30 January 2014

Eating Clean (ish) & Food Prep Tips

 Good morning, readers!

 As you all know if you follow me on instagram, (lets be friends!!) Jake and I started Crossfit about 3 months ago. I could say that my life has been changed forever, and I look like a Victorias Secret model and all that, but that would be lying.

I definitely love it, its the hands down best workout i've ever done in a quick amount of time, and i'm certainly stronger, but something i've really noticed is that without the proper diet, you're not giving your body the nutrition it needs to make it through the day, let alone make it through a freaking difficult WOD (workout of the day).

It's been awhile since this VERY old early Blog Post on food prep, and not only has our diet changed a whole bunch, but the way I prep has too.



Lets start with my grocery cart, shall we? When grocery shopping, I do about 80 % at Sams Club, and the other 20% at Walmart. I try to load up on my dry stuff & produce at Sams, and then will usually buy meat & odds and ends that I don't need tons of at Walmart.


All of these groceries cost just under $200.00, and will easily last us 2 weeks. I need to take a picture of our grocery list for you, but I basically make a meal plan of some dinners/lunches/breakfasts i'd like to eat over the next few weeks, and I list them in column A, from there, I pick out the ingredients I will need along with some staples & hit up the market. Things I love to help us stay on track-

Steak/Chicken/ Salmon
TURKEY BURGERS (this is my favorite. Can't live without them)
Greek Yogurt
TONS of Fruit
Belvita Breakfast Biscuits (I can't get enough of these)
Granola
Protein Bars
Quinoa/Brown Rice Mix
Vita Tops
Chocolate Ice cream
Coconut Water Popcicles

Okay those last 3 aren't necessarily the best for you, but mama loves her sweets, and there is no way i'm giving those up!

When I come home from the grocery store, we start putting  the food away, and I leave ALL of our produce out to wash/prep/put away.  This means, if i'm making spaghetti sauce with onions & peppers, I chop all those onions and peppers. Did I pick up a 2 lb carton of strawberries? Yep! And you better believe they're all being chopped today.



I fill one side of my sink with 1 cup of white vinegar, and a ton of water. Then I submerge a colander  that I will use to soak my produce. All I have to do is put it in there for a few minutes and it will kill any existing bacteria/mold spores on our produce which makes it last SO MUCH LONGER! After, I just take the colander out and give it a rinse in the other side.



The problem is once the work week starts, I find it literally impossible for me to have even the slightest desire to cook after working all day, and then dying in the gym. I want to come home and collapse. So whatever work I can do on the weekend to simplify, I will! I'm so much more likely to reach for fruit and veggies as a snack if they're washed, cut and easy to eat. So I try to encourage myself to make those healthy choices


This is what it looks like when i'm done. Everything contained, ready to be devoured! I like to set out veggies to munch on before dinner, and to toss in my lunch bag as a snack when i'm bored at work. Speaking of work! That brings me to my last tip...BRING LUNCH!


Not only will this save you TONS of money, you will be able to make the best choices about what you're putting into your body for the day. I usually pack breakfast/lunch and 2 snacks. Above I have

1) Greek Yogurt/Belvita Breakfast biscuits for Breakfast
2) Mid Morning Snack! A  bowl of antioxidants. Pomegranate, Blueberries, and a few sliced Strawberries
3) Lunch! Garlic Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers/Cherry Tomatoes & FETA! & a laughing cow cheese with some whole grain crackers
4) Afternoon snack- Granola with dark chocolate chips & if i'm still hungry (because I tend to be starving in the afternoons) some special K Pop Chips

My meals look something like this. I recognize this isn't all "clean" and it certainly isn't what you'd find on the plate of someone who was really looking to lose a bunch of weight and stick to a strict clean diet, but for me, it's all about balance! I like to eat as clean as possible, while throwing in other food that I really enjoy as well.

So there you have it! How I try to maintain a healthy (ish) diet! This was a marathon of a post, and I'm certainly no expert, but I hope that using a tip or two you find yourself feeling healthier than ever. Remember, whoever said "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels", is a big fat liar. Chocolate Ice Cream is freaking delicious. Its all about balance my friends :)

Until Next Time,

xoxo Kylie


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13 comments:

  1. These are great tips! I need to start prepping my food on the weekends because I can barely manage chopping food after work. And you're right. Ice cream is a must! haha

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this and I completely agree with you... If I try to eat strictly "clean", I lose my frikkin mind. You've gotta find that balance ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tiffany, I couldn't agree more! I find myself eating WAY too much of the "bad stuff" after restricting it from my diet for too long. I NEED chocolate in my life. At least once a day. ;)

      xo,
      K

      Delete
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