Spring Clean Cleanse: Day 10-11 Favorite Foods

Hello!

When I'm doing a cleanse/detox/change in my eating, I keep a little notes document on my phone where I write down the meals that I made which (a) meet the requirements of the program and (b) are tasty and (c) are convenient/easy enough to make.

I'd like to share some of those meals/snacks/etc with you now to help you on your journey. Feel free to come up with your own variations and tell me about it!

1. Yogurt
I'm mindful of getting enough good bacteria (probiotics) in my daily life and I think yogurt and kombucha and water kefir are my main sources. Yogurt (which I have made in the past but am currently purchasing from the store) is a tricky food for a dairy-free person like myself. Some dairy free yogurts may be loaded with sugar, not have the right consistency or bad taste. I really like a couple of brands from the health food stores that manage to be tasty and have a plain or no sugar variety. (A) Forager - Cashew Yogurt, Plain. This one is what I am eating currently. Neutral flavor, good though slightly watery texture, and the plain flavor comes in a nice large size. (B) Kite Hill - Almond yogurt, Plain. This one is slightly bitter but has great texture. (C) So Delicious - Coconut Yogurt, Unsweetened Vanilla. This one is quite watery and, to be honest, my last resort choice, but I do purchase it from time to time. I love the flavor - the vanilla is pretty delightful.

I like dairy free yogurt as a snack or breakfast - have it alongside your protein drink...combine it with some blueberries, a few drops of stevia, top it with dried coconut flakes (unsweetened) and a little bit of honey.... it is delicious!

2. Pasta
I am not huge on grain-based foods. I think there's nothing wrong with them, but we typically eat way too many of them. Take pasta, for example. For many folks, pasta is eaten many times per week. One option for you pasta lovers are the protein pastas - Trader Joe's has its own protein pasta, the brand Ancient Harvest's POW pasta line makes some pretty good options. Most protein pastas are noodles made from a combination of legumes (typically lentils)  and other high nutrient foods like quinoa! I like these pastas because they supply the protein and fiber that is so lacking in your typical flour-based pastas. The only thing I recommend is that you take your digestive enzyme with these pastas - they can cause lots of gas and digestive upset if they are new-to-you.

I like to use a healthy pre-prepared tomato sauce (I like Rao brand, no sugar added!), add in some sautéed bell pepper and mushrooms and maybe some chicken breast if I'm feeling like I need even more protein. Pair that with a salad and you've got a really amazing and nutritious plant-heavy meal!

3. Pizza!
Yes, I love pizza just like you! What's pretty great is there are so many options for people avoiding gluten and dairy when it comes to pizza. I recently made a delicious pizza crust thanks to Simple Mills and their Baking Mix Pizza Dough. This mix is totally grain free and made with almond flour and a few other ingredients which made it amazingly tasty! Wow, it was so good.  I topped it with my dairy free cheese of choice (Daiya) as well as some jackfruit from The Jackfruit Co, pineapple (I know, some people think pineapple on a pizza is weird), black olives, sautéed onions and some delicious pizza sauce.

This pizza was amazing and I suggest you try it...