Because clean eating has become pretty popular these days, I have decided to discuss it further to shed some light on the topic! (Keep in mind, I don’t claim to be an expert…Just did my fair share of research, and thought I’d share my findings and my point of view!)

In a nutshell, clean eating is just a simple way of talking about a way of eating, (not a diet or short term thing, but more like a lifestyle). This way of eating incorporates whole foods that are unprocessed, don’t have chemicals added to them. Simply put, any food that has been stripped of all nutrient value by man, and injected with a bunch of chemicals is not considered ‘clean’. 

You may have noticed that most of my recipes are listed as  ’Clean Eating’, which again simply means that I use foods in their most natural state, and don’t include any processed ingredients. One example of this is that I use whole grain oats in my baked goods rather than white or whole wheat flour, (which is essentially a whole grain that has beens stripped of it’s nutrition in a factory).

There are many benefits to ‘clean eating’… Some of the most common being weight loss, increased energy, and improved digestion just to name a few!

So, if this sounds like something of interest to you, you may be wondering how to get started!?! Well, to start here are a few basic choices from each food group that are considered ‘clean’ to start you off:

• Protein Sources: Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Egg Whites, Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder
• Veggies: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Squash, Green Beans, Onions, Sweet Potatoes
• Fruit: Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries, Bananas
• Whole Grain Sources: Old Fashioned Oats, High Fiber Pasta, High Fiber Wrap Bread, Ezekiel or Whole Grain Bread
• Healthy Fat Sources: Avocado, Nuts, Nut Butters
• Sweeteners: Stevia, Honey, Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup

These are some of the clean eating foods that can be found in most Dashing Dish recipes, which can be found under the ‘Clean Eating’ tab under recipes! 

Where to Buy These Products:

Protein Powder: I use Designer Whey Protein powder. I buy the vanilla flavor because it’s a good base to add whatever flavors you want to make.  It is also all natural. You can buy it HERE.

Nu Naturals Stevia: The BEST stevia on earth…No bitter after taste, even my husband can’t tell it’s not sugar! I buy NuStevia Packets HERE. I buy the Nu Stevia Baking Blend HERE.

Peanut Flour: Peanut flour is actually the same thing as ‘FitNutz’ or “PB2” without the ‘brand name’. It’s a essentially a ‘dry’ form of peanut butter, where the oils are taken out.  Doing so makes it a ‘low calorie’ version of peanut butter, while still retaining the same peanut butter taste.  The best way to use it is in a recipe or protein shake.  I buy mine HERE. 

Wrap Bread: I buy La Tortilla Wraps at my general grocery store (generally found in the ethnic foods section, or near the tortillas/wraps). I find the Joseph’s pitas and wrap bread at Walmart and HERE.

Protein Bars: I buy Think Thin protein bars at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, GNC, or the grocery store (found near the other protein bars). You can also find them online HERE. I also LOVE Chocolite Protein Bars, (they are only 100 calories, and they taste like candy bars, with 10 g of protein!). You can only buy them online HERE. 

Extracts: I buy my extracts at the grocery store, found in the baking isle, or near the spices. or online HERE.

Bran Crackers: I find these online HERE. Another great option similar to these is Wasa Crackers found at most grocery stores.

Now I’d love to hear from you…What are some of your favorite things?

*I starred some of the recipes that I will personally be making this year!

 Pancakes

Strawberry Protein Pancakes

Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Almond Joy Pancakes

*Egg Nog Pancakes

Confetti Cake Protein Pancakes

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

Peanut Butter “Cake” Pancakes

Red Velvet Pancakes

 Gingerbread Pancakes

 French Toast

Banana Bread French Toast

French Toast Sticks

*French Toast Casserole

Pastries:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

*Single Serve Monkey Bread

Petite Pumpkin Scones

Waffles:

Banana Bread Waffles

Apple Pie Waffles

Egg Dishes:

Cheesy Mini Egg Muffins

*Giant Fritata

Santa Fe Egg Stuffed Pepper Cups

A Well-Rounded Lunch Box Includes:

