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What Is Clean Eating? Tips From Expert Tosca Reno

Tosca Reno has been interviewed for CNN.com - Click on the link below to go read Tosca's story, and tips from her if you are starting the Clean Eating lifestyle.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Tosca Reno champions a clean eating lifestyle
• Clean eating means avoiding all processed food
• It "really is a lifestyle change," Reno says
• Living healthy has helped her power through grief after her husband's death

Reno, the author of 13 clean eating books, says the secret to being healthy and happy is eating clean. Her popular "Eat-Clean Diet" encourages individuals to drink plenty of water and eat six small meals daily, including a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates.

Put simply, clean eating is avoiding all processed food, relying on fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains rather than prepackaged or fast food.

"It may sound counterintuitive, but eating clean allows you to eat more and weigh less because you are making smart food choices," Reno said. "I sometimes get criticized for using the word 'diet,' but the Eat-Clean Diet really is a lifestyle change that leads to healthy, steady weight loss and healthy eating for life."

Love this quote:

Reno's advice to those wanting to change their lives is to first realize there is another way to live. "This could come in the form of that 'a-ha' moment, when you suddenly catch a glimpse of your lumpy reflection in a store window, or perhaps after you receive some bad news at the doctor's office," she said."You just need that opening, that moment, when you finally decide to give yourself permission to change."

CNN.com: What is Clean Eating? Tips From Expert Tosca Reno

Bolognese Cupcakes

  I love the idea of small individual meatloaves cooked in a muffin tin. I found this recipe mentioned in the September 2012 issue of Prevention magazine ( You know, the Dr's office has a weird selection of magazines to read while waiting! ) and then I found many instances of the duplicate recipe online.

 
Ingredients

½	cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1	tablespoon olive oil
1	large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
2	carrots, coarsely grated (1 cup)
1	rib celery, finely chopped (½ cup)
2	teaspoons Italian seasoning
1	1/ 2 lbs lean ground beef, preferably grass fed
2	large eggs, lightly beaten
½	cup chopped fresh parsley
2	tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6	Tablespoons organic ketchup

Directions

* Cook quinoa following package directions (you should have 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa ). Drain if necessary and transfer to large bowl.

* Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl with quinoa and let cool.

*Add beef, eggs, parsley, Worcestershire, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt pepper. Mix to together until just combined. Form into small balls, place in muffin tin, and gently frost each loaf with ketchup.

* Cook at 375 degrees for  25 minutes;  or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 160 degrees.

The Case For Mindful Eating

   

     Before you discovered Clean Eating, did you ever find yourself halfway through a bag of chips only to find yourself saying to yourself "Why am I even eating this??" And how often do you actually taste your food? This is dining without thinking. Shoveling food in without thought or consequence. The end result is a meal prepared and eaten in the shortest possible time. Mindfulness applied to eating can keep cravings in check and boosts your gratitude in the process.

1. Before you pick up your food, take a couple of deep, relaxing breaths to allow your mind and body to settle.

2. Look at your food. Look at it. Think about where it comes from. Try to see each ingredient in your food in your mind's eye - where it comes from, each ingredient in its original environment and beyond that - the people who made the food possible - the farmer, the truck driver, the grocery store clerk.

3. Without going on a guilt trip, be appreciative you have food on your plate, and it is ready and able to nourish your body. This will bring the feeling of thankfulness that is at the heart of meaningful mindfullness in practice.

4. If it is food you eat with your hands ( an apple, for example ), notice its temperature, colors, and texture as you pick it up. When you move it to your mouth, shift your focus to the aroma and taste of your food. Mentally think about the various tastes you are experiencing. Slow your chewing down to experience the food - not just to chew it up so you can take another bite.

5. Notice how your mind responds to what you've just experienced. Do you like what you are eating? Did you smile at the thoughts you were having? Do you wish the food was a little sweeter? Saltier? Spicier?

Greek Yogurt Review XIII -Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt

I found Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt at my local grocery store - and I was both intrigued AND skeptical at the same time. Only 80 calories per cup? How can that be? That's more than a third less calories than most Greek yogurts out there. It only comes in 4 packs - so I was forced to buy 4. I'm actually glad I had to; it gave me an opportunity to try the yogurt, then try it again.

First - it isn't tangy whatsoever. It has a strange mouthfeel that my first impulse came out as "chalky" but then I decided was the defatted proteins that make this yogurt "Greek" but also lower in calories. It's a different feeling than you are used to if you are a normal Fage or Chobani eater.

