Clean Eating

 

We’re sure you have all heard of the term ‘eating clean’ before but what does this actually mean? In this month’s blog, we’re going to share how you can make 2018 your year for eating clean, plus a delicious seasonal recipe to get you started from our in-house Naturopath Tracey Loughran.

The delicious recipes in our nutrition plans here at Taste Success are based on whole foods, that is, foods that are minimally processed or refined - or in other words, clean. We focus on clean eating because we believe that the best results are achieved through increasing our intake of nutritiously dense foods. In fact, our clients often report that one of their favourite things about our programme is the variety of healthy but tasty recipes!

Eating clean also encompasses the origin of the food you are eating and how it has been grown. We all know that eating organic food, or food that has been produced without pesticide spray, is optimal for a clean diet. According to Safe Food Campaign, every mouthful of non-organic food we eat is a cocktail of pesticides with many of these pesticides not having been tested for the long-term effects they may produce. Scary, right?

Now we completely understand that incorporating organic food may not be possible for everyone’s weekly food budget and circumstances, so we have put together our top tips for ways to include organic food to your family’s meals:

  • Buy seasonal produce – Right now, we are in the main harvest season for summer produce, which also makes it the perfect time to purchase organic fruits and vegetables while they are cheaper and preserve, freeze or dry them for use throughout the year. Our favourite freezer fruit is blueberries – perfect in summer straight from the freezer as a cool treat or during winter for those smoothies and crumbles.

  • Grow your own – Growing your own vegetables can be easily achieved whether you have an expansive garden or a small apartment to work with. Starting with a range of herbs in pots is a great way to begin your gardening journey. Many communities have growing groups in place where you can swap seedlings and produce – and pick some local growing knowledge too!

  • Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen – The Environmental Working Group has created two lists for buyers to use as a guide when food shopping. The Dirty Dozen lists vegetables and fruits that have tested positive for a number of agricultural chemicals and the Clean Fifteen lists those with little to no traces of pesticides. As you can see below, the Dirty Dozen list includes strawberries, nectarines and spinach, three favourites for the NZ summer!

Dirty Dozen

The fruits and vegetables from the Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group have tested positive for a number of agricultural chemicals. Some have as many as 47 different agricultural chemical residues. For produce on this list, consider buying organic instead - unless you relish on the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail.

  1. Apples

  2. Celery

  3. Cherry tomatoes

  4. Cucumbers

  5. Grapes

  6. Hot peppers

  7. Nectarines

  8. Peaches

  9. Potatoes

  10. Spinach

  11. Strawberries

  12. Bell peppers / Capsicums

Clean fifteen

All the produce on the Clean Fifteen list has little to no traces of pesticides even when not organically grown. These are safe to consume and non-organic. Ideally, all our food would be organic, but this isn’t always possible.

  1. Asparagus

  2. Avocado

  3. Cabbage

  4. Cantaloupe

  5. Corn

  6. Eggplant

  7. Grapefruit

  8. Kiwifruit

  9. Mango

  10. Mushrooms

  11. Onions

  12. Papaya / Pawpaw

  13. Pineapple

  14. Sweet peas

  15. Sweet potatoes / Kumara

To get you started on your clean eating journey, our Naturopath Tracey, has created a delicious recipe for you to try at home.

Fennel & Broccoli Salad

  • 2 heads broccoli

  • 1 fennel bulb (fronds removed)

  • 1 corn cob

  • 1/2 cup brazil nuts

  • 2 lemons

  • 2 tsps caraway seeds

  • 150g coconut yoghurt (go for a runnier one, or water down a little to dressing consistency)

Place the broccoli, roughly chopped fennel and brazil nuts in a food processor. Process until finely chopped (you may need to do this in two batches). Place into a large bowl, and slice corn kernels off the cob and stir through with the Caraway seeds. Juice the two lemons, and stir this through, then stir through the coconut yoghurt until well mixed. Chill and serve.

With the ongoing support of a facilitator, our 12-week programme is the perfect place to start your clean eating journey.

Fennel for blog.jpg
Tracey Loughran