It’s only Tuesday and I’ve cried or been near tears too many times to count this week. Let’s start with frustration. I mentioned earlier that we have started to eat cleaner foods… more organic, non-GMO, whole foods. That combined with eating a vegetarian diet has taken a wide assortment of food selections and narrowed it to a tiny window. At least it felt like a tiny window the other night.
It’s typical for me to get frustrated a couple of weeks in on a diet or change of eating plan. I hit a wall and I am tired of everything I’ve been eating. The other night was no exception. It was dinner time and I thought a taco salad sounded fabulous. Then it dawned on me that I have no clue what to use for a hamburger substitute that would be considered “clean”. I had a little quiet hissy fit with a few pots and pans clanking around and ended up making a pot of broccoli soup. *Sigh* Soup again.
Before starting this lifestyle change I would take Emma & Ethan to McDonalds once every couple of weeks. I would enjoy a double cheeseburger and small fry and “get my fix”. Well, it’s been more than a couple of weeks and the craving for a juicy burger crept in and, again, I got frustrated. Where on Earth can you go to enjoy a quick, inexpensive, clean cheeseburger?
Today topped it off. I was offered a (very) good paying opportunity but for a company I could not endorse considering my new choices for my family. I struggled with this decision all day. I could really (ok who couldn’t?) use the money! Fortunately for me a couple of good friends “listened” to me whine through chat and helped me stand my ground. The tears have dried up and I am happy with the decision I made, but I just realized that because of the new ground I walk on my blogging life is going to change dramatically as well.
So, I found a good casserole dish that fit my guidelines, agreed to some yummy chocolate and am trying to put on my big girl panties. I am glad I have you to “listen” to me as well as I am a newbie to whole foods/clean eating as my walk will probably be wobbly.
Do you have a favorite “go to” easy to whip up dish for your family that is clean?
Please share!
There are some soy crumbles you can substitute for meat in dishes like tacos, chili, and Italian foods. I’ve used them and they were good. No help in the burger dept though.
I wonder, though, Karen. I used to use Boca crumbles, but the soy is not organic and soy is a common GMO food. If I can find an organic soy crumble I’d be a happy girl.
i’m not sure i understand ‘clean eating’ but there are some great non gmo options out there. Gardein makes a wonderful ‘ultimate burger’ that definitely satisfies my cravings…as a matter of fact, i haven’t tried anything from their line i don’t like. Fieldroast is another brand to watch for…great stuff. If you’re in the south, Publix has a pretty good line of organic faux meats too. good luck! you can do it!
Hi Jayedee,
I found this explanation online of clean eating:
When someone makes the choice to eat “clean” they are choosing to eliminate all processed foods and extra additives from their diet. Basically, you are choosing to eat whole, unrefined foods.
The basics of eating clean include – eating lots of fruits and vegetables. These are straight from nature – the idea is to stay away from anything that may have been altered in any way.
Include meats, however; “whole” meats that you have chosen straight from the butcher or prepared yourself. You would be very surprised to find out what is actually in ground turkey.
Enjoy whole grains – these are grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down in any form. Examples include: brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains. You will have to get used to reading over food labels. Just because a product says its “whole grain” does not mean it is. It also does not mean they have not added a bunch of other ingredients as well.
Eat fewer ingredients – try not to purchase items with more than 4-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. Also, be sure you recognize every ingredient. If you can’t pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t put it in your body.
(found at http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/the-clean-eating-diet-whats-it-all-about.html)
I will check into those brands and see if they fit! Heading over to your blog in a minute, too
i’m not sure i understand ‘clean eating’ but there are some great non gmo options out there. Gardein makes a wonderful ‘ultimate burger’ that definitely satisfies my cravings…as a matter of fact, i haven’t tried anything from their line i don’t like. Fieldroast is another brand to watch for…great stuff. If you’re in the south, Publix has a pretty good line of organic faux meats too. good luck! you can do it!
ps…i post a vegan menu plan every monday on my blog…you might get some good ideas there
I have been reading the myths about soy lately, and how it is supposedly good for you, but it really isn’t. There are multiple holistic websites you can read up on it simply by Googling it. However, Soy products are really not good for the body, especially processed ones. We have really tried to go all natural, whole foods this year and have done decently despite my detoxing husband trying to sabotage the situation 🙂 However, I don’t know what you would substitute for meat as we aren’t vegetarian-we simply eat all grass fed, or organically raised meat
Thanks Allyson. Yes, the more I read the more soy scares me. Especially non-organic soy. I’m trying my best to get our protein from beans, nuts and veggies.