• Whole Grains (Examples: High fiber wrap, pita, or sliced bread with at least 3 g fiber per serving, (I like LaTortilla wraps, Brownberry protein and health-full bread, and Ezekiel brand wraps and bread. Other ideas include whole grain cereal in a ziplock, high fiber pasta, or a Dashing Dish muffin!)
• Lean Protein (Examples: Low sugar Greek yogurt, lean deli meat, cheese sticks, thinly sliced cheese slices, hard boiled egg, or chicken or tuna salad.)
• Veggie/Fruit (Examples: apple slices, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, bananas, sliced red peppers, cucumbers, baby carrots, etc.)
• Healthy Fat (Examples: Small portion of nuts, hummus, or even olive oil based mayo or avocado on their sandwich. You don’t have to focus too much on incorporating a healthy fat, as many foods have at least some fat in them, like cheese or the yolk of a hardboiled egg for example! )

Other Tips for Preparing a Lunch Box:

• It’s great to get kids involved in making their lunches! It gives them a sense of independence as well as sparking an interest in learning healthy habits at a young age! These habits will most likely carry them through life, so any time you can get kids in the kitchen to cook with you is truly a wise investment!
• I have found in my own life that it is best to prepare lunches on the weekend, (I sometimes will prepare as many as a week’s worth of lunches on Sunday night!) or the night before. This prevents any feelings of being overwhelmed in the morning!
• Leftovers often make great lunches as well and prevent any unnecessary wasting of food!

Need Inspiration? Check out the ‘Kid Friendly Recipes’ section of Dashing Dish!

I thought I would do a recipe round-up to give you inspiration for using up your summer squash!

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Pizza Bake

Pizzuchini

Chicken Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles 

Zucchini Chips

Cheesy Summer Squash & Chicken Bake

No Noodles Low Carb Zucchini Lasagna

Have fun and Enjoy!

1. The FIRST FEW BITES are what counts!

Have you ever noticed how a child eats a dessert? It takes them what seems to be forever to finish eating! They truly enjoy every bite! Now let’s think about how adults typically eat.  Often the treat is gone before we ever realize what we ate!  If we ever stop to consider at what point the food was is enjoyable, we would realize it is in the first few bites.  Since there are plenty of treats surrounding the holiday celebrations, go ahead and indulge a little bit, but as soon as you find yourself losing the enjoyment of the food, stop there!

2. The party is about MORE than what is on your PLATE!

Food is an element of a celebration, but not the defining factor, or the most important thing. If you keep this in mind when you’re on your way to a party, you can remind yourself that spending time with family and friends is the highlight of the event.  This helps take the focus off the food and puts it back on the things that matter most.

3. Pay attention to when you’re truly FULL, and then STOP!

One way to prevent overeating is by eating small frequent meals throughout the day. If you’re truly hungry, eat something small and rich in protein, (my personal favorite snack is a Chobani Greek yogurt). When you finally sit down to eat a meal, you will be able to properly pay attention to your body’s hunger cues! Also, try to pay attention to your body! It will tell you when it’s had enough.  If you respect what it’s telling you, you won’t have to deal with the consequences later (feeling sluggish, lethargic, overly-stuffed… all of which are sure to suck the fun out of any celebration). Remember, just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean that you won’t eat anything wonderful again.  Go ahead and pick something you enjoy, but take your time to savor it.  By eating slowly, you’ll be able know when to stop when your body says you’ve had enough.

4. It’s OK to say NO!

I have learned that I can’t let what others think or say affect how I treat my body, or what I put into it.  During the holiday, many people are offering foods left and right.  I have learned that If I’m truly full, it is ok to be  honest and politely say, “No thank you”.  As hard as it is, we don’t have to explain ourselves to people.  Even if you’re worried about people being offended, stop worrying.  It’s your body.  Most people will respect you when you politely say no. The great thing about this is, it allows you to say yes to the things you truly do enjoy this time of year!

