There is more too “clean eating” than just switching to whole grains and skipping the free donuts in your break room. We’ve all heard of it, but what exactly is Clean Eating? If I cook at home, am I eating clean? Well, no. In short, clean eating is a lifestyle that maintains a healthy physique by fueling our body with high-quality foods; especially lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. Further, avoiding all over-processed, refined foods, especially white flour and sugar. By eating foods that are fresh and from their natural source, you can feel better, look better, and most definitely have more energy. Furthermore, helping your body function properly and increase your immune system’s performance. It is great to switch to lowfat or almond milk and make sure you eat 5 small meals a day (never skipping breakfast). However, have you really taken a close look at what you eat and drink… maybe how small substitutes can make your skin brighter and even help you get out of bed in the morning? That’s my job… to get you in the know.
I am so pleased to be involved in putting on cooking classes at the Schottenstein Real Estate Group’s fantastic locations. In a model unit, I will take residents through 4-6 recipes (of course enjoying the finished product when we are done), giving tips for cooking techniques and shortcuts, introducing and answering questions about clean eating, and most of all creating an enjoyable environment to have a little fun!
Positively Cooking’s recipes are inspired to fit into busy lives and establish new, NUTRITIOUS staples for your breakfast, lunch, & dinner table. Further, my recipes, inspired by clean eating, are meant to fuel our bodies properly. We feel nourished, lack cravings, and have lasting energy. Yes, eating clean will help you shed excess weight and give you a healthy physique but it is not just about weight; we want to ward off heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, inflammation, and other diseases.
My job and goal with each cooking class is to widen your knowledge base on how to properly eat, give you a “cooking-skill-toolbox” (to help make these recipes happen in YOUR kitchen), leave you with a handful of recipes (all recipes provided to take home in a mini-cookbook), and lend my knowledge and experience to answer any questions you may have. You will have first-hand experience that clean eating can be easy with a little planning and it can still taste good. I look forward to seeing you there! Next stop… Pickerington!
Feel free to contact Adrienne Hast via e-mail or Facebook at PositivelyCooking@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/PositivelyCooking. Below is a bonus recipe from Adrienne herself!
Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup cup dried figs, chopped**
- 1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 3 tbsp. wheat germ (optional)
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ cup almond milk (or soy, rice, lowfat milk)
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tbsp. honey
- Preheat to 375*. Lightly grease your muffin pan.
In medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: raisins, dried cranberries, figs, oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, wheat germ, cinnamon, & nutmeg.
In a separate, medium mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients: applesauce, egg whites, almond milk, pumpkin, olive oil, & honey.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well with spoon. Scoop muffin batter into muffin pan until just batter is gone (each well will be just over ¾ full)
Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes; makes 12 regular-size muffins.
Tips: Whatever dried fruit you have in your pantry will work really, so use what you have in your pantry… dried apricots or cherries sound good! I cooked these Sunday evening and took them for breakfast all week and they were great. Also, add a couple tablespoons of flaxseed if you have it!