Clean Eating? Suggestions/thoughts?

There are plenty of people who are "eating clean," but there is discrepancy on an actual definition. Of course, you want to get solid nutrition that comes from fruits, veggies, etc. However, you can eat healthy and get all your nutrition from multiple sources, which includes eating things that may come in a box or from a drive thru window. You do not need to buy organic and you can continue eating your chocolate. Think long-term and what you will be willing to do for life.

I try to eat as clean, lean and green as possible! I think if you can do it 80% of the time, that is really great! That's what I'm aiming for. Then that leaves some room for the occasional "treat" for yourself that doesn't exactly fall into the clean eating category.

My suggestion is to be open to shopping at more than one store to get the biggest bang for your buck. I'll stock up on quinoa at Costco for example and will buy my fruits and veggies in-season so they are cheapest at whatever store has the best deal (usually organic is cheaper at my regular grocery store than a specialty health store).

Naturally with eating clean, since you're buying foods mostly in their natural state and not pre-packaged, it's actually cheaper that way. So as long as you plan your shopping trips will, it won't be that expensive.

Thanks for the tips! I always wanted to try Quinoa, but have no idea how to prepare it! Thank god for Google ;-)

I'd thank Larry Page and Sergey Brin for Google. They did create the search engine and company after all.

I try to eat as clean, lean and green as possible! I think if you can do it 80% of the time, that is really great! That's what I'm aiming for. Then that leaves some room for the occasional "treat" for yourself that doesn't exactly fall into the clean eating category.

My suggestion is to be open to shopping at more than one store to get the biggest bang for your buck. I'll stock up on quinoa at Costco for example and will buy my fruits and veggies in-season so they are cheapest at whatever store has the best deal (usually organic is cheaper at my regular grocery store than a specialty health store).

Naturally with eating clean, since you're buying foods mostly in their natural state and not pre-packaged, it's actually cheaper that way. So as long as you plan your shopping trips will, it won't be that expensive.

Thanks for the tips! I always wanted to try Quinoa, but have no idea how to prepare it! Thank god for Google ;-)

I'd thank Larry Page and Sergey Brin for Google. They did create the search engine and company after all.

And thank YOU for keeping your diary public. My diary wants to be like yours when it grows up. :laugh: It's an inspiration, as always.

The Gracious Pantry is a great site!

I find it's easier to eat clean if I stick to shopping the perimeter of the store and try to avoid the aisles as much as possible. There's some things I need to get that aren't on the perimeter, but I've found that sticking to this method of shopping has improved the way my family eats significantly. I can also get meats cheaply because I shop the sales and stock up the freezer as soon as certain items become available (for example Albertsons frequently has a buy 1 get 2 free sale on steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts, roasts, and seafood such as tilapia) Avoid buying convenience foods if you can, like pre-cut meats or vegetables. I used to buy bagged baby carrots, which run around $2.99 a bag here. Buying a regular bag of carrots for $.99 and cleaning/cutting myself saves a ton of money. I also buy several heads of broccoli, zucchini, and green beans then clean, cut, and freeze for later steaming. I buy things like beans dried versus canned, then cook them in the crock pot instead of dealing with the overnight soak. The prep work takes extra effort, but it saves so much on your grocery bill when eating clean that it's worth it.