No more crappy snacking!

As much as I would love to dive into a box of Wheat Thins or Cheez-its, I know that they are probably pretty low on the list of healthy things to eat. And, unfortunately I know I am not the only one (ahem) trying to lower a loved one's cholesterol.

I have been ditching my TV watching at night for studying, working on my blog and posting in my various Health & Fitness Accountability Groups (You can follow me here) on Facebook. When I come out in the morning I all too often find an empty box or bag of something I bought at Publix with the intention of giving it to the kids in their lunches for the week. I recently mentioned the dilemma to some girlfriends and I found that they have the same 'problem.'  So I promised to do a little research and make up a list we could all print up and post on the fridge or pantry door----

So, I have made a master snacking list as a quick Go-To-Guide for healthier snacking!

Now, of course there is always the issue of portion size...and how many times those portions are consumed in a sitting!! A healthy avocado still has calories and fat, good or bad so consuming a lot at once starts spilling over into the not-so-good column. There is also the topic of 'Low Fat', 'Non Fat', 'No Sugar Added', 'Artificial Sweeteners' and on and on and on. The point of this 'lil blog post here is simply to provide a doable go-to list for healthy snacks. Maybe we can go more in-depth sometime about decoding food labels. Would y'all like that? If so, leave me a comment below. But for now, I think this is a pretty good start.

Is it totally comprehensive with only 'Clean' foods? Well, that partially depends on your shopping habits? Which is why I have also included the EWG's list from 2014 of The Dirty Dozen & The Clean 15 of Produce. If you go to their website you can find all kinds of lists and ratings related to food safety and consumer products etc...

For me, personally, I try to stick to this list when shopping, but sometimes I simply forget. And I know a lot of people try to avoid things like Soy, Rice and Corn for various reasons--but I am comfortable using them sparingly and organic.

So, happy & healthy snacking!
xo- Darby

Darby's January Slim Down Clean Eating Meal Plan - Week 1

For the first time ever, I have actually really planned out a meal plan for the entire week!
All of the recipes and snacks are 'Clean.'

I made a Shopping List, but if you use it you will want to look over any recipes first to make sure you have everything. I have a jam packed spice cabinet, fridge, freezer and pantry so I don't need to purchase too many things besides the fresh stuff!

I try to buy organic on the items I think its necessary, like meat, eggs, milk, cheese and some produce like apples, tomatoes, lettuces, cauliflower/broccoli, beans, potatoes, berries, carrots & celery. I try to stay away from 'white' pasta, bread & rice, but if the rest of the family won't eat it, then I am not going to let them starve. (I am converting them slowly & sometimes sneakily!) When I buy canned goods, I try to get low-sodium, but I delight when I find frozen cooked beans!

I am choosing to use store bought, pre-made, frozen turkey burgers instead of making my own. Why? Because I have bought them on 3 separate occasions for trips and we ended up not using them. So until those 3 boxes are gone....

I am bad about remembering to use leftovers, so this week will be a personal challenge in that category! My husband works from home about 60% of the time, so my plan is to use certain leftovers as lunch for both of us!

Speaking of husband & recipes...as many wives have started to do, I don't use a lot of salt anymore and when I do, its Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.

Here are my recipes for Monday:

My plan is to use the chicken and maybe some of the veggies with romaine lettuce and feta cheese to stuff a pita pocket for lunch. The Cucumber & Tomato salad usually lasts about 2 days total before going mushy!

I will post my other recipes later this weekend...hoping to test out a cauliflower pizza dough recipe today!

My 'success partner' Jen over at JenBeFit and I are hosting a free 3 week January Slim Down Group on Facebook that starts THIS Monday January 5. Let me know if you want to be added to the Private Group. We will be guiding the group through an intro to Clean Eating. Many of our participants are already sharing their daily food diaries (not required) and you can expect to see lots of great recipes and tips. Every time Jen & I host a Clean Eating Group our participants lose about 5 pounds in the first week or two...simply by making healthy changes to their diet. And when I, Darby Cameron, say the word 'DIET' I do not mean a starvation plan, I mean it as you daily food intake, for better or worse!

Request to join the Clean Eating Movement with us here: January Slim Down and if we are not friends on Facebook yet, be sure to send me a Friend Request so that I CAN add you to the group!
Lets be friends! Click here: fb.com/DarbyCam