Eating clean doesn’t need to be hard. I want to simplify it. Make it less scary to the busy mammas - with kids or without!

The important thing to remember is that you are eating whole, fresh foods, avoiding most things that are packaged and processed, and are beginning to read labels and cook more at home.

Here are some of my personal tips to help with your clean eating diet.

Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies

The first big change you might make is eating more fresh and frozen produce. A good portion of your meals and snacks will be adding in fruits and vegetables. If you are trying to lose weight, going for fruits low on the glycemic index like berries, cherries, apples or grapefruit are a great choice.  If you currently eat a lot of fruit, but not much veggies, it’s time to switch it up. Frozen produce and even some canned veggies are okay, just make sure you are checking the ingredients to ensure it is clean.  My rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce the ingredient, I don’t want to eat it!

Some of my favorite fruits and veggies that I use weekly for meals and smoothies are:

1. Avocados
2. Berries
3. Cherries
4. Fresh Spinach

Enjoy Your Whole Grains

If you are coming off diets like low-carb or Keto, you might not be used to having this carb, but clean eating is not a low-carb diet [woohoo!]. While it is a reduced carb diet simply by taking away things like white rice and processed breads, you still want to add in carbs into your diet. Your meals should consist of a protein, good fats, fruits/veggies and often a carb such as whole grains:

> brown rice

> quinoa

> farro

> oats

Incorporating whole grains increases your nutrients and keeps you energized for the day, so it is definitely recommended.

Always Have Snacks Ready To Go

This tip will save you many times! Having snack packs will benefit you AND your family. Especially my busy mammas on the go-go constantly.

You want to be as prepared as possible to survive clean eating and get to the point where it is a simple lifestyle change. One way to do this is by having enough snacks on hand that are clean. This means enough fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds in portion-controlled containers or bags, and any homemade snacks you have prepared like granola or oatmeal bites. Homemade are always best as the ones you buy in the store are often loaded with sugar!

Meal Plan and Prep Weekly

Along these lines, you should also be planning out every meal for the week and prepping as much as possible. With clean eating, getting convenience foods while you’re out is not as easy, and most fast food is not considered clean, so you still need to plan to provide the majority of your own meals and snacks at home. But they don't have to be super difficult and complex meals! If you can prep things like casseroles, making salads, and chopping veggies, then you are more likely to eat those meals instead of getting pizza. Grab a notepad or use an app to make your list, pick a day and block out time to prep.