Spring Clean Eating

This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

I love the springtime. The air is so crisp and clean, flowers and trees are blooming, the temperatures get warmer, and the days get longer. It’s the perfect time for a fresh start! Many of us will do a large-scale deep clean during the spring too. The baseboards get washed, the floors mopped, clutter cleaned and donated, and plants get repotted. But what about cleaning what you eat? Yes, quite literally you should be washing your produce, but I’m talking about eating clean – healthy, colorful whole foods should be going into your body.

What is clean eating?

Clean eating simply means putting whole foods into your body. By that I don’t mean the store Whole Foods (though you can certainly shop there for what you need), but foods you can recognize as coming from nature, that haven’t been processed or altered to be something else. For example, for breakfast you can eat a slice of healthy sprouted bread topped with fresh avocado, herbs, and meaty mushrooms for a high-protein start to the day.

One rule I try to stick to is the 80/20 rule, or if you’re feeling really optimistic, the 90/10 rule! This simply means that 80-90 percent of your daily diet is clean, whole, unprocessed foods like beans, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. The other 10-20 percent leaves room for some processed foods such as vegan meat replacements and maybe even an Oreo or two. 😉

Breakfast

Clean eating doesn’t have to be difficult, especially in the mornings. Start your day with these healthy, wholesome recipes to get you ready for that big day of spring house cleaning.

Lunches and Sides

Clean eating also isn’t just for breakfast. Skip those frozen Trader Joe’s meals or vegan boxed mac & cheese (no matter how yummy they might be!) and opt for something freshly prepared (or meal prepped) instead. And while most of these are salads or bowls, you can totally mix it up and have these any time of the day, or pair them as sides with other main dishes.

Main Meals

Okay so I’m a little obsessed with salads. So what? They are SO good for you! That’s why there are salads spanning both lunch and main course lists, because they are truly interchangeable. I try to eat a salad at least once per day, but eat them for every meal if you want! A couple of these recipes contain pasta; use this as part of the 80/20 rule, or switch them out for a whole grain pasta, chickpea or lentil pasta, or substitute with quinoa or another whole grain.

Desserts and Drinks

Who said dessert can’t be healthy? There are so many options for guilt-free desserts that don’t have to taste bland. And while water should be your main beverage during the day, there are plenty of other healthy and clean options to get some extra nutrients and hydration into your body.