5. BRING your OWN dish to pass!

If you bring your own dish to pass, you can bring something that is tasty and healthy! Here’s where Dashing Dish comes in…

This holiday season, I will be hosting a special event called~ DASHING DISH’S 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS~ where I will be sharing a healthy holiday recipe every other day in the month of December! These recipes will be healthier version of your favorite holiday treats, and are sure to be crowd pleasers!  I can’t wait to share some of my most beloved holiday recipes with all of you! See you all tomorrow~ (December 1st)~ for the start of this fun and exciting event!

As a way of celebrating the kick-off of this holiday event, Chobani offered to host a giveaway for me! The winner will receive a case of Chobani (12 count of assorted cup varieties) as well as a 32 oz. of 0% plain Greek yogurt for cooking and baking!

All you have to do to enter is share this announcement:

Join @DashingDish and her 12 days of Christmas – A month full of healthy holiday recipes on http://www.dashingdish.com December 1st-24th

on Twitter or Facebook (each count as a separate entry) – Be sure to @me. I will announce the winner on December 7, 2011!

So here is to the holiday season in an enjoyable, healthy, and balanced way! Also, be sure to check out My “How to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season” post over at Chobani!

APPETIZER

Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Veggies and Bake Pita Chips

MAIN COURSE

A 20 Pound Turkey :)

SIDES

Cream Corn Casserole

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

Whipped Maple Sweet Potato Bake ~ (you could also sub the sweet potatoes for butternut squash!)

Butternut Squash Swirled Mashed Potatoes~Coming this week

Apple Bacon Stuffing~Recipe coming if time permits!

Gluten Free Honey Cornbread ~Coming this week

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

DESSERTS

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Pumpkin Cheesecake- Coming this week

Mini Maple Pecan Pies-Coming this week

DRINKS

Sugar Free Sparkling Cider

What are YOU making for Thanksgiving dinner?

Three Winners Will Receive:

• Nu Naturals Stevia- A 50ct  box of NuStevia Packets and a bottle of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid. I love this brand of stevia, because after trying many brands out there, it’s the only one that I can say doesn’t have a funny aftertaste, and it tastes just like sugar!
• Power Body ICE with Jody Trierweiler DVD- An intermediate to advanced workout, that really get’s you working! And no equipment is needed, so you now you never have an excuse not to workout! Workout DVD’s have been a lifesaver for me when I’m running short on time, but need to fit a workout in my day! This one is particularly amazing, and was created by one amazing lady who loves the Lord!

To enter this giveaway you could do one of two things:

• Find your favorite Dashing Dish recipe, and put a link back to it on your Facebook page!
• If you have a website, mention, and put a link back to your favorite Dashing Dish recipe on your site!

Then leave a comment here saying that you did!

Winners will be announced on August 9, 2001~ which is one week from today! Good Luck and Thank You again for all your love and support!!!

I am THRILLED to announce that all of my recipes will have Weight Watchers Points Plus! The fabulous and inspiring Jennifer Swafford from “It Sux to be Fat.com” is an amazing woman of God, and she talks all about her journey on her site!

She has personally lost tons of weight using Weight Watchers, and she offered to use the official Points Plus Calculator to factor the Weight Watchers points for all of my recipes! Now anyone on Weight Watchers can enjoy my recipes without having to figure out the points~ how awesome is that!?! Thank You Jennifer!!! Be sure to check out her amazing weight loss journey at www.ItSuxToBeFat.com!

Note: I have received many requests to post Weight Watchers Points on my recipes. Although I do not believe ‘diets’ are the best route for anyone to loose weight (in a healthy way), I do think Weight Watchers has taken a more balanced approach than other programs out there.

I don’t have personal experience with using this program, but from what I know I think it’s a great program to help women ‘become aware’ of what they are eating, in addition to realizing the nutritional content of foods, (which is important for long term success)!

By posting the Weight Watchers Points on my recipes, I am in no way endorsing this program, or implying that people should join. I am however always in favor of supporting women who want to live a more balanced and healthy lifestyle, and for many, Weight Watchers is a part of that lifestyle! :)