BuzzFeed Food's Clean Eating Challenge is a two-week detox plan that's all about eating real food in order to feel great and have more energy. All of the food is low carb and gluten free with an emphasis on lean protein (no red meat) and fresh produce. There's no processed food allowed; every meal is homemade.
It's important that you follow the meal plan in order starting with Day 1 since most of the recipes call for leftover ingredients from previous days. But you can start any time and find full instructions here. Aim to eat every 3-4 hours and try not to eat within two hours of bedtime.
KALE AND BANANA SMOOTHIE
Makes 1 serving
If you made smoothie packs in advance, the kale and banana should be in a ziploc bag in the freezer, labeled Sunday, Week 1, Breakfast.
Ingredients
kale leaves from 1/2 bunch (about 3 cups), center ribs removed
1 large ripe banana, peeled then frozen
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Procedure
Cut the banana into 1-inch chunks, then add all ingredients to a high speed blender and puree until smooth (about 1 minute).
295 calories, 13.2 g fat (0.8 g saturated fat), 43 g carbohydrate (9.5 g dietary fiber, 17.9 g sugars), 10 g protein, 226 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
As soon as you've made your breakfast smoothie, use the same blender (you don't even need to wash it!) to make the Banana Avocado Pudding (recipe below) for today's snack. Store the pudding in an airtight jar or canister, and refrigerate it until you're ready to eat.
NO-MAYO TUNA SALAD IN ROMAINE CUPS
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
1 5-oz can tuna in water, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 hard boiled egg for women; 2 hard boiled eggs for men, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large romaine leaves
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Procedure
Combine first six ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Fill 4-6 large romaine leaves with tuna salad and sprinkle with parsley.
If you're packing lunch to go: Prepare the tuna salad in the morning, mixing in the parsley, then store in a small tupperware container. Pack romaine leaves separately in a larger tupperware or ziploc bag. Refrigerate until lunch time, then spoon the tuna salad into the romaine leaves when you're ready to eat.
352 calories, 20.2 g fat (4.6 g saturated fat), 3.6 g carbohydrate (1.7 g fiber, 0.2 g sugars), 39.4 g protein, 739 mg sodium, 244 mg cholesterol
BANANA AVOCADO PUDDING
Makes 1 serving
If you made smoothie packs in advance, this will be in a ziploc bag in the freezer, labeled, Wednesday, Week 2, Snack.
Ingredients
1 banana, peeled and frozen*
1/4 avocado (leftover and frozen after Tuesday's dinner)*
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Procedure
Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth
If you're packing this snack to-go: Blend everything together in the morning, then transfer to a thermos, mason jar, or any other portable, airtight container that you can drink out of. Refrigerate until you're ready to drink.
Nutrition info: 218 calories, 10.6 g fat (1.1 g saturated fat), 32.7 g carbohydrate (7 g fiber, 14.6 g sugars), 3.1 g protein, 182 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
SNAP PEA SALAD WITH FETA, RADISH, AND HARD-BOILED EGG
Makes 2 servings
You'll eat half of this salad with a hard boiled egg for dinner tonight and use the rest in a quinoa and arugula salad for lunch on Friday.
Ingredients
2 cups snap peas, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch radishes, washed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
1 ounce feta, crumbled
10 mint leaves, thinly sliced in ribbons
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 hard boiled egg for women; 2 hard boiled eggs for men, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups arugula
freshly ground pepper
Procedure
In a large skillet with a lid, boil ½ cup water and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Add snap peas, lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes until snap peas are cooked al dente. As the snap peas cook, fill a medium mixing bowl with 1 1/2 cups ice and 1 1/2 cups water. When snap peas are cooked, drain them in a mesh strainer. Plunge the hot snap peas into the ice water to shock them. Let them sit in the ice water for a minute, then drain and air dry. Combine snap peas, radishes, feta, and mint in a medium mixing bowl and toss together. Transfer half of the salad to a medium airtight container and refrigerate (you'll eat this for lunch on Friday).
Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: Add lemon juice to a medium mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Continue to whisk for 30 seconds after all of the olive oil has been incorporated. Pour vinaigrette over the snap pea mixture in the mixing bowl, season with freshly ground pepper, add arugula, and toss. Serve with the sliced hardboiled egg on top.
310 calories, 20.3 g fat (7.1 g saturated fat), 17.8 g carbohydrate (6.3 g fiber, 8.1 g sugars), 13.2 g protein, 571 mg sodium, 211 mg cholesterol
The snap peas will cook quickly; they're done when all the water has evaporated, and the snap peas are soft and bright green.
2 squares (1 ounce) dark chocolate.
105 calories, 9 g fat (5.5 g saturated fat), 4 g carbohydrate (1.5 g fiber, 2.5 g sugars), 2 g protein, 10 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
DAY 11 (WEDNESDAY) TOTAL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
1,279 calories, 73.3 g fat (18.9 g saturated fat), 101.1 g carbohydrate (26 g fiber, 43.4 g sugars), 67.7 g protein, 1,729 mg sodium, 455 mg cholesterol
All nutrition is calculated for the amounts specified for women.
ALMOST THERE! You must feel pretty great.
