Eating Clean

Eating clean.  This could imply that a person is neat and does not require a bib or drop cloth when they eat.  Or, it could imply that the food a person is eating has been washed first or sanitized.  Or, it could mean something completely different.

The ‘something completely different’ is what I have been studying lately.  I have been a student of nutrition since high school and practiced a vegetarian lifestyle on and off for years.  My natural cravings tend to be for vegetables and whole grains so the eating ‘clean’ idea isn’t totally new to me.

What is new is that it has, once again, become a fad or trend.  There was a time in the early 1970s when the media was telling us that within 20 -30 years there would be no meat left for us to eat and at least half the world would be starving due to lack of productive farm land.  This time around we are getting the same message but it also includes the warning of a world wide lack of water for food production (as well as for drinking, washing, etc.). 

I don’t pretend to know the details about world food politics, although I read about it daily and listen to news reports on the issues.  If people could get past the threats and the fears and simply focus on what might be good for their health, making a decision to ‘eat clean’ would be much easier.  I would take it to another level and say, don’t worry about the health issues either.  Try ‘eating clean’ and see what happens to your taste buds. 

Here is one very easy meal or side dish I make that tastes great:

Boil or steam brown rice or a mixture of brown rice/wild rice/other whole grains, in vegetable stock, according to directions.

Coarsely chop a variety of vegetables (including mushrooms) you have on hand and either stir fry them in a small amount of vegetable stock or olive oil or steam or roast them.

Toss the rice together with the vegetables/mushrooms.

If you are a meat eater, you can add any type of meat or fish.  Best way to prepare the meat or fish would be to oven roast or grill.  I think that type of cooking enhances the flavor without covering it up.

I eat the rice mixture with an egg sometimes or with beans when I need more protein or a more substantial meal.

It’s a very simple way to make a quick meal (30 minutes at the most) and it tastes good.  You just need to determine which vegetables you enjoy and find creative ways to prepare them.  If you like spicy foods, you can add chili or other spices to the rice or vegetables.  I personally like rosemary, thyme, and ginger.

For snacks I like apples and love celery and other raw vegetables like zucchini and yellow summer squash.  If you have more of a sweet tooth, grapes, berries, plums, pears and other fruits are great plus they are easy to take to work or carry in the car as a snack.

I also usually have a trail mix on hand with dried fruit and mixed nuts.  A favorite trail mix is the Wow mix from Trader Joe’s.  It has wasabi peas in it and packs some dynamite flavor.

It doesn’t take too long for your taste buds to enjoy the flavor of ‘clean’ food and the cravings you may have for fried foods and processed foods to go away.  I think the reason most people don’t ‘eat clean’ is because they think it takes too much time to prepare.  Not true at all. Almost everything I make can be prepared in 30 minutes. It just takes some planning and having the right foods on hand.

What I still have to work on is how to ‘eat clean’ when I dine out. I’m still at the point of needing that bib and drop cloth.