Eating Clean Over the Holiday Weekend - It Can Be Done!

It's the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, which in my world means planning menus,  making lists, gathering goodies, and finally packing it up all!  I am well aware that it's 10x  easier to simply pack your clothes, hop in the car, and hit the road for your weekend adventure.  Trust me, my husband reminds me this all the time! However, us clean eaters need to be able to select our meals from a healthy menu five to six times a day - I promise that you will not find what you need at the convenience store along the way! So while I endure moments of complaints from you know, the Mr. in all of this...typically along the lines of "You really have to bring all of this?!?" - at the end of the day I come out to be a hero as when hunger cries, I always have a wealth of goodies to choose from.  Okay, "hero" may be a bit extreme...luxury of being the writer in all this!

My List

My "To Pack" items are broken down into six basic categories including lean proteins, starchy complex carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, herbs & spices, and lastly, misc. & kitchen gadgets.  
 
Note:  For my Michigan friends, I have ** all of those items that I have picked up locally.

1.  Lean Proteins 

• Super Fresh, Salmon Fillets - caught just last weekend off Lake Michigan**
• Chicken Breasts - Raised with Love**
• Eggs (will need to attempt to pick these up along the way, then once reach destination will boil some for a healthy, go to snack)
• Hummus (also a healthy fat)
• Black Beans (also a starchy complex carb)
• Protein Power

2.  Starchy Complex Carbohydrates

• Red Skin Potatoes**
• Bananas
• Leftover Brown Rice, Quinoa (also a protein) & Chia Seed (also a healthy fat) Mix
• Oatmeal (both dry & pre-made)
• Carrots**
• Green Beans**
• Sweet Corn**
• Organic Tortilla Chips (blend of yellow & white corn)

3.  Complex Carbohydrates from Fruits & Vegetables

• Watermelon**
• Muskmelon**
• Pears**
• Apples**
• Blueberries**
• Pineapple
• Lemons
• Limes
• Spinach
• Tomatoes**
• Onions (Red & Yellow)**
• Scallions**
• Zucchini**
• Peppers (Red, Yellow, Green & Jalapenos)**
• Mushrooms

4.  Healthy Fats

• Avacados
• Raw Cashews
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Olive Oil

5.  Herbs & Spices

• 1 Bunch of Cilantro
• Garlic (also a complex carb)
• Handful of spices including, red pepper flakes, all-purpose, pepper, sea salt, parsley, onion flakes, cinnamon, dill, poultry blend, and a seafood blend.

6.  Misc. & Kitchen Stuff

• Green Tea
• Unsweetened Soy Milk
• Plain Greek Yogurt (also great source of protein)
• 2 Whole Food Bars
• Supplements (active multi, bone strength, and omegas 3, 6 & 9)
• Magic Bullet
• Grill Baskets (Pamperedchef style!)
• Water Bottles (2)
• Wine (1 White & 2 Reds - all from Traverse City, Michigan)
• Wine Glasses (when you splurge, do it right!)

Pulling it all together...Love seeing all the colors!

My favorite whole food bar "EcoTrek Fitness Whole Food Bar" -
made locally and designed by my personal trainer, Cari Draft.

One cooler complete! Filled to the brim just the way I like it!

And...getting closer! So many fresh goodies ready for a weekend adventure!

Don't let a long weekend impact your eating gains!  If you plan and pack, you'll be able to avoid those "lurking around every corner" temptations.  Stick to your menu and try and treat a Saturday no different from your Monday routine. Your body will reward you for doing so!  

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
Mrs. Skinny Fat

P.S.  Don't forget the running shoes!  

Brown Rice, Quinoa & Chia Seed Mix

I love the combination of cooking together brown rice and quinoa. To me, it makes the perfect textured mix!  It's so simple too - especially, if you have a rice cooker.  Recently, I have also been adding Chia Seeds to the mixture...so good and all so good for you! 

Using the "cup" that came with the rice cooker - here's the basics of how I pull everything together:

1 Cup of Brown Rice
1 Cup of Quinoa

Mix together and wash grains well before use by placing them in a fine mesh sieve and rinsing under running water until the water runs clear.   For further guidance and reasoning for washing your grains, please check out this helpful article.

Once rinsed, add your final ingredients:

1/4 Cup of Chia Seeds
1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
Add Water Accordingly

Then load it up with spices!   Fresh garlic, ground pepper, dash of sea salt, parsley, and onion flakes...whatever your heart desires! 

