It’s a new year and at the beginning of the year, people are looking to not only lose weight and/or gain better health, but to meet their resolutions or goals in a healthy way and want a long-term solution. Sometimes, though, we are so overloaded with information that we don’t know where to start or how to reach our goals, especially when it comes to eating clean. In addition to the tips that can be found in my latest article, How to Get Started Eating Clean, here are a few more tips to get you on your path to an eating clean lifestyle:
Eat Clean Even When Eating Out. Although it may seem impossible to find clean foods when dining out, eating healthy while eating out is possible. Choosing some sort of a salad is a great way to eat clean when eating out. I know, I know, salad doesn’t always “cut it,” but choose a salad that not only provides you with fresh veggies, but some sort of protein like grilled chicken or lean sirloin steak strips or choose dishes with steamed veggies as a side. Also, a lot of restaurants are now offering healthier dishes and/or receptive to requests in preparing food.
Clean Up Baked Goods. Eating clean doesn’t mean depriving yourself of baked goods. It just means choosing healthier ingredients. There are many healthy flours on the market to choose from, meaning you don’t have to use white flour. I personally do in some of my baked goods because I do find that using only wheat flour makes baked goods really “heavy.” However, substituting 1/2 or 3/4 of white flour for wheat flour or a healthier flour is a step in the right direction. Opting for natural sweeteners is another way to clean up baked goods.
Take Your Time. You don’t have to get started eating 100% clean today. I know that many of the eating clean gurus suggest throwing out all “junk” or processed foods out of your house right this very minute and if you don’t, well, you’re just not serious! This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves about nutrition “experts.” In today’s economy, it’s not always feasible to throw food away, no matter how unhealthy it is, when getting started on the road to better health.
When I first decided to eat clean back in ’07, I wrote JenniferE an email, freaking out because my husband and I had just stocked our standalone freezer with 250 pounds of beef. (I am blessed to have a FIL who is a farmer, so we get our beef, pork, and eggs for free). I was freaking because there was NO WAY I was throwing out all that meat, no matter how much Tosca (sorry Tosca!) suggested that I do and even if it was free and didn’t cost me anything. One thing JenniferE pointed out to calm me down is that my FIL’s animals are free-roaming, they’re not pumped full of hormones/steroids or antibiotics, and he ensures our meat is lean, just how we like it. But to me, it wouldn’t have mattered. I wasn’t throwing all that food or any other food in the garbage. Who can afford that with the way prices are nowadays? So either let someone else in the house eat all that junk food or slowly phase it out and as you make further trips to the grocery store, don’t restock it and replace the junk food with healthy foods.
Just remember that making lifestyle changes takes time and don’t happen overnight for the majority of us. Eating clean is a lifestyle, and although the transition may take time, don’t be too hard on yourself along the way. Have fun with the experience of learning all you can about eating clean, giving your body the best foods possible, and watching the amazing transformation of your body and health taking place!
Grinding your own grains really makes a big difference in heaviness and strong flavors. Soft white wheat berries make great non-yeast breads and hard white wheat is great for yeasted breads. White wheat is an easier transition to whole wheat baking. Red wheat berries have a stronger ‘wheat’ taste but has more protein than the white. I have an electric grain mill that makes grinding wheat extremely easy.
Wow, that’s interesting judio! I’ll have to look into grinding my own.
I’ve been reading about white wheat recently. I had convinced myself it was just regular flour labeled as “white wheat” with only a slight difference so that it could be labeled white wheat. (Can we say I’m skeptical of the food industry? Yes!) But I’ve been reading various nutrition websites and blogs and it seems this white wheat may be the real deal! I’m excited by that, actually.
White wheat is the real deal. I believe the only real difference, other than taste, between red and white is the level of protein. Red has more protein. If you can find a way, try freshly ground wheat. It tastes much better and has more nutrients. The longer the flour sits, the more vitamins it loses. It also starts tasting funky. That’s why I started grinding my own. I just couldn’t stomach the flour I bought off the store shelves.
Jennifer,
I’m as skeptical as you are. I also believed that white wheat was simply the latest gimic of the processed food industry. Until I bought a bag.
I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. When I opened the bag, I could tell that is was a whole grain just by looking at it. It bakes pretty much the same as whole wheat flour, but as Judio said, it’s lower in protein. Personally, I want all the protein I can get. So I tend to stick with the red stuff.
In trying both White Whole Wheat Flour and Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, I still lean towards Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. It just seems to bake better. It’s not as course and the flavor is just slightly nuttier, which I love.
I think many people buy white wheat because they think it will be like white flour with the health benefits of whole wheat. That’s just not the case.