4 Ingredient Salad

Hello Clean Eaters!

Let me start off by saying that I LOOOOOVE a good salad! When I say a good salad, I mean one that is full of different flavors and textures, throw in some nuts with my crisp lettuce and you have a winner! I used to love going to a certain deli because they made the BEST salad (I mean it had feta cheese, walnuts, sunflower seeds, apples, grapes) and wanted to recreate it. I have always wanted to make a great salad at home but have always thought that I needed a lot of money to do so. In fact, to make these four different salads below, I only used four different ingredients!

The basic 3 ingredients in all these salads are baby spinach, grape tomatoes, and Romano cheese. Below are ingredient and price breakdowns for all four salads.

Spinach - $1.99 bunch
Grape Tomatoes - .99c
Grated Romano Cheese - $2.70 package
Unsalted Sunflower Seeds - .64c from the bulk section
Haas Avocado - .58c each
Total - $6.90 (before taxes) / $1.73 each

For the price of less than 1 deli salad, I have made 4 different salads for the week. The same philosophy can be attributed to meal planning across the board! You save money and gain nutritional points when you make your own meals at home instead of eating out- and these salads are just one example!

-Eating Clean in College

Hydration Celebration!

Hello Clean Eaters!

I know that summer is here so that means it's time to stay hydrated! While I may be one of the few people out there who don't mind the bland taste of water, I know that others might not. I recently went out and bought a slew of goodies (and stole some teabags from my moms house) so I wanted to try some new water and tea combinations!

So before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me say that I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious and versatile the mint was. It lasted me a week and added a fresh flavor to the water and the tea! I also heard that infused water can be used at detoxes. I have always wanted to try a detox or maybe even a teatox but have not done enough research into to it to fully commit. In the meantime, check out what I drank.

Here is what I made:

• Green tea with mint and lemon - Putting lemon in my tea is not new to me put adding mint sure is! I have to admit, at first I was scared about burning and ruining the mint leaves but it actually provided a great flavor.
• Lemon grass tea with mint - Lemon grass tea is completely new to me. I didn't bother adding more lemon to this tea so the mint was a great counter balance!
• Water with mint and lemon - I have seen this one time and time again on Pinterest. I have read that mint helps settle ones stomach and aids in digestion (peppermint tea for example) and that the added lemon helps to cleanse the body and boost the immune system. I am not sure if these have helped (since I have been only been drinking them for a week) but I sure do like it!
• Cucumber lemon water - Classic, nothing more
• Cucumber mint water - A new favorite! Adding a few slices of cucumber to water makes me feel more hydrated and the mint was a welcome, fresh taste

In all, even though I only played around with a few different ingredients, I got good flavor combinations out of them. Go ahead and try some out for yourself and tell me what you like to infuse your water or tea with!

-Eating Clean in College

Working and Working-Out

Hello Clean Eaters!

I am sooo happy to be writing to you all again! As you all know, I am no longer a college student and have officially started a "big girl job." I never knew who stressed or overwhelmed a person could be until I started working full time! When you combine the commute and total work time, that leaves me 2 hours to clean, cook, work-out, socialize, blog, etc...needless to say time is NOT my friend!

My tennis shoes, which I pack in my messenger bag everyday!

My biggest concern with my work schedule was not being able to work-out like I used to. I tried exercising in my office during my lunch break but that quickly ended. I think the combination of a lack of space plus forgetting to pack extra clothes made it hard to do my work-out videos. Then, our HR Director came up with a wellness challenge of walking everyday. Then it hit me, why don't I just walk every day? I mean it doesn't take me a long time to eat so why spend the rest of my lunch hour walking?! IT WAS GENIUS!

I have been walking daily since our Fitness Challenge started in February. I know it is not much, but it better than doing nothing. Walking in the middle of my day is also the PERFECT release from work! For me at least, the first half of the day seems to drag on forever while the second half breezes by.

Another fitness hack that I do at work is drink lots of water and use the restroom farthest from my office. Luckily for me, that restroom is below me so I am also making at least a dozen trips up two and down two flights of stairs...daily!

For now, this is my routine and I am sticking with it. Do you have any fitness hacks for staying healthy at work? Please share below!

-Eating Clean in College

Supplement What You Have for $30

Hello Clean Eaters!

