5 minutes, depending on your processor. If necessary to help it blend, add the reserved tomato soaking water to the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and no more than ¼ cup. 4. TRANSFER the sauce to a large bowl and add the chopped kale. Use your hands to massage the sauce into the kale until well coated. 5. ARRANGE the kale in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully flip the kale chips over. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake until crispy, about 20 minutes longer.

Dinner: Citrus Wild Salmon With Mango Red Pepper Salsa

SERVES: 2 Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp honey
• Pinch of black pepper
• 1 c diced mango
• 1 c diced red bell pepper
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Salmon Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ c vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp tamari
• 1 tsp honey
• Pinch each of salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 skin-on wild salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

1. MAKE THE SALSA: Combine the lime juice, lemon juice, honey, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Gently stir in the mango, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro until coated evenly. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving time. 2. PREPARE THE SALMON: Combine the orange juice, lemon juice, broth, olive oil, tamari, honey, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger in a large zip-top plastic bag (or a shallow nonporous dish). Add the salmon, seal the bag, and turn to coat (or carefully flip the salmon with a spatula). Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes. 3. HEAT a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Lightly oil the grill surface when ready to cook. 4. REMOVE the salmon from the marinade (discard the marinade). Carefully place the salmon skin-side down on the grill surface. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. The salmon is done when the fish is no longer translucent in the center and it easily pulls into flakes. Serve topped with the salsa.

Dessert: Orange-Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 15 cookies

• 1 c almond meal/flour
• 2 Tbsp raw sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ lb Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 lg egg
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp grated orange zest
• ¼ c chopped pecans
• ¼ c unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ c plus 2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate (at least 80% cacao)

1. HEAT the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. STIR together the almond meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 3. PROCESS the dates in a food processor for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides frequently. Add the egg, coconut oil, vanilla, and orange zest and process until a smooth puree is formed. 4. STIR the puree into the dry ingredients slowly. Once the dough is evenly mixed, stir in the pecans, coconut flakes, and chocolate. 5. USE a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches a part. 6. BAKE until the edges begin to brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on a rack before serving. Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container Concrete proof that clean eating doesn't have to be boring eating. For more clean eating tips and recipes, check out the BodyRock Meal Plan! Source: Prevention

Have You Taken The BodyRock 7-Day Clean Eating Challenge?

We’ve put together a 7 Day Guide that helps you to buy the right foods and prepare the meals that are going to help you eat well and create healthy habits in your lifestyle. Learn More about the Clean Eating Challenge