Being moms, and busy ones at that, having the time to cook every day might seem like a daunting task. On top of that, thinking about eating clean becomes overwhelming because we assume it means we must go to Whole Paycheck, I mean Whole Foods and drop a few hundred dollars on organic fruits, veggies and grass-fed meat.
Bon Appétit
That’s simply not true. Clean eating can mean different things to everyone and really the goal in life is to have balance. This also means you’re not going to get bored of what you’re eating. The key is to work with the foods that you will always enjoy and have ten staples in your pantry. I also encourage you to train your kids to eat the same meals as you. No one wants to cook multiple dinners, because let’s face it moms, we are not running a restaurant.
My philosophy on clean eating is KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID (KISS) and of course, to eat very little processed food.
10 Clean Eating Kitchen Staples
Now Let’s talk staples of clean eating. In a perfect world, you can eat all food groups. As I mentioned, I always keep ten staples in my home that can serve as the base of any meal, or the components of a whole meal. Below is Maria’s list of the best family friendly foods to keep on-hand.
Brown rice (Pro-Tip: Cook rice with a little bit of powdered chicken broth for flavah)
Eggs or Egg Whites
Chicken Breast
Lean Ground Turkey
Tuna Fish
Greek Yogurt
Sweet Potatoes or other Root Vegetables
Green Vegetables (Try Asparagus. Kids like their pee to smell weird because kids are weird.)
Peanut Butter (No added sugar. Just plain ole’ peanuts.)
Berries
I know you’re going to read the above and say, LAME, but the glue that holds your meal together is condiments. Obviously, we all have salt and pepper at home, but get crazy and invest in a few other spices to flavor your food. It makes a world of difference to your palate.
Hot Sauce is Clutch.
App Recommendations
Finally, download a good app to track your meals so you’re not “accidentally” shoveling garbage into your face over the sink at 11pm. Preplanning and tracking is key to clean eating success. My Fitness Pal is popular, but lately I’ve been loving 1st Phorm. Most importantly, if you do f%ck up, don’t beat yourself up. Just keep moving forward and remember that it’s ok to indulge. Clean eating, just like life, is about balance. Without balance your changes aren’t sustainable. Seriously, Ain’t no one got time to grow a vegetable garden, go hunting or fishing, or buy everything organic sis.
Author: María G Fernandez is a busy single mama and moderator of Cool Moms of Central NJ. Visit our Directory to locate a Cool Moms Chapter Near You!
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