EC Week: Monday Lunch

I had no idea what I was going to have for lunch today.  I was thinking about having a sweet potato when I remembered we had some leftover cooked chicken in the fridge and I was able to whip up this yummy salad:

forgive me for the cell phone photo!

Ingredients:
--1 cup cooked, cubed chicken
--1 ounce cheddar cheese (shred it yourself--the pre-shredded is coated in chemicals to keep it from sticking together)
--about a cup of romaine lettuce
--about 2 tbsp of fresh pico de gallo (I bought this pre-made from the grocery store)
--a dollop of light sour cream (I'd have preferred plain greek yogurt but we were out)
--a sprinkle of whole grain chips

It was really good and the pico de gallo added enough flavor that I didn't need any salad dressing.  One thing to note:  cheese is a "debatable" item on Tosca Reno's clean eating plan.  She prefers not to eat it avoids using it in her recipes.  I allow it in moderation!

I drank all that water with lunch too and then filled my bottle back up when I was done (and after a walk with a friend).  Water is very important--I don't want to waste my calories drinking sugary drinks because I'd rather use my calories to eat!

Tip:  Look for natural, healthier versions of your favorite foods.  I love Tostito's whole grain chips.  I also love Trader Joe's blue corn chips and their sweet potato chips and these are all clean!  You have to be diligent about reading food labels.  Some things to avoid are:  trisodium phosphate, corn syrup, food coloring, and anything you can't pronounce.  Most of that stuff has been added to try and boost the "nutritional value" or to maintain flavor.

If you read packages of cereal you'll notice that they rave about how many vitamins and minerals they contain.  However once you read the ingredients you learn that all the natural vitamins and minerals have been removed and replaced by chemically altered ones (thiamine mononitrate is the chemical version of Vitamin B).  Instead of eating foods full of these chemically altered vitamins, try to eat foods that are full of natural vitamins instead.