Michelle Anderson - The Clean Eating Weeknight Dinner Plan: Quick & Healthy Meals for Any Schedule

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Photography Nat & Cody Gantz/Food styling by Katherine Knowlton, cover & . ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-993-1
eBook 978-1-62315-994-8 I dedicate this book to my sons,Mac and Cooper, who inspired me to come up withhealthy recipes to fuel all their adventures,and to my husband, Scott, who tasted everything, eventhe culinary experiments that werent perfect.Thank you for all your support and love.

Mediterranean Chicken Thigh Bake, M y fascination with food and good health started when I was young, thanks to the inspiration of my wonderful mother and her passion for living. My mother had the most incredible green thumb, so we enjoyed the bounty of our backyard garden throughout the summer months. Watching the glorious produce, still warm from the sun, blend with other whole-food ingredients in my mothers kitchen sparked my 25-year career as a professional chef. Although I experimented with almost every type of cuisine, I eventually found my personal and professional ingredient choices aligning with clean-eating concepts. My kitchen palette featured quality meats and seafood, nuts, creamy yogurt, olive oil, whole grains, legumes, and an abundance of fresh produce.

Clean-eating ingredients create delectable meals easilywith no fancy techniques required, and in very little time. This benefit was important to me as I worked insane hours in restaurants while still putting meals on the table for my growing family. Some nights I fell short of my nutrition goals for the kids (my husband feeding them saltine crackers and peanut butter for dinner comes to mind). Of course, thoughtful food choices are crucial for vibrant health, but sometimes lack of time and exhaustion from a long day make it difficult to follow through with good intentions. I was a professional chef with skills and time-saving techniques, and there were still days when creating a simple, healthy meal for my family seemed overwhelming! That desire to prepare nutritious meals for my family and the challenge of handling multiple schedules inspired the creation of this book. These recipes follow clean-eating principles and can be created with just a few pieces of kitchen equipment and are quick to prepare.

This makes clean eating the perfect lifestyle choice for busy families who value flavor and health. Some of the valuable tools you can take away from this book include: An understanding of clean eating and simple guidelines, such as foods to enjoy and foods to avoid. Tips to get the whole family eating clean. Strategies for clean eating when not at home, including how to navigate eating out. Suggestions for pantry staples and essential kitchen equipment. Three comprehensive midweek dinner meal plans, including shopping lists, make-ahead prep, and tips for leftovers.

Ideas for clean-eating breakfasts and lunches. 100 clean-eating recipes to take the guesswork out of your meal planning.

Beef-Broccoli Stir-Fry, You may already know all about clean eating and perhaps have been reaping the benefits for a while. However, if youre new to the concept, the guidelines are fairly straightforward: Clean eating involves choosing foods that are as close to their natural state as possible and excluding processed items, refined grains and sugars, and unhealthy fats. This is not a diet; it is a lifestyle change designed to promote good health, weight loss (if that is your goal), and lots of energy. Food is certainly a delight, but it is meant to fuel your body instead of leaving you feeling hungry or deprived.

Clean-eating meals are substantial and fillingyou certainly wont be hungry! Best of all, clean eating is flexible and practical, so it can be sustainable in the long term. If you want to enjoy a slice of chocolate cake for your birthday, pick up your fork and dig in! If you decide you want to stick closely to clean-eating guidelines, you can also find delectable recipes for your favorite homemade desserts. Because its not a diet in the traditional sense, clean eating is not focused on what you cant eat, but rather on all the wonderful foods that you can enjoy. This balanced approach to eating includes all the food groups and features familiar ingredients. More a strategy than a diet, clean eating is meant to be flexible, so try to eat clean at least 80 percent of the time and dont stress if you indulge on occasion. Here are the basic clean-eating principles for a healthier lifestyle: