Note: article originally published for MindBodygreen
As a Health Coach, I place lots of emphasis on eat clean, whole foods, at least 80% of the time. This includes fresh vegetables, organic meat/poultry/fish/seafood, legumes, whole grains (such as quinoa & brown rice), nuts/seeds and fresh fruit. No processed flours or sugars. And it means avoiding things that come in a package, unless it has only 1 ingredient (ex. lentils). That includes whole wheat bread!
Additionally, I believe in eating PLENTY of vegetables every day, ideally at every meal. The more veggies and the wider variety, the better. Vegetables are nutrition powerhouses, with each different vegetable offering its own set of much-needed vitamins and minerals. I tell my clients to fill their plate half way with veggies, and always add some health protein (animal or vegetarian, so this can include lentils and quinoa, etc) and healthy fats.
Eating this way will help anyone be their healthiest self, and shed unwanted weight.
However, I often come across people who struggle to “eat clean” and eat enough veggies because they’re not salad fans. So they tend to turn to sandwiches and wraps for lunch, or meat with rice or potatoes and one cooked vegetable. As a result, their diet lacks in both quantity and variety of vegetables, and usually includes too many refined foods. Essentially, it lacks in nutrition!
For those of you out there like this, who don’t love raw green salads (or have trouble digesting them), I want to share 5 of my favorite clean, healthy and delicious meals – filled with nutritious veggies- that anyone will love, and that are easy enough to take to work.
Note: all these recipes serve approx. 2, and are gluten and dairy free. Adding cheese is an option for many of the recipes, for those of you with no dairy sensitivities.
