Eating Clean

This week starts the beginning of my family and I really eating clean!  We eat pretty healthy normally but I think it is time to make the complete change for good.  With childhood obesity and nutrition related diseases skyrocketing I want to make sure that my family is amoung the small percentage that is healthy and strong.

Eating Clean means staying away from:

• Soda and sweetened drinks
• Processed foods (thats pretty much any thing in a bag or box)
• High fat dairy products
• White Flour and Sugar
• Fast Food

Sticking with:

• Meat that hasnt been genetically enhanced
• organic eggs
• In season fresh fruits and veggies (just because its on the walmart shelf does not mean it is in season)
• Frozen veggies and fruits if they are not in season
• Brown rice and Whole Wheat products
• Making most of meals at home

I know this will be hard.  Personally, I dont know one person who is busier than I am.  I have four kids, a hungry husband, a thriving business and I am in school full time striving to be a Registered Dietitian.  People ask me everyday how I do it all.  My response is, "I just do it."  Out of everything I do my number one priority is my family.  If I am feeding them McDonalds and packaged crap everyday I am not taking care of them and I would actually be slowly killing them.  If not physically, emotionally.  Noone wants to be the overweight kid who struggles at school.  My goal is to help parents prepare their kids physically and emotionally for a healthy, happy long life! 
I know you can't eat like this every single day for the rest of your life.  To say that you will never grab chick fil a or Taco bell on a road trip or when you are rushed heading to a game is just plain ridiculous because there are times when we have to do that.  Lets just make very rare! Here are some suggestions for the exhausted soccer mom:

1. Make Sunday night your prep night, Cut up a ton of veggies and make a low fat ranch dip.
2. Buy lots of frozen veggies. Keep the freezer stocked with broccoli, edename, carrots, chopped onion, chopped bellpeppers, mixed veggies, long green beans, blueberries, strawberries and peaches.
3. If you dont like making your own bread find a health food store or buy some at the local farmers market.
4. Instead of watching tv get off the couch and do something productive...not saying that any of you laze around and watch tv all day.
5. Keep a planner with you so that you can work on your menu while you are waiting for kids to get in the car or while you are in the car wash. 
6. You can cook chicken in the skillet and it will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.  Its great for adding to salads and pitas.  The leftovers can be used in a chicken soup.

More to come....