Second - I had the vanilla flavor ( I always test vanilla flavor; I add my own fruit ) and the Dannon Lit & Fit is like licking a vanilla bean or guzzling some vanilla extract. It's really strongly flavored with vanilla - almost cloyingly so. Maybe the fruit added varieties are less strongly vanilla - but the taste is definitely pronounced.

Finally - Dannon has a terrible track record when it comes to yogurt. Unnecessary ingredients, preservatives, etc. I was partially pleased when I saw the ingredient list for the Greek vanilla yogurt:

Ingredients: Cultured grade A non fat milk, water, fructose, contains less than 1% of modified corn starch, natural & artificial flavors, sucralose, citric acid, potassium sorbate ( to maintain freshness ), acesulfame potassium, sodium citrate.

99% Clean 1% potentially suspect ( though not all are deal killers - but just know acesulfame potassium is an artificial sweetener. If it makes up one ingredient which accounts for less than 1 percent of a product, I'm not honestly sure how much having it really would be detrimental to your health. But be advised- if you are avoiding ALL artificial colorings, preservatives, and sweeteners...Dannon Light & Fit Greek DOES have an artificial sweetner in it. ).

I think if the calorie content ( 120-160 for Chobani, Fage type yogurts ) has you scrunching your face every morning, perhaps Dannon Light & Fit is a yogurt for you to check out. Try different flavors, and keep in mind that this variation on Greek yogurt is a bit different than you may be used to - approach with an open mind. My mind was closed before my first bite. I was a bit more than surprised as I ate it that I found it tolerable. Yes, it is very vanilla-y. Yes, it has a funky mouthfeel. But I did eat all 4 cups in the package over the period of a week.

Try it before you dismiss it.

Clean Eating Tip - Don't Skip ANY Meals

     One of the core tenants of Clean Eating is eating 5-6 small meals a day. Why?  Giving your body small amounts of fuel to process at regular intervals does more than just keep you satiated. It keeps your blood sugar at a constant level which significantly lessens cravings. It keep your body's metabolism at a constant rate as well. As the picture above reminds us, the machine of your body is encoded through thousands of years of evolution to assume prolonged periods without food equals potential starvation - and what does the body do to protect itself? It burns less fat because it "thinks" the fat will be needed at a future time.  

     Eating small meals ( approximately 300+ calories per mini meal ) 5-6 times a day will give you the fuel you need at even doses to maintain your body's machine at peak performance. It is one of the main reasons Clean Eating works - you are never hungry; your body is literally always working on digesting something - so don't skip any meals!

Product Review: Open Nature ( Safeway ) Veggie Chips

I found a new product at my local Safeway today, and they are really very good: vacuum fried veggie chips. What is vacuum frying? Glad you asked!

A vacuum fryer is a deep-frying device housed inside a vacuum chamber. It was originally developed for potato chip production. Vacuum fryers are fit to process low-quality potatoes that contain higher sugar levels than normal, as they frequently have to be processed in spring and early summer before the potatoes from the new harvest become available. With vacuum frying it is easier to maintain natural colors and flavours of the finished product - this making the process ideal for high sugar veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.


So yes - these are fried. They also have no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Yes, they add fructose ( why? I have no idea... ) but I can deal with a natural fruit sugar for those times when I need a crunchy, wheat free snack.

I liked these, a lot. The store also had carrot chips and sweet potato chips I will definitely go back for - but for my first time, out, I decided to try the mixed bag of veggies. They did have a slightly oily feel, but not so much I was put off by it.

Part of a Clean diet is finding foods that satisfy you mentally without straying too far off your Clean path. This type of crunchy salty sweet product does it for me. I can see a bag of these chips in my desk drawer at work, or taking a bag along with me on a trip.