Your site is not liking my comments today–here’s try #3! I started to “clean up” our diet a few years ago–not all at once, more of a process. I have reduced our meat consumption to about 1/4 what it was, almost eliminated all cans, practically eliminated HFCS, hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives, and GMO’s. I use organics whenever possible. I have not gone completely vegetarian, mainly because I don’t want use use soy-based substitutes for meat. But I have found that I can afford organic, grass fed meats because I use them so sparingly. For example, I might use 1/4 lb of hamburger meat, a comparable volume of smashed black beans, and about two comparable volumes of finely chopped frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.) to make about the same amount as 1 lb of taco meat. I use a tiny bit more seasoning and cook until the veggies are soft. There is very little difference in the taste or texture when wrapped in a tortilla, but there is a huge difference in nutrition. I look forward to your “clean: recipes!
I appreciate you commenting Mary Beth. I eat vegetarian mainly for health reasons, a little on the humane side as well… it just bothers me. My husband and oldest daughter are vegetarians for humane reasons. That being said… I only buy meat for my oldest son who cooks it for himself. My husband found a meat alternative recipe that consists of portabella mushrooms and walnuts, so I will be giving that a try soon 🙂 .
Sorry, I’m looking for tips too. The more labels I read the more frustrating it gets. My local publix has an ‘organic’ section which is great until you realize that the term as used there is not standardized…there’s so little oversight.
It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? There should only be 1 organic label… 100%. But instead there is:
“100% Organic”: Can only contain organic ingredients, meaning no antibiotics, hormones, genetic engineering, radiation or synthetic pesticides or fertilizers can be used. Can display the USDA organic logo and/or the specific certifying agent’s logo.
“Organic”: Contains 95% organic ingredients, with the balance coming from ingredients on the approved National List. These products can also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
“Made with Organic Ingredients”: Must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the package, and the balance must be on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s logo but not the USDA organic logo.
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/latest/3979#ixzz2JTwgvq4S
Makes me go grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Heather, I feel you. It sounds like you may be “detoxing” from the chemicals you are no longer eating. Keep up the good work.
Good for you! It is amazing to hear that you are that determined to stick to this!! It will make it so much more worth it now that you have made sacrifices!
I get so frustrated and usually give in to temptation after a couple of days on a diet and the older I get the worse it seems to get. It seems like I have no willpower. I am glad to hear that you were strong and made it through. I don’t have any experience in clean eating, but have done some research on it and would love to start eating clean.
We’re vegetarians and do enjoy Gardein products, mainly because they state ” The majority of gardein ingredients come from North American farms. We use all non-GMO ingredients and some organic ingredients. We like to diversify our proteins by using wheat, soy and pea proteins. We are also the first company of our kind to add heirloom grains—quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut. Some of our spices come from India and some of our grains from South America” — and because they taste delicious and, while we don’t eat them every day, they do offer variety in what can be a repetitive (boring?!) meal rotation. Pinterest is also a great resource for finding great recipes. Hang in there!
Thanks Gigi! I will have to stop by our health food store tomorrow and check them out!
Good job Heather. Hope I can say that you won’t face any problems like this that would “challenge” your new lifestyle but you will. Just keep your ground and there will always be friends who will support you.
Thank you for the support. I am sure there will be bumps in the road… I just have to pick myself up THEN and not think “Oh I’ll start again tomorrow.” Tomorrow never seemed to come back then LOL