Give it a good mix.  Turn the switch to "Cook" and you're good to go! Typically takes around 20 to 30 minutes...I check on it periodically to see if any additional water is needed.

This combination is the perfect foundation for any meal - best of all it makes for great leftovers (lots of flexibility to change it up if you wish!)

 Handy kitchen appliance -  "Rice Cooker" is used weekly in my household.
I bought this one years ago at Walgreens (of all places) for less than $10. 
Mine also came with the steamer top - making it easy to throw in some veggies while the rice (or combination of) is cooking.

I keep all of my favorite spices easily accessible (front & center) in the kitchen. 
Simply Organic is one of my favorite brands. 

I typically buy my rice in bulk - like with everything I always aim for quality. This one in particular is a gourmet blend of CalMati Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Heirloom Red Rice.  I believe I picked this up at Costco.

Quinoa is amazing for you! I purchased this from the local health food store. 

Chia Seeds are my new favorite thing! Again, picked these up from the health food store. A little goes a long way with these powerful bad boys!

Once the rice is cooked, I will often add a splash of Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  It's a soy sauce alternative - taste the same yet is made from soybeans and purified water. 

Eating clean isn't meant to be difficult, in fact it's quite the opposite.  Once you get the staples down...everything else just falls into place! 

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat

My Breakfast Staple: Glorified Oats & Egg Whites

It wasn't until recently that I connected the dots of how important it is to combine the complex carb with the lean protein (in this case, rolled oats and egg whites).  Mind you, I have read dozens of books and magazines that listed it as a bullet point time and time again -- but I think I just subconsciously ignored it because maybe it seemed like "more work" to me to not only think about clean foods but also combining the right foods.  

I use to just eat the oatmeal or just the eggs for breakfast but never together...that is until the dots finally connected. It was my chiropractor (you never know who is going to inspire you!) who finally drilled it in my brain when he asked me how much protein I was getting a day.  I didn't have a clue how to answer.  Then he said, "You are already doing the work...eating clean, working out - now you need to rely on science to take you to the next level.  What if you could double your success by just combining the right foods?"  It was a total "Ah HA" moment for me!  By combining lean protein and complex carbs at each meal, it helps you slow down the carb-to-fat conversion in your body - in other words, it keeps you feeling full and satisfied between meals.  But also for me, it helps ensure I am getting enough protein throughout the day when I am intentionally making it a part of every meal.   

Now I tend to rely on my oats and egg whites for breakfast the majority of the time.  What I love about both is - in my opinion - you can't mess them up!  I will make a large pot of oatmeal at the beginning of the week so it's ready to go each morning by simply heating it up (sometimes I even like it cold!).  I just take rolled oats (buy it in bulk at the health food store), add water (sometimes I will do half water and half soy milk), add some ground cinnamon, handful of organic raisins,  handful of slivered raw almonds, throw in the chia seeds and wheat germ, cook it on the stove top for 3 to 5  minutes depending on how much I am making and I am good to go for the week.  Sometimes instead of raisins I will do chopped apples...or  I might leave out the fruit while cooking and instead add it on top before serving - such as a handful of fresh berries or half of a peach.  I also now love the combination of the oats and egg whites mixed together...is that weird? 

Pot of Glorified Oatmeal Made & Ready for the Week

The Secret to Successful Clean Eating is Making Sure You Combine
Your Oatmeal (Complex Carb) with the Egg Whites (Lean Protein). 

Ahhmazingly Clean Pick-Me-Up

One of the things I love about clean eating is experimenting in the kitchen! My new favorite - can't live without - kitchen appliance is non-other than the Magic Bullet.  Since I purchased it a couple months ago, I do not go a day without blending a delicious, clean mid-day meal.  All of the containers make it so easy to prepare and pack to enjoy later in the day (ideal for a girl on the go)!

My latest blend is too good not to share.  The best part is that you can't mess it up! 

Here's the ingrediants:

• Pure Coconut Water
• Handful of Kale (as much as I can fit!)
• Cup of Blueberries
• Serving of Protein Power (get the good stuff my friends - read the labels)
• 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds  (amazing little guys - filled with an energizing source of essential fats, protein, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, & fiber - no joke!)
• 3-4 cubes of ice

Blend away...and enjoy!!  It's so tasty...can't wait for you to try it!

***I have noticed that including kale does take it a little longer to blend...but still less than a minute!

Girl-on-the-Go Smoothie - Blend and Enjoy!

Magic Bullet Blender Set - A MUST HAVE in the Kitchen (or at the office!)