Meat alternative: In addition to all of the veggies and hummus, add some chicken breast. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 large chicken breasts, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, cover, and cook for 10 minutes on each side or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from the heat, thinly slice, and add to the tacos.

The post Taco Lettuce Wraps appeared first on Sonima.

But these fajitas aren’t only quick and tasty, they’re also full of nutrition. Red bell pepper and tomatoes provide immune-boosting vitamin C. And if you use whole-grain tortillas, you’ll get a good dose of filling fiber. Just be sure to read the ingredients list before you purchase them—you want to see whole grains listed as the first ingredients and no (or minimal) added sugars.

Meat Alternative:
Add ground bison: Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup ground bison and sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the meat is no longer red, about 10 minutes. Top the tortillas with the ground bison before adding the vegetables and other fillings.

The post Easy Vegetarian Fajitas with Guacamole appeared first on Sonima.

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BREAKFAST

Beet Berry Smoothie Bowls With Hemp Seeds

You’ll never guess this fruity magenta bowl has spinach and beets in it. The root vegetable contains anti-inflammatory compounds and may help lower blood pressure. Top this breakfast off with more hemp seeds and nuts, or nut butter, for some added staying power.

Za’atar Spiced Pecans and Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Za’atar is a Middle Eastern blend of sesame seeds, herbs, and sumac, a spice that lends a lemony zing. Make the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, and spiced pecans at night so you can heat up, top it with an egg, then eat and go in the morning. The protein in this dish will help keep you satisfied.

Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats

This gorgeous meal is also easy to transport to work if you make it in a mason jar. The oat flour (use gluten-free, if you prefer) and chia seeds thicken overnight so it’s perfectly creamy come breakfast time. Plus, the fiber from the oat flour, chia, and blueberries supports healthy digestion.

Savory Breakfast Salad

Salad isn’t the first thing that usually comes to mind when you think of breakfast. But this combo of greens, roasted sweet potato, blueberries, hummus, avocado, hemp seeds, and parsley drizzled in lemon vinaigrette tastes as amazing as it looks. And all those colors are a sign of different antioxidants such as anthocyanins in blueberries and beta carotene in sweet potatoes.

Breakfast (Cookie) Bars

Some recipes for breakfast cookies are, indeed, cookies. However, these contain no refined sugars and white beans to bind all the tasty morsels—gluten-free oats, dried fruit, and pumpkin seeds—together. Consuming legumes and beans may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and aid in weight management.

Hummus Kale Toast

Nothing against avocado, but it’s not the only toast topper. Garlicky sauteed kale provides vitamins A, C, and K to support eye, immune, blood, reproductive, and bone health. Sprinkle on a generous dose of hemp seeds—one tablespoon has three grams of protein.

Protein Breakfast Bowl

This balanced bowl is loaded with flavor, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Spiced roasted sweet potatoes, seasoned black beans, crispy chickpeas and creamy spinach are topped with a hard-boiled egg, avocado, and sriracha. There’s no way hunger will come knocking before lunchtime.

Homemade Bircher Muesli

A Swiss physician came up with muesli, an early sort of overnight oats. In this version, unsweetened applesauce and almond milk soften up the oats. A spoonful of almond butter adds a bit of protein, and the apple grated on top provides fiber and may protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

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LUNCH

Asian Quinoa Salad With Sesame Miso Dressing

This gorgeous salad takes less than 30 minutes to make. Chewy quinoa, tender edamame, and crunchy red cabbage and carrot are mixed with a dressing packed with umami thanks to miso, a fermented soy. Top with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro for extra crunch and a lemony kick.

Vegan Lentil Soup

This hearty soup with a hint of spice from cayenne and ginger is perfect all winter long. Fresh thyme adds an earthy flavor and antioxidants, and don’t skip the fresh lemon juice at the very end—it enhances all the other flavors and brightens the dish.

Broccoli and Kale Caesar Salad

Vegan Caesar? You bet! Blending soaked cashews with capers and lemons creates the classic flavor for this salad. Using kale and adding roasted broccoli and cannellini beans amps up the nutrition compared to the typical Caesar. Top with gluten-free croutons or just sprinkle on extra sunflower seeds—they’re a good source of antioxidant vitamin E.

Black Chickpea Wrap With Tarragon Yogurt

If you can’t find black chickpeas, regular garbanzo beans work in this recipe. Both are a good source of fiber, protein, folate, manganese, and iron. Tarragon adds a hint of anise to the creamy yogurt sauce, but you can use any fresh herbs you like.

Pumpkin Tortilla Soup

Rather than chicken, this tortilla soup calls for cubed pumpkin or butternut squash. Both are good sources of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the minerals manganese and potassium, which is important for heart health. Top off the smoky, spicy soup with avocado, jalapenos, and crispy gluten-free tortilla strips.

Chopped Kale Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing

Massaging the kale in oil and lemon juice not only adds flavor but also softens the powerhouse leafy green. While this salad is packed with other healthy ingredients like avocado, cranberries, and almonds, you’ll really love the creamy dressing made with tahini—the same sesame seed butter used to make hummus.