I decided to do another $30 weekly grocery list since it is one of my post popular posts! This time, I went shopping with the knowledge that I had a little bit of food leftover in my pantry to supplement my new buys but, I will try my hardest to only use the foods you see on the list below!

Now, if you have been following me on social media (Twitter and Instagram especially) you know that I was once a workout fiend who ate vast amounts of food. It felt like I was eating every hour on the hour. Every meal contained some form of protein and I lugged my cooler around campus. I even trekked up the four flights of stairs to work every day (took the elevator a total of 3 times in two years) and walked to and from school. I must have been burning 1,000 calories because that doesn't even include my workouts! A typical workout includes 15-20 minutes on the stair master (you read that right) where I burned 300-400 calories before I even worked out! Then you have the actual weight lifting in itself and the cool down jogs. When I think about, I think I probably burned closer to 1,500 calories or even 2,000 calories on some days. I’m not sure, maybe I am exaggerating on the number of calories I lost but my point is that I was active. I ate like a horse because I had to fuel the machine that I was.

But now, my lifestyle has calmed down. I am a working woman who spends most of my time commuting or working. I am not in the gym like I used to be because my free campus rec membership expired when I graduated. I do have a gym at my apartment complex but it’s less than average. There are two treadmills, a couple sets of dumbbells, two benches, and two under-inflated exercise balls. Coming from state of the art to this, I knew that I wasn't going to be as intense as I used to be. I know what you are thinking, you can always go running on the treadmill BUT I hate running. I like to do occasional sprints and jogs but since I stopped running track, running isn’t the same anymore. And with the dumbbells, there is only so much you can. Granted, there are tons of great dumbbell workouts out there; but they do get repetitive and mundane. I don’t have the variety to switch up leg days or target which upper body muscle I work on that day. I still live a healthy lifestyle, but I am not as active. With that being said, I eat less because I move less. There is no need to pay to feed the old me. If this $30 list will get me through the work week, then it can for you too!

(Disclaimer, this is just a supplemental list to the few foods I already had in my pantry and closet)

Grocery List:

List	Cost
Green Giant Steamable Broccoli	$1.68
Green Giant Steamable Broccoli	$1.68
Seasoned Chicken Quarters on sale and a great steal	$2
Real Liquid Eggs	$1.98
(2) Green Bell Peppers	$1.16
Yellow Bananas	$1.15
Frozen papaya mango, strawberry blend	$1.46
6oz blackberries SALE	$0.97
Small red potato's I got lucky with this one! It was actually $2 for 4 small red potatoes but I guess it didn't ring that much	$1.00
(4) Limes	$0.57
romaine lettuce	$0.98
Larabar pack	$5.22
strawberries SALE	$1.50
all natural almonds	$1.98
Ground turkey	$3.47
	$26.80
	post tax $29.01

Meals

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Scrambled eggs w/ bell pepper	Roasted potatoes steam, broccoli,  baked chicken	Ground turkey salad w/ dried cranberries and olive oil	Blackberries and strawberries / Lara bar
Scrambled eggs w/ bell pepper	Roasted potatoes steam, broccoli,  baked chicken	Ground turkey salad w/ dried cranberries and olive oil	Blackberries and strawberries / almonds
Scrambled eggs w/ bell pepper	Roasted potatoes steam, broccoli,  baked chicken	Ground turkey salad w/ dried cranberries and olive oil	Banana / Lara bar
Scrambled eggs with w/ bell pepper	Roasted Brussel sprouts, brown rice, baked chicken	Gluten free pasta and spaghetti sauce	Banana / almonds
Scrambled eggs w/ bell pepper	Romaine salad w/ brown rice	Frozen gluten free burrito with brown rice	Blackberries and strawberries / almonds

As you can see by my list, a few things were added on from my previous stash. The dried cranberries have been in my fridge for weeks now (yes, they are still good) but I figured it's time that I actually use them. Brown rice and olive oil are staples that I ALWAYS keep with me in my pantry. Everything else on this list was a necessity as I had close to nothing in my fridge.

Thank you for reading!

Eating Clean in College

Fun, Fun, Fruit!

