Week 4: Cleaning up my act!!!

This week I really want to focus on cleaning up my food.  I purchased The Best of Clean Eating 2 cookbook and I have set a goal to try 4 recipes out of it a week.  I already made an oatmeal recipe for breakfast and tonight we had stir fry.  I warned my husband on Saturday about what I would be doing.  I told him that he and the kids don't have to eat the "clean" meals, but I won't be cooking 2 dinners.  So if they don't like what I make, they are on their own to find themselves dinner.  My kids really liked the stir fry I made tonight, my 12 year old even went back for seconds.  I gave them the choice of rice (yes, it was white) or quinoa.  I had them try the quinoa first.  They both really liked it.  My 9 year old even wanted to eat it plain.

My daughter helping me make clean zucchini muffins

I'm also going to follow Tosca's advice and plan out my meals in advance.  I already sat down and planned out my dinners for the week,  three of which will be clean.  On one of the days that I'm working, my husband will make the one meal he knows how to make: a roast in the crockpot and mashed potatoes.  The roast will be ok for me to eat too, with a salad.  For breakfast, I'll just stick with my smoothies or oatmeal and eggs.  Lunch will consist of wraps and sandwiches.  I will cook up a bit of chicken and boil some eggs for my sandwiches and wraps.  I work everyday but Monday this week so I will have to be organized and make sure that I have all my food planned out the night before.  I would really like to find some clean lunch meat for sandwiches . . .

For exercise I'm going to commit Tuesdays and Thursdays to strength training.  I just started that section in Tosca's book, so I will follow her instructions (I haven't read far enough to have my plan yet).  I have been running everyday lately and it is taking its toll.  I think that taking these 2 days off of running and switching it to strength training will really benefit me.

As for my superfoods I'm going to try out kale this week.  I'm still debating if I want to try adding flaxseed and wheat germ back into my oatmeal.  I have used both of these ingredients in other recipes, so I'm continuing to use them in small quantities.

Just a thought: I have struggled with a sweet tooth all of my life.  Especially chocolate.  These past few weeks, since I started eating clean, the only sweets I have had have been ones that I have made "cleanly."  Today I snuck some chocolate chips when I was making zucchini muffins as a "treat" not a "cheat."  I have found that when I am really wanting something sweet, I will eat one of Tosca's snack ideas: 1/2 c berries, 1/2 c greek yogurt, 3 TBSP granola.  I love it.  It really takes the edge off of my craving.  I'm actually going to make me some right now!!!