Light and Easy

Sounds like this could be the name of a new trendy food magazine. I stopped by Borders yesterday and browsed their magazine section. I was amazed at the headlines of most women’s magazines as we step into 2011…no wonder there are so many eating disorders in our culture. “How to lose weight” blasts the cover pages over and over again. Each article has some amazing gimmick that sounds so convincing. Skinny, thin, tiny, narrow, petite, small…shouting to each woman! As much as I believe in eating healthy, I don’t like to hear women obsess about clothing sizes, diet plans and trendy weight loss gimmicks. I think it can be so simple…just try to eat clean.

Here is what I think constitutes clean eating, although there can be differing opinions about this…

1. Eating a lot of plant food; food that is straight from nature. Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and stay away from anything that humans  have altered.
2. Eat lean meats that are straight from a trusted butcher counter. Stay away from pre-packaged meats. Better yet, buy straight from a local farmer. Choose organic or grass fed meats when possible as these foods are usually clean of pesticides, hormones and additives.
3. Eat whole grains; grains that are still complete such as brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, barley, oats and other whole grains.
4. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-4 ingredients. If you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t need to eat it!
5. Choose water or tea to drink, or juice your own fruits and vegetables and enjoy them without added sugars or preservatives. Stay away from sugary sodas and other sweetened drinks. Drink at least 8 cups of water throughout the day.
6. Eat several small meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar constant and to avoid overeating. Choose snacks like nuts, low-fat dairy and fruits and vegetables.
7. Choose protein options from a variety of beans.
8. Avoid unhealthy saturated animal fats and trans fats.

Eating “clean” can be a huge change for a majority of people due to addictions to sugar, white bread, pasta and convenience food. A person needs a healthy dose of discipline in order to make eating clean a habit but it is possible and has so many long-term health benefits. It is simply eating the way nature intended for us to eat! Clean eating is a lifestyle that requires time, commitment, and pre-planning. Most everyone could maintain a healthy weight by choosing to eat clean. Clean eating is not about depriving yourself, counting calories or starvation, but about  providing the body with the best foods possible.

Even though I am a food blogger, I do not prepare sit-down meals three times a day. There are many times, we will grab a snack like this for supper and maybe compliment it with a bowl of popcorn later in the evening. That is the beauty of just cooking for my honey and I!

Hummus with gluten-free crackers and orange wedges!

If you have followed my blog for very long, you know I have crunch factor obsession! Well, it seems these crackers were made just for me. Notice the brand name…Crunchmaster! These were 100% whole grain and they were delicious!

Hummus

2 c. canned garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 c. tahini
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
1 pinch paprika
1 t. minced fresh parsley

Process beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic and oil in food processor until smooth. Garnish with paprika and parsley. Serve with veggies, crackers or warm pita bread.