Clean[er] Eating - Week 1

We may never go back to our old ways...

Ok, I know it's a bit presumptuous to claim right now,  but John and I both feel SO much better after a week of clean[er] eating. It's crazy awesome.

We managed to eat rice and beans every single day this week - even when we went to Tulsa to see Gungor at Cain's Ballroom. We got there early and, after a bit of a discussion, landed at a nearby Mexican restaurant where we shared a plate of stacked blue corn enchiladas with Spanish rice and beans. It was really cool to continue our challenge even while traveling. I've found that eating rice and beans (plus veggies) is not nearly as monotonous as I had feared. Because they're a staple of nearly every country in the world, there are thousands of recipes from all across the globe using rice and beans. You can do spicy or subtle, creamy or textured, black beans or lentils, soups or casseroles...there's a lot of variety. Not to mention the fact that several wonderful friends have sent me recipes :)

And I've been cooking so much more. I love it. Not just following a recipe, but intentionally soaking and preparing dried beans, using regular brown rice instead of instant, making oatmeal breakfast muffins instead of buying Clif bars...it's fantastic. I love the feeling of standing over a pot of simmering vegetables and beans. To me there is something slightly therapeutic about it all, mixing and chopping, stirring and watching, smelling and tasting...it's rhythmic. 

One night this week, I realized my dinner consisted of lentils I sprouted myself, fresh vegetables, brown rice, and a slice of seven-grain bread that I made from scratch. It was one of the healthiest meals I'd ever eaten, incredibly simple, and prepared by my own hands from start to finish. It was an awesome feeling. 

In addition to rice and beans,  we're also eating more veggies. We tried out a local organic delivery service this week (since the farmers' market isn't open yet) and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of our box. It was a really good value! The apples and clementines have a ton of flavor, and the carrots were delicious. I plan to use the rest in next week's meals, so it's definitely a good investment for us, at least this month. 

lettuce, shiitake mushrooms, apples, oranges, clementines, bananas,
zucchini, green beans, onions, broccoli, lemon, mango, carrots, and potatoes.  

We're definitely excited for week two. I'm looking forward to making gluten-free pancakes at some point, as well as three-bean chili, jambalaya, and possibly gluten-free bread (fingers crossed...). Thanks for reading and cheering me on! If you have any other recipes or ideas, let me know!

Here are some of the other things I've made this week:

• flourless oatmeal-cranberry cookies (Chocolate-Covered Katie)
• sprouted lentils
• rosemary whole wheat bread (adapted from AllRecipes)
• gluten-free baked oatmeal cups (Sugar-Free Mom)