For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Andrea. I am a mom to a little girl, Lauren, born in April 2011. Besides being a full-time mom, I’m also a part-time group fitness instructor and a huge yogi! One day, Kelly asked me (regarding my momstown bio) "what does it mean to eat clean"? Let’s see if I can explain the gist of it in 100... okay maybe 1,000 words or less!
What is Clean Eating?
Eating ‘clean’ is more about a lifestyle verses a diet and/or a quick-fix. Lately I find more of us are choosing to fuel our bodies and our kids bodies with wholesome, natural foods rather than sugary, processed foods. I call it "taking it back to the basics". There are many time-saving ways to get dinner on the table, but when products contain ingredients that I can’t pronounce let alone know where the heck they came from, I start to feel uneasy eating it and now feeding it to my daughter.
How can I incorporate clean eating habits into my family meals?
One meal at a time! Choosing complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and fresh fruits and veggies. Lean proteins, healthy fats and of course avoiding/limiting the evil but addictive SUGAR food group. Keeping the body constantly fuelled with good foods (5-6 small meals a day), will help keep your energy up. And don't forget to drink lots and lots of water!
So you’re probably thinking, "ok sounds great in theory but who has time for all of that"? I’ll be honest, I’m by no means perfect in my eating 100% of the time (what precious time I even have)! Especially if you are a mom with picky little eaters and knowing we barely have time to shower on a daily basis, it can be a challenge. However, I try to take it one day or meal at a time. I find if I plan ahead, (great discussion recently on the momstown Oakville message board about this), and my fridge is stocked full of my basics of clean eating, I have a tendency to stray less. Try to start with one meal a week or a manageable goal that works for you.
Tosca Reno is the author of the Eat-Clean series. She is one of the most down to earth, inspirational women I have met to date. For those that have not read any of her books and/or familiar with her story, she is a mother of four kids who in her 40’s decided to ‘take her life back’, lost lots of weight and even went as far as to enter in her first body-building fitness competition at 40! Her secret – exercising and eating clean...that simple!
Here is a recipe for a family favourite. The recipe came from a Clean Eating Family and Kids cookbook. Next time I promise to share my top snacks for both moms and kids as well as a Black Bean Fudge cake recipe that will fool all your friends and family. I'm serious!
Broccoli and White Bean Mac n’ Cheese
This is a great way to get some veggies in the kiddies as well as a bit of fibre and protein.
Serves 4 Hands-on time: 25 minutes Total time 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup skim milk
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
¾ cup nonfat evaporated milk
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
4 oz low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
5 tbsp finely grated or powdered Romano cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 oz whole-wheat elbow macaroni (about 1 cup)
3cups chopped 1 inch broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup white cannellini beans
½ tsp smoked paprika
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup skim milk and flour; set aside. In large sauce pan, combine remaining ¾ cup skim milk and evaporated milk. Place saucepan on high heat and stir in garlic and nutmeg. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour mixture until no lumps remain. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and 3 tbsp Romano cheese until well blended, Season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm on lowest heat setting until needed.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add macaroni and broccoli and cook for about 6 minutes; pasta will be slightly undercooked at this point. Stir in bell pepper. Drain and return to pot. Stir in beans and milk mixture and heat on low. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, until heated through. Spoon into serving dishes and top with remaining 2 tbsp Romano and paprika, dividing evenly.
No comments:
Post a Comment