Clean Eating Challenge grocery list

In preparation for our clean eating challenge, it will be imperative to do a little shopping to get some key foods for the challenge.  It isn't all that complicated.  We will really be eating food in it's most natural state so you will find your meals and snacks to be rather simple actually!  Our ultimate goal is to stay away from most processed foods. So, in order to get us started on the right foot, I'll give you a list of some foods that you can have on hand in order to make this challenge a success. And make sure to read my previous blog post to get a true feel for what exactly we mean by eating clean.

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Taco Night!!!

My family loves taco night.  I mean really what family doesn't right??  It's the go to meal for a lot of families.  What I don't like is processed foods and all the all the added crap you find in the seasoning packets, salsa and guacamole on the shelves.  So I choose to make my own.  Below is my recipes for both salsa and guacamole, as well as my recipe for home made taco seasoning mix. You can make up a big batch of seasoning mix at a time and then use about 3 tablespoons for every one pound of meat that you are using. Of course this is great with ground sirloin, but try ground turkey breast and ground chicken breast for an even leaner alternative and the kids may not even know the difference.......

If you have taco night in your house as frequently as we do, then you may even want to think about tripling this seasoning recipe so you always have it on hand.  And this will all taste so good you can say good bye to taco seasoning packets for GOOD!

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Turkey burgers - Southwestern Style baby

• I've been enjoying my Greek turkey burger recipe for awhile now, but decided to switch it up tonight and go Southwestern.  This was a huge hit with the family.  They turned out incredibly moist and flavorful, which can sometimes be a challenge when you are working with turkey breast.  So if you give this one a try, you will not be disappointed I'm sure!!
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 1.2 pounds ground turkey breast
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• good sprinkle of salt and black pepper

Directions:

Gently mix the ground turkey together with all of the ingredients listed.  Form into 6 patties.  Drizzle a nonstick skillet with extra virgin olive oil.  Cook the patties on medium high heat for about 7 minutes each side or until fully cooked.  Serve in a bun or bunless......your choice!!

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Italian style turkey meatballs with spicy marinara

I rarely eat pasta.  It's not like I'm anti-pasta or anything.  I just try to keep it to a minimum with the lifestyle I have chosen.  I tend to get my carbohydrates through my fruits, veggies, whole grains, quinoa, beans and oats.  That said, I still like to have the occasional pasta meal.  Lately I've decided to try some quinoa varieties, since I tend to try and keep my wheat intake to a minimum.  That makes whole wheat pasta not as much of an option for me, and regular white pasta is just not typically something I eat.  Again, this is just my choice and if regular pasta is what you like, please still try my meatballs and sauce :-)

The pasta I used tonight was a corn quinoa blend.  I really liked the texture of it.  I've heard that a lot of the brown rice pastas turn out mushy, so I have yet to experiment with them.  But this is the second time I've used a quinoa based pasta and I have to say I really like it, and so does my family.  The texture is more similar to a white pasta than a whole wheat pasta which I liked.  It had a tad less fiber in it than the whole wheat variety, but I like that it has the nutritional advantage of being a complete protein.  Pasta oftentimes makes me feel bloated after I eat it.  I don't feel that way after eating this gluten-free version.

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