Clean Eating for the Man in your Life

When women join my challenge groups I hear a lot of concern that their husband's are picky or wont eat "diet food". So I wanted to share with you what I share with them on the topic of "clean eating for the man in your life"!! Most diets don’t work for men because men don’t like to go hungry, they don’t like to live on salads, they don’t like excluding food groups and they don’t like counting calories. Good news! Men can lose weight and get healthy while eating meat and potatoes in man-sized portions. So men can lose weight and feel satisfied, with no calorie counting.

First I want to clean up the misconception of "diet food". In our challenge groups we do not munch solely on carrot sticks and salad. We eat real, whole foods and a LOT of it actually. When you eat fruits and veggies in their natural state they are very low in calories as well as lean meats which are high in protein. And since I don't like to cut or limit any one food group in particular you can also eat carbs!! YUP, it's ok to eat complex carbs, in moderation of course. Clean eating is not meant to leave you feeling deprived or eating bland foods, lacking in flavor. 

Last week my family had Turkey Meat Loaf and it was a family affair. I love getting my son to participate in cooking healthy meals for several reasons. First it exposes him to creating in the kitchen and exposure to new flavors, smells and textures. Being that he's only 2 we definitely make his "jobs" age appropriate but none the less he has a great time!! I love to pair this meat loaf with sweet potatoes, steamed veggies or a side salad! This is one of my husband's all time favorites! It's hearty, filling, tastes amazing and makes for delicious left overs!! You could also divide this mixture into muffin tins and make meat loaf muffins that are great to pop in a bag and take for a snack!!


 INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup ketchup + 2 Tbsp
2 Tsp Wosterchire Sauce
1/3 onion chopped
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Egg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350
Saute onions in pan until translucent
Combine meat, ketchup, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well
Shape mixture in a 7x5 loaf pan
In a small bowl mix remaining 2 tbsp Ketchup and Wosterchire sauce and brush onto loaf.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes
Let sit for 5 minutes then serve

Another "manly" clean eating dinner is Black Bean Burgers!! You know men and their grills so get these prepped in the kitchen while they fire up the BBQ and its a win-win for everyone!! While red meat is ok every once in awhile it's not the leanest meat and there are definitely better forms of protein out there!!  Black beans are a great source of protein.  If you have never had a black bean burger you have no idea what you are missing.  These black bean burgers were full of flavor and everyone loved them.  I served the burgers with avocado, lettuce, tomato and onion with a side of sweet potato fries and grilled zucchini.

Ingredients

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 egg
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns
• 6 green leaf lettuce leaves
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork. Add egg, yellow onion, bread crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well to combine then shape into 6 patties.

Heat the grill and cook each burger until cooked through and golden brown on each side. Transfer to buns, top with lettuce, tomatoes and red onions and serve.
Here is the link to their website where the recipe is. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2565   

For more Manly Clean Eating recipes check out Grilled Chicken Kebobs and Panko Crusted Chicken!!

If you found these recipes to be helpful and feel you could benefit from more one on one help with clean eating and meal planning please contact me today to join one of my clean eating challenge groups!!