2014 is the start to a new year, but that doesn’t mean you have to resolve to make those same boring resolutions. (You guys know I totally believe in making some New Year’s unresolutions) This year my family does want to work more on clean eating. What is clean eating? Well, by our definition it means getting all of the processed foods out of our diet. (Totally easier said than done by the way)
Turkey Crockpot Chil
We started our cleaning eating by learning to make a lot from scratch. It was not only a quick way to save money on groceries, but it also has helped us feel a lot better. We know what’s being put in our foods because we are the ones cooking it.
You might be saying that you don’t have time to cook from scratch, well I call BS! Most of the recipes here on Crunchy Frugalista are from scratch, and I have the attention span of hyper squirrel. If you start small, and work on really simple dishes you might just find you actually ENJOY cooking. Trust me the flavor is totally different when you do something simple like make tacos from scratch.
To make it easy for you guys, I have put together 6 Steps to Easy Cleaner Eating plus a collection of recipes to choose from to set you on your way!
1. Start Simple: Pick a few things you want to learn to make from scratch. Don’t throw everything out, and then try to conquer the world. Rome was NOT built in a day
2. Make choices that are important to you first: If you really want to try and eat more organic, go for it. If you want to try to cook more from scratch, brush up on a few new recipes. Figure out what’s the most important thing you want to change for your family and focus on one or two.
3. Make your own “convenience” foods: If you use convenience foods because of the time involved, make a few short cuts. Make your own taco seasoning, make your own hot chocolate mix, or find a way to prep some part of another favorite dish of yours. It will make it easier for you to get in the habit of cooking with fresh ingredients.
4. Use Fresh Ingredients: Your wallet and your health will thank you if you use fresh and in season ingredients. Your ingredients will also have more flavor if you buy them when they are in season. (They is a reason that strawberries in winter taste like nothing. They are OUT of season)
5. Buy Local: If you can buy local. It means the food is picked closer to home and almost fully ripe. It will taste better, and if you have a kick butt farmer’s market you can normally get it for a fraction of the supermarket costs.
6. Buy Herbs and Spices in Bulk: Spices are expensive if you buy them in their containers. Buy them in bulk and you can save a bundle, PLUS they normally taste better. (Do you see a trend here) They aren’t usually full of preservatives because they are in bulk bins. More and more grocery stores are carrying herbs in bulk, so stock up!
Tammilee Tillison says
YUM! These recipes look amazing. I can’t wait to try them.
Cristi Comes says
I really need to get a crock pot. Doing chilli is a good idea. I also think buying local is such a good thing, for the local economy of course but also for the freshness and quality and nutrients of the food.
Ashley Sears says
I don’t know WHAT I would do without my crockpot. It is truly a life saver!
Michelle says
Thanks for the tips and recipe ideas. We’ve made eating cleaner a goal as well and it certainly isn’t super easy all the time, but is so worth it!
Sarah says
Great tips, especially making your own convenience foods!
Tiffany Cruz says
Thanks for sharing some great tips.
Danielle says
Great tips! We’ve tried to stick with more of a clean eating approach over the past year but the one vice my family has (not me… them!) is packaged snacks. I still cannot convince them that we can prepare our own snacks!
Jodi @ A Mom Having Fun says
I am trying to eat more clean as well. I have been making my own hot chocolate for a while! I think just overall I am trying to stay away from prepared foods and snacks. It’s so much healthier to use your own ingredients. I really like your tips!