If you have a Safeway or Safeway affiliate store ( Safeway, Carr's, Von's Dominick's, Pak N Save Randall's, Tom Thumb ) in your area that sells Open Nature brand products, you'll find these in the fruit / vegetable area of the store - or near where they have raisins and dried fruit.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Taro, Carrots, Green Beans, Canola and/or Palm Fruit Oil, Fructose, Sea Salt.
Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat, egg and soy.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 15.0 pieces (28 g)

Servings Per Container 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories 130	Calories from Fat 35

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4 g	6%
Saturated Fat 0.5 g 3%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 125 mg	5%
Potassium —	—
Total Carbohydrate 22 g	7%
Dietary Fiber 2 g 8% Sugars 4 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A	20%
Vitamin C	0%
Calcium	0%
Iron	0%
Copper	—
Folic Acid	—
Iodine	—
Magnesium	—
Niacin	—
Phosphorus	—
Riboflavin	—
Thiamin	—
Vitamin B12	—
Vitamin B6	—
Vitamin D	—
Vitamin E	—
Zinc	—

• * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Clean Eating Prep Ahead: Eggs in Muffin Tins

Over the long holiday weekend that just passed, I decided to use my time by catching up on some projects I'd been putting off for a long time. I cleaned a lot of paperwork off my desk, I cleaned the fridge, and I did some Clean Eating prep I've been meaning to do. One of them was making "cook ahead" egg and veggie cups I saw on Pinterest.

Simply spray a muffin pan with olive oil cooking spray ( or wipe down each cup with Olive Oil , crack an egg into the cup, add seasoning ( a dash of hot sauce,  salt & pepper, onion powder... ) and a few bits of leftover vegetables. In this case, leftover spinach. If you like, you can use a plastic fork to slightly scramble each egg in the cup.

Pop the tray into an oven set to about 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes, cook, cool completely, then place the egg cups into a freezer bag and freeze until ready to use. I put 3 of the egg cups into a sandwich bag and froze them in groups of 3. This way the night before, I'll be able to pull a single bag out of the freezer, put it in the fridge, and by the time I make it to work the next day...they are thawed.

 

They turned out nicely and with some fruit make a very nice little breakfast!

Sweet Potato Recipes

I love sweet potatoes - they are versatile, filling, nutritious, and perfect for the Clean Eater. Here are some great recipes I found over at Women's Health Magazine's website.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Roast sweet potatoes and red bell peppers together for a delicious mingling of flavors and then place over a bed of spinach or arugula and sprinkle with white balsamic vinegar. Serve this as side dish or add goat cheese and grilled chicken for a satisfying lunch.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Gingered Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

 

You can make this creamy soup in a flash with the help of a food processor or blender. And vegetarians take note: it works just as well if you sub vegetable stock for chicken broth.

Gingered Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Spiced Sweet Potato Chips

 

Dusted with a blend of sweet and hot seasonings including chili power and cumin these crunchy chips never stay around for long. Your best bet: make them in small batches—one potato is enough!—and enjoy right away.( Maura's note: consider swapping the sugar out for another source of sweet like honey or agave crystals, or ditch it altogether )

Sweet Potato Chips

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

 

A sweet take on a traditionally savory dish. Grated sweet potatoes get mixed up with cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, and flour. The result: Seriously flavorful potato pancakes.

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes

Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges

 

Skip the home fries and try these sweet potato wedges instead. Baked in the oven, they are packed with beta-carotene and are lower in fat than a fried potato—but still have a satisfyingly crisp skin.

Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges

Newstand Alert: Clean Eating Magazine August / September 2012

I got the current issue of Clean Eating magazine a little late this month, so this is less a newsstand alert and more of a wrap up of this month's issue.

I read with interest the short letter to the editor on page 10 - how CE magazine clean up tradition recipes. They look for natural healthy ingredients that can provide a similar flavor, texture, or richness to the ingredients of the original recipe. They list a few examples in the response. There's a companion list of common food substitutions Chef Jo prepared for readers on page 22.

Best article of the month is hands down the Vinaigrette lesson starting on page 30. Many Clean Eaters struggle to find a salad dressing that is an acceptable alternative to convenient bottled ( and salty / fatty / sugar ) dressings. The vinaigrette lesson shows how easy it is to develop your own signature vinaigrette. The grilled vegetable recipe on page 32 looks delicious, too!

I like the concept of a meal in a jar...but I think in practice it is a bit un-doable for the average person. See the article starting on page 40. In order to make a jarred salad stay fresh, you've got to have a vacuum sealer- something most of us don't have. So take the recipes and perhaps use them to make a large batch or two of food to divvy up. But leave the jar concept for the pages of a magazine.

The one recipe to definitely try in this month's issue is the Peruvian ceviche recipe on page 86-87. If you've never had ceviche ( seafood "cooked" in an acidic lemon/lime juice mixture ) is refreshing, bright, and delicious.