Friday, April 19, 2013

TREAT yourself to CLEAN cookies!


I didn't believe it - but just 2 ingredients only and REAL, CLEAN, GUILT-FREE, NO SUGAR ADDED cookies are born!  I didn't try them but my husband LOVED them and said they are truly like a cookie without all the junk!

Ingredients:
2 bananas, mashed with spoon at bottom of bowl
1 cup instant oats (or blend old fashioned oats in a blender)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:
Mash bananas in the bottom of a bowl until smooth.  Pour in oats and cinnamon and fold in - combine until moist and completely combined like a cookie dough.

Roll into ball shape and press into flat discs on sprayed foil covering cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes (more moist cookies at 12 minutes, crispy at 15)

Nutritional Info: (Serving Size is one cookie)

Calories57.1
Fat0.8g
Carbs12.2g
Protein1.5g
Sugar3g

**Try them with a glass of cold Unsweetened Almond Milk!  No sugar, 2.5g healthy fats and 35 calories for an entire cup!

Tips:
Try a few Healthy Add-Ins like:
2 TBS chopped Plum Azins (dried chopped plums - no sugar added)
2 TBS chopped nuts (for a little healthy fat!)
1 TBS almond or peanut butter (make some peanut butter oatmeal cookies!)

STAY TUNED for the protein version - Im going to try my hand at adding protein powder, egg whites and other ingredients to make clean protein cookies!



Sunday, April 14, 2013

What does 'Clean' mean?

You hear it weekly on the show 'Eating Clean' - and so many ask each week, 'what do you mean 'clean eating'?

Clean eating means that the food is in its 'Whole' or 'Pure' form.  Think of it as food the way it is in nature.  So lean proteins like raw chicken breasts, flank steak and shrimp.  Fresh fruits and veggies, healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and avocado and whole grain carbohydrates like oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, quinoa and even some minimally processed whole grain carbs like whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, etc can also be part of a clean eating diet.

If it comes in a box (does Kraft Mac and Cheese come in nature that way?), comes pre-cooked (a-la Tyson grilled chicken strips and other pre-made meats and meals) - then it is a processed food.  The food has been highly processed to increase shelf life and is full of chemicals, sodium, preservatives, fats and sugars.  

Clean:


Processed:


Buy foods in their WHOLE forms and prepare them to be clean, delicious and devoid of the harmful additives!

Below I have included a sample meal plan of a day of clean eating - recipes included**!  Remember number one that 'Clean' doesn't mean boring - it doesn't have to be chicken and broccoli.  It can be DELICIOUS!

**Remember that all meal plans a should be customized for your own body weight, height, age, activity level and goals - no eating plan is one plan fits all!  This is a great sample meal plan to give you an idea of HOW to eat clean and how GOOD it can taste!

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oats cooked in water and mixed with 1/2 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 TBS sliced almonds and 1/4 cup berries to top oatmeal
4 egg whites, quick scrambled 2 min in microwave topped with 2 TBS fresh pico de gallo

AM Meal:
1 whole grain English Muffin with 2 TBS Almond Butter
1/2 cup steamed edamame

Lunch:
'Burrito Bowl'
1/2 cup long grain brown rice topped with 1 cup lean ground turkey and 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
2 TBS black beans overtop
2 TBS fresh pico or salsa overtop
1 cup shredded romaine overtop
2 TBS avocado to top burrito bowl

PM Meal:
'Spring Shrimp Salad'
1 cup cooked shrimp
1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/4 cup green peas
Dash of cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic powder - mix and enjoy!

Dinner:
'Dijon Chicken and Potatoes'
1 cup grilled or baked chicken with 3/4 cup cubed roasted red potatoes and 1 cup green beans
Toss with 1 TBS Dijon Mustard,1 tsp agave nectar and 1 tsp dill

After Dinner Meal:
'Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake'
1 scoop All Natural Whey Protein
1 TBS Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp almond butter
1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk
5 ice cubes - blend and enjoy!

All creative, clean, delicious and NOT chicken and broccoli!

Happy Clean Eating!
Denver Nutritionistas - milehiradio.com Fridays at 9am