Day 4-Keep Your Meals Simple for the First Week

{!firstname_fix}

For day 4 of the Jumpstart to Clean Eating challenge, you are going to learn how to 
keep your meals simple and why this is important when you first start eating clean.
With any new lifestyle change or diet, it is important that you are realistic. This means if 
you are not used to cooking much, trying to make 4-course gourmet meals each night is 
not realistic. You most likely will give up after a few days, and it makes all this work a 
waste of time. A better option is to start very simple with the following tips.

Start With Foods You Already Enjoy

No matter what your current lifestyle is, there are probably some things you enjoy eating 
that you can still eat while on a clean eating diet. For example, maybe you like bringing 
hardboiled eggs to work for a morning snack, you can still do that! You just want to add 
a carb with that protein snack, such as a piece of fruit or vegetable. 

Think of all your favorite foods and write them down. Circle or highlight the ones that are 
allowed while eating clean, such as:

Nuts and seeds 
Whole grains like brown rice or quinoa 
Fruit smoothies 
Your favorite vegetables sides
Now incorporate these into your new clean meals.

Use the Same Ingredients for Multiple Meals

The next way to simplify clean eating is to choose ingredients you can cook once and 
use for multiple meals or snacks. This reduces the overall amount of cooking you are 
doing and makes meal prep day much easier. For example, a large batch of brown rice 
can be used for multiple lunches and dinners. If you go to the farmer’s market for 
produce, that can be split up between snacks, fruit smoothies, topping oatmeal, and 
having with your salads.

[Signoff]