Hello readers! Yesterday, we had on office potluck and of course I signed up to bring the only healthy dish! My wallet this past week was particularly slim but since I love my staff so much, I did not want to show up completely empty handed so I made a fruit tray. Making a fruit tray turned out to be more fun than I thought, all you need is a couple different colored fruits and you are set! Let me show you how I did mines:

1. Find a ton of delicious fruits! Luckily, many of the fruits I found were on sale
2. Clean and cut the fruit
3. Place a small bowl (I used a $1 guacamole dish) in the middle of the tray (which I found at Party City for $1)
4. Get any yogurt to place in the middle. I like to use regular, unsweetened yogurt and fold in strawberries in the middle for taste. You can also add honey for a sweeter taste since plain yogurt is an acquired taste
5. Arrange your fruit anyway you see fit! I did mines with bright kiwi in the center as an eye grabber and berries on the corners for a color contrast. The color contrast really made the yellow/orange from the mango, pineapples, and tangerines stand out!

Here is how much everything costs:
-Raspberries $1.25

• Antioxidant support, anti-inflammatory phytonurtients, Vitamin C, Manganese (defends the body against free radicals), Fiber

-Blackberries $1.50

• Known to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties; their dark color also gives them a high antioxidant factor; high in Vitamin C, and Fiber

-Kiwis 3/$1

• These tiny fruit are packed with Vitamin C and Vitamin K (a fat soluble vitamin that acts primarily in blood clotting)

-Tangerines 3/$1

• These cute little citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C and have a long shelf life; like most fruits, it has a natural antioxidant that is best for giving your body a natural defense system

-Mango .68c each

• Not only is mango one of my absolute favorite fruit, but it easily one of the best tasting things on the planet! Mangoes are packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Fiber (which helps aid in digestion and elimination)

-Pineapple $1.98

• This tropical wonder is made for more than just pina coladas! Just like the other fruits above, pineapples are a great source of Vitamin C but also contain Manganese and Vitamin B1 for energy production and antioxidant support.

Total - $10.09 
Why did I name this article fun, fun, fruit? Well because fruit is a colorful and delicious way to get many key vitamins. Why would you settle for fake fruit flavored snacks and drinks when you can have the real thing for a cheap price? Processed foods, particularity those aimed at tasting like fruit, are laced with artificial sugars and ingredients that are created to mimic the taste of the real thing. Don't be fooled by the labels of many popular fruit snacks, while they claim to be gluten free, fat free, and have no preservatives don't forget the other funky ingredients who are secretly eating. This list includes:
-Corn Syrup
-Artificial Flavors
-Sodium Citrate
-Carnauba Wax
-Red 40
-Yellow 40
-Blue 1
It is almost as if you are consuming gummy bears...with marginal amounts of health benefits.
In all, fresh fruits is the best snacking choice out there!
-Eating Clean in College

Quick and Easy Breakfast

Hello Clean Eaters! I hope that these first couple of weeks have started out great for everyone. Now, we've heard it 1000x times, "BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY" yet most of us are still not eating in the mornings! No matter what your excuse is, you need to make sure that you are eating breakfast. Some of the perks of eating breakfast includes:
-Better performance and concentration throughout the day
-Better weight management
-Lowered cholesterol
-Curbed hunger throughout the day

For those of you who don't have time to prepare a smorgasbord every morning, then the quick combinations I have listed below are sure to get you going:

• Berries and nuts: no matter what the combination is, berries and nuts provide a sweet kick and an ample amount of protein to keep you full. My favorite is blueberries and almonds but since blueberries tend to be more expensive, then strawberries also work. 
• Almonds - $2.50
• Peanut Butter $3-$5
• Blueberries - $2.98
• Strawberries - $2.64
• Bananas and almost anything: Seriously! Not only are bananas cheap but they contain potassium, fiber, and Vitamin b-6. Plus, like many other fruit, bananas are known to help lower cholesterol and ward off high blood pressure. My favorite pairing is bananas and nuts, bananas and yogurt, or bananas and quick oatmeal.
• Bananas - .48c a lb
• Oatmeal - old fashioned oats can be cooked in the microwave for 1-3 minutes (depending on the brand). You can put your oats in the microwave while you brush your teeth and they'll be ready when you are. My favorite toppings are dried fruit, honey, raw sugar, and peanut butter...but not all at once
• Oatmeal - $2-3 (nonflavored, old fashioned or steel cut)
• Honey - $3
• Cinnamon - $3
• Dried fruit - $2-4
• Cereal - a breakfast classic

The prices listed above may seem steep but most of them last a while in your pantry. Feel free to try out any of these combinations for yourself in the morning because now, you have no excuse to not eat breakfast!

