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.
BLUEBERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE
Makes 1 serving
If you made smoothie packs in advance, this will be in a ziploc bag in the freezer, labeled Sunday, Week 2, Breakfast.
Ingredients
1 cup blueberries, frozen
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon honey
Procedure
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and puree until smooth (about 1 minute).
262 calories, 3.5 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 37.2 g carbohydrate (4.9 g fiber, 29.7 g sugars), 25 g protein, 304 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol
SHAKSHUKA
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
1/2 recipe Big Batch Tomato Sauce (leftover from Saturday's dinner)
1/3 recipe steamed asparagus (leftover from Saturday's breakfast)
2 large eggs for women; 3 large eggs for men
4 basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons
Procedure
Cut leftover asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Heat tomato sauce in a small skillet or saucepan with a lid. When sauce is steaming hot all the way through, add asparagus and stir the mixture together. With the back of a spoon, make two little craters in the tomato sauce, and crack one egg into each. Turn the heat to low, and cover the pot. Cook 5-7 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked through but the yolks are still runny. Carefully transfer the mixture into a bowl to serve; garnish with the chopped basil.
308 calories, 14.2 g fat (3.8 g saturated fat), 25.9 g carbohydrate (5.6 g fiber, 15.4 g sugars), 17.2 g protein, 669 mg sodium, 372 mg cholesterol
6 large strawberries with 1 tablespoon raw, unsalted almond butter.
141 calories, 9.1 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 13.7 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber, 9 g sugar), 4.9 g protein, 1.5 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
EGGPLANT WITH CHICKPEAS, CAULIFLOWER, AND LEMON-PARSLEY YOGURT
Makes 1 serving
This dinner makes a lot of leftovers. Save half of the roasted eggplant, half of the Big Batch Roasted Chickpeas for lunch on Tuesday, and half of the Roasted Cauliflower for breakfast on Tuesday.
Ingredients
1 medium Italian eggplant (half for this dinner, half for Tuesday's dinner)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
freshly ground pepper
1/2 recipe Big Batch Roasted Chickpeas, at room temperature (recipe below)
1/2 recipe Big Batch Roasted Cauliflower, at room temperature (recipe below)
1 tablespoon hummus
juice of 1 lemon, divided
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Procedure
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes, and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Toss the eggplant with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Let the salted eggplant sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. (In the meantime, prepare the Big Batch Roasted Chickpeas and Big Batch Roasted Cauliflower (recipes below)). Spread eggplant out evenly over the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, eggplant cubes are soft all the way through.
While the eggplant is roasting, mix the roasted chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, hummus, and the juice of half a lemon in a medium mixing bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated in hummus.
To make the parsley yogurt sauce, mix yogurt, the juice of half a lemon, and chopped parsley in a small mixing bowl.
To serve, transfer half of the eggplant cubes to a plate, spoon the chickpea-cauliflower mixture on top, then top with the yogurt sauce.
Cool the remaining eggplant cubes completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
456 calories, 15.3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 64.8 g carbohydrate (17.3 g fiber, 2.7 sugars), 21.3 g protein, 772 mg sodium, 2.5 mg cholesterol
BIG BATCH ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Makes 1 cup
Use half of this recipe for tonight's dinner, and save the rest for Tuesday's lunch.
Ingredients
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Procedure
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients then transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and spread them out into an even layer. Roast 20-25 minutes, until chickpeas are golden brown and crispy on the outside, turning and shaking the baking sheet halfway through.
Cool completely before storing leftovers. Chickpeas will keep for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
BIG BATCH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
Makes 2 servings
Use half of this recipe for tonight's dinner, and save the rest for Tuesday's breakfast
Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, cored and broken into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Procedure
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil and salt, then transfer to the baking sheet and spread the pieces out in a single, even layer. Roast 40 minutes, until cauliflower is cooked and slightly browned turning the baking sheet halfway through.
Cool completely before storing leftovers. Roasted cauliflower will keep for up to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
2 pitted medjool dates, each stuffed with 1 almond.
152 calories, 2.8 g fat (0.2 g saturated fat), 31.2 g carbohydrate (3.6 g fiber, 25.2 g sugar), 2.2 g protein, 10 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
DAY 8 (SUNDAY) TOTAL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
1,319 calories, 44.9 g fat (6.5 g saturated fat), 172.8 g carbohydrate (36.4 g fiber, 82g sugars), 70.6 g protein, 1,754 mg sodium, 385 mg cholesterol
All nutrition is calculated for the amounts specified for women.
YAY! You made it to Week 2 of the challenge!
