Clean Eating - A Good Cheat

For the month of May we've been challenged to practice cleaning eating. Luckily for me, my husband and I have been practicing clean eating for the past three months. We do it the cheater's way, though. We were directed to a site via Dave Ramsey called Emeals.com. It is a great resource for those who would like to make delicious meals but don't have a lot of time to create a menu. On Emeals you can select a type of menu (gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, low-carb, clean eating, etc.) and then you receive a weekly meal plan each week. They also send you a grocery list of items needed for your meals. I love this part. I hate being in the middle of making dinner and realizing I have to run to the store for an ingredient.

We chose the Clean Eating option because the recipes looked the yummiest. Admittedly, we didn't do it for our health. However, we have noticed a huge difference in our energy levels and moods. The clean living recipes are low in gluten, sugars, and processed ingredients. We don't feel like we go into what we have coined as "food coma" after meals anymore (you know the feeling, like someone has just drugged you and you stare off into a daze at work and can't seem to think or move). We end up buying a ton of produce when we do our weekly grocery shopping, but we are pleasantly surprised when we use it all up by the end of the week. It's been fun to learn how to make salad dressings and marinades from scratch and to try out some new foods that I didn't even know existed (like, what the heck are cornichons?). Often, while grocery shopping, we have had to google a food item and pull up a picture so we know what to buy. I'm  learning a lot about different cheeses, lettuces, and cabbages.

We've enjoyed saving money and eating healthier. It makes us feel all growed up and we feel a little more reassured that some day we could cultivate a happy home for children and keep them well fed.

Here is one of our favorite recipes from Emeals:


Main Dish: Spicy Lemon Chicken

Side Dish: Couscous with Spinach, Pine
Nuts and Goat Cheese


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 skinless, bone-in chicken breasts
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 green onion, chopped
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⅔ cup whole wheat couscous (½ of 7.6 oz box)
1½ teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts (1 oz)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (1 oz)
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Instructions:

Heat oil and butter in a 10-inch skillet over
medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and
cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.
In a small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce,
lemon juice and red pepper flakes, stirring with
a whisk. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook
over low heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is
done. Sprinkle with green onions before
serving.
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Cook couscous according to package
directions. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over
medium heat. Add pine nuts and garlic; cook 2
minutes. Combine cooked couscous, pine nut
mixture, spinach, goat cheese and lemon juice
in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Season to taste
with salt and pepper.

Yummersmith!

Try out some clean eating through Emeals.com! I fully endorse their services. :)