-Eating Clean in College

How to CONTINUE Eating Well in College

Hello readers! So you are near the end of another (or your first) semester in college and you may have fallen off the healthy path. Like most students I know, after the candy and boozing adventures from Halloween hits, your diet goes down hill. What started out as a valiant effort to be healthy is now just a shadow of a thought. Well, I am here to encourage you to keep eating healthily!
We've all had those days where we have fallen into temptation and thought to ourselves "well, that diet is over so I'll start again next week."What we tend to forget is that a mistake is just that...a mistake! You and your health are going to be okay even though you've had one brownie or didn't plan to eat that slice of pizza at a meeting. If your diet is otherwise impeccable then you will be just fine. The only problem with making one diet mishap is if you let that one slip turn into a lifestyle of bad eating.
However, if you have consistently fallen off the clean path or are now back to eating junk then remember this old saying: you are what you eat. If you eat fatty, sloppy, cheap foods then your body will act that way. Putting grease, sugar, and salt in your body only messes up YOUR system. You may not see or feel it now but you are setting your body up for a heart attack, high blood pressure, or diabetes later in life. Below are some steps to get you back into a healthy diet.

Meal prep photo of grilled chicken and baked sweet potato

1. Meal Prep - "If you fail to prepare then prepare to fail" Simply put, prepping your meals ahead of time leaves NO wiggle room for fast food or vending machine cravings. If you don't know where to start, then I have already outlined my meal prep guidelines here for you.  Even if you don't have time to cook three days worth of meals, then have a healthy game plan for when you are on campus. On those days where I didn't prep ahead of time for, I packed my backpack full of snacks (such as pistachios, almonds, or grapes) and I will plan to go to Subway. 

   

   Meal prep photo of grilled chicken and
   sauteed asparagus

2. Make Healthy Substitutions - If meal prepping is going to be a challenge, then try making healthy substitutions instead! When eating breakfast, switch those hash browns for a fruit salad or make your toast whole wheat! At lunch time, avoid salted deli meats in add in lean proteins such as tuna or chicken breast.  Also, stay away from: fried, creamy, battered, smothered, crispy, or country style foods. These tasty indicators also mean that your meal is going to be high in fat, sodium, sugar, and calories! Switch to roasted, baked, broiled, grilled, steamed, fresh, poached, or sauteed items when eating out. When cooking at home, try using oil and boil your veggies for a lesser time. Not only are crisp vegetables delicious, by but they still contain all the natural colors and minerals that vegetables are supposed to have. These may not be immediate diet overhauls, but these small changes are step in the right direction!
3. Start Small - Okay, so if the substitutions seem daunting then baby steps are for you. In fact, most people fail at eating healthy because they think they have to dive in 100%. From my personal experience (seeing my roommates) it is MUCH easier to start from one change a day, to one change a meal, to one day a week, then to a week of clean eating than it is to go from eating Ramen to whole grain spaghetti. If you want to start eating healthy but are afraid that healthy foods are going to be bland and dissatisfying then try making one substitution a day. For example, go a day without drinking soda or a Thirsty Thursday without getting wasted. Both steps are easy and your body will thank you for them later. If you hate the way vegetables taste then season them! You don't have to eat cooked and unseasoned food to be healthy! Black pepper goes a loooooong way in my kitchen and is often times a staple or the only thing I use when I cook---especially vegetables.
4. Think About Yourself - Make your health a priority! You don't have to be a juicing gym freak to be healthy but you should take care of yourself. If you don't take care of YOUR body then NO ONE else will! Sure it is fun going out to burger joints now but I am sure that you won't enjoy getting a diagnosis of high blood pressure or diabetes when you're only 35. You may be able to get away with a fatty lifestyle but don't let outward appearances fool you. Just because you're still able to fit into your clothes doesn't mean that your insides are healthy. Often times, people do not know that they are at risk for a heart attack until they have one. Don't let that be you! Start now to better your health and for a healthier future. LADIES: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SKINNY TO BE HEALTHY  

-Eating Clean in College