At the beginning of your clean eating lifestyle change, you might feel overwhelmed by what you are able to eat, and what foods you are accustomed to, that you now have to place. An easy way to transition into clean eating is by swapping out some of your current foods with cleaner options. This blog post will make this super easy to do with just a few adjustments.

Food Swaps Simplified

Here are some food swaps to start with when you want to eat a cleaner diet, without making it too complicated.

Skip the Mayo

When you are making a sandwich and are used to mayonnaise, switch to hummus instead. Hummus will still provide that mayo-like element, whether you need the veggies to stick to the bread or you simply want another flavor component inside your pita bread. Mayonnaise is filled with fat and calories and has barely any nutrients, while hummus is made from chickpeas and other natural ingredients. As always, check the label before choosing what hummus is the cleanest option, or make your own.

Try Greek Yogurt

While fruit-flavored yogurt is delicious, it isn’t clean when you consider all those ingredients and additives used. You don’t want anything with artificial colors or flavors, which most flavored yogurt contains. Instead, get a tub of plain Greek yogurt and add in your own fruit, granola, honey, and other natural flavors that make it delicious.

Go for Fresh Produce

If you love to have your fruit juice, it is time to switch it up and have just regular fresh fruit instead. You get to go right to the source of your favorite juice, whether it is oranges or apples, having all that yummy and nutritious fruit juice without the added sugars and preservatives. You can also juice yourself with various fruits and vegetables for a much cleaner option.

Make Your Own Vinaigrette

Finally, if you like your salads with bottled dressing, you will notice a lot of ingredients on the back of those bottles that are not clean. Instead, make your own vinaigrette with oil, vinegar, and any seasonings you enjoy.

Don’t Forget About These Low-Effort Meals
There are also some clean meals that are super easy, and use ingredients you might already be accustomed to adding to meals.

Buy a Pre-Cooked Chicken

This could not possibly get any easier to do. If you don’t know much about cooking, or simply don’t have the time and energy for it, don’t cook!

All you need to do is get a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, making sure the chicken was not made with hormones or additives. Combine the chicken with your choice of frozen veggies that you can cook in the microwave, and you’re good to go.

You can pop those veggies in the microwave while you are pulling the chicken apart, and you have a healthy meal. Add in a little quinoa or brown rice for more carbs, which you can easily make in a rice cooker.

Put Together a Simple Salad

This might not seem like the healthiest choice, but it can actually work really great if you choose the right foods. There are quite a few salads you can put together using canned vegetables and a few other ingredients without going through too much work. The trick here is to check the ingredients on the can of veggies to make sure it has no added sugars or preservatives. If so, then when you open the can, just rinse it well and drain it to remove extra salt from the veggies.

You can use some quinoa you made previously or you pop into the rice cooker, then mix in your favorite veggies like chickpeas, black beans, and corn, all of which you can find in the can. Mix it all together with some greens and add a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and you’re good to go.

Use Smoothie Packs
Even the laziest cook can put a smoothie together! Stop going to your local Jamba Juice and getting a smoothie riddled with unnecessary sugars that are topping hundreds of calories. You can make a light and simple one right at home.

All you need is some frozen fruit, milk of choice, and yogurt. You can even put together your own smoothie packs with different combinations, then in the morning all you do is grab one, toss it in the blender, add your yogurt and milk, and blend it up. Breakfast is done in less than 5 minutes.

 

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