Trish, Joanna Soh on youtube has a lot of really good and simple food prep ideas for vegetables and some lean meat foods if you are a meat eater. (avoid red meat except as a treat is a really good idea if you want to lose some weight).

She also has great soup recipe that I amke all the time called Green Monster Soup in her winter soups video. It's jsut zucchini, spinach and leek (I add two cloves of chopped garlic as well) with vegetable stock all pureed up and it's DELICIOUS.

The key to cooking vegetables to taste yummy is to use minimal flavouring or natural flavours (aka garlic, olive oil, pepper, salt, lemon and BUTTER ;-) ).

Also don't be afraid or ashamed of the humble mashed potato and peas. Peas are really, really good for you and high in fibre and protein which leaves you feeling so much fuller for longer and can be flavoured by just mixing them into a small serving of mashed potato.

Thanks for the comments. I am starting tomorrow and will have a open diary. Nothing I have tried in the last 12+ months have helped me lose weight. I had lost 160# and kept off for 10 yrs. I got sick and gained 85 back. I have been trying to get that back off and nothing is working. Not sure why. But im hoping some clean eating will help along with support from fitness pal!!!

One of my favorite and inexpensive meals for breakfast on the go is overnight oats. I prefer steelcut, which are a bit more expensive but any oats will work. Tons of recipes on Pinterest. The basic idea is to make them ahead of time in mason jars or other microwave safe container. You can grab it in the morning, heat and go.

I created a basic recipe in mfp to include my oats, greek yogurt ( protein punch), almond milk and honey. Then I just add whatever fruit is seasonal. This makes logging breakfast easy.

I've found that prepping ahead helps to keep me on track. When I don't prep, my choices are more haphazard.

Success to you!

@koda_102 Wow, I wish when I was your age that I had the sense that you do! It's great that you're doing this at this time in your life.

Eating clean is actually a lot less expensive than you think. Over the past month, I've transitioned to clean eating vegetarian and then to vegan. (Still new at this!) But I can tell you with certainty that my grocery expenses are far, far less. For me, a lot of that is due to not purchasing meat (I still buy and prepare it for my husband and son, though).

The key to eating the way you want to eat is planning ahead. Before your term starts, try experimenting to figure out what foods you love, and be open-minded. I'm 45, and I have always said that I hate lentils and beans, now I use chick peas in hummus, navy beans in pesto and I love organic red lentils.

Try to stock your pantry with some basics such as organic lentils, organic brown rice, organic low-sodium vegetable broth, organic chickpeas, organic navy beans, organic tomato paste, etc. (Making your own veggie broth is easy, but also takes planning, so having some at-the-ready is a great idea.) Lentils are particularly filling, and a serving size (prepared) is only a 1/4 cup, and a great way to get protein. If you plan to stick with meat, then I'd recommend sticking with organic chicken and keep preparation of it simple, so you can use it in different recipes. You might want to invest in a crockpot. Chicken or turkey in the crockpot is very simple and done right, keeps it moist and delicious, and give you a few days worth of recipes.

I'd also recommend investing in a food processor. Hamilton Beach makes a great one for about $36 on amazon. With that, you can blend fresh herbs, veggies and nuts into savory sauces and make your own hummus. There are soooo many online resources for fantastic clean eating recipes. I recommend ohsheglows.com for some great ones!

Personally, I've been purchasing my produce once per week, at a local produce market and farmers markets, where I stick to organic. I typically spend around $20 and it gets me easily through the week. With the produce, I make various salads, soups and baked or roasted meals. Preparation takes time. I have found that it helps save a lot of time if I clean and slice as much of the produce as possible as soon as I get it home. Then I store it in plastic containers in the fridge. (Of course, this does not work for all veggies, some have to be prepared just before cooking.) I keep a big bunch of parsley in a jar of water on my kitchen counter, near a sunny window. It lasts up to two weeks that way!

I do also keep "emergency rations" of Amy's brand organic Sonoma Veggie Burgers (they're vegan, too) on hand in the freezer, just in case I ever need to grab something super fast. I usually just eat those plain, with hummus. I've been using up store-bought hummus before their expiration dates, but homemade hummus is easy and delicious.

You can also purchase a very nice digital food scale on amazon for around $13. It will make recording your food very quick and easy.

Good luck!

Works for all my herbs - I grab a bunch from my allotment once a week and put them in a vase like flowers

Justrolime- I love your picture! As someone who HATES having their picture taken, and is always hearing "Come on! We don't have pictures of you!" ..... I think I'll draw some of those on index cards and pass them out. That should quiet them down, ya think?