Mango Avocado Chicken Salad

If you haven’t used avocado in place of mayo to make chicken salad, this recipe is the reason to try it! The result is just as creamy, but lower in calories and saturated fat, and higher in fiber. And this isn’t your ordinary chicken salad—it’s full of carrot, cucumber, mango, red bell pepper, raisins, and pecans for loads of flavor.

Israeli Couscous Salad With Roasted Cauliflower, Pistachios, and Dates

Use brown rice for a gluten-free version of this salad that combines chewy grains, crisp-tender roasted cauliflower, crunchy pistachios, and sweet dates and golden raisins. Although quinoa often outshines brown rice, the rice has about 4.5 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber per cup, plus more niacin than quinoa. This B vitamin helps convert food to energy and helps our digestive system function.

Related: For more healthy, tasty and simple recipes, check out our Clean Eating column!

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DINNER

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats

This impressive, cheesy dish takes minimal effort. While the squash roasts, make an easy meat sauce (use grass-fed ground beef or organic ground turkey) and sauté some kale with garlic. Mix that with ricotta and the roasted squash, then put it back in the squash shell, top with sauce and more cheese, and pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.

Green Falafel Bowl

Falafel is actually easy to make: Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender, then bake. Spinach turns these falafel green and adds iron and calcium. The best thing about this bowl is you can customize it. Start with your leafy green of choice, add leftover roasted or fresh veggies, some hummus or other dip, and drizzle on lemon-olive oil vinaigrette.

Butternut Arugula Pasta

Butternut squash as a sauce? Roasting it with fresh thyme and blending with garlic and chili flakes turns it into a rich, creamy, and savory yet slightly sweet pasta companion. Top with chickpeas, peppery arugula, pine nuts, and cheese, if you desire.

Healthy Thai Shepherd’s Pie with Red Curry Beef, Coconut Kale and Pumpkin Mash

This certainly isn’t your grandma’s shepherd’s pie, but she’d enjoy it. Ginger and red curry paste spice up grass-fed beef, which is mixed with creamy kale. Then rather than potatoes, the topping is a blend of cauliflower and pumpkin puree. The recipe can also be made vegan.

Vegan Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini are a bit of a blank slate when it comes to flavor, yet they’re a good source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Roast them, then fill with spicy black beans for more fiber and protein, and top with a vegan cheese sauce made with tahini for a quick Mexican-inspired weeknight meal. (You can also use real cheese, if you prefer.)

Sun-Dried Tomato, Mushroom, and Spinach Tofu Quiche

Tofu makes a great substitute for eggs in a vegan quiche, plus it’s a complete protein. Fresh chives and basil, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes lend tons of flavor to this satisfying dish. You can omit the crust and bake it in a greased pan if you prefer.

Vegetarian Chili

What is winter without chili? This plant-based version includes pinto and red kidney beans for that stick-to-your-ribs heartiness. But along with the usual chili powder, cumin, paprika, and cumin, you add cocoa powder and cinnamon. Seems unusual, but it deepens the flavor without you noticing. Top with avocado and fresh jalapeno slices.

Easy Thai Curry Hot Pot

Hot pot is an Asian meal enjoyed as a group. There is a bowl of boiling broth in the middle, and you all add other ingredients to cook in the broth. Make this version for your family or when you have guests. Just whip up the garlic-ginger-curry broth, then stir in your desired protein, gluten-free noodles or rice, vegetables, greens, and herbs.

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SNACKS

Lemon Ginger Chia No-Bake Snack Bars

Seven ingredients and a food processor are all it takes to make your own healthy snack bars. The combination of gluten-free oats, almonds, chia seeds, and dates adds up to 5 grams each of fiber and protein per bar. Be sure to use the crystallized ginger—it adds the perfect zing to compliment the lemon.

Garlic Rosemary White Bean Dip

We love hummus, but it’s not the only bean dip. This one is super easy, too—process the beans with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and rosemary. The herb may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer properties.

5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola

Granola can be loaded with sugars, but not if you make it at home, following this simple recipe. Combine natural peanut butter, gluten-free oats, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and a little honey. Then spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake. This granola is slightly sweet, crunchy, and full of peanutty flavor. Nibble on it alone or with berries and Greek yogurt.

Chia Berry Shake

You’ll never guess this shake has no dairy. It’s thick and creamy thanks to chia seeds and avocado, which also add some fiber and healthy fats. Use your favorite frozen mixed berries—all are sources of more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Sweet Potato Bites With Black Bean Hummus and Guacamole

This snack also makes a great appetizer. Roast slices of sweet potato with spices and top with homemade black bean hummus (or use any flavor store-bought hummus in a pinch) and guacamole. It’s easy and more nutritious than eating chips with dip.

Savory Oat Walnut Granola Bars

These aren’t your typical granola bars with fruit, nuts, and chocolate chips. Instead, they feature oats (use gluten-free) dotted with crumbled kale chips, olives, and walnuts. You can also add chili flakes for some heat. The savory is balanced by the sweetness of honey, which binds it all together. And they take minutes to make.

Simple Lemon Berry Bars

If you love lemon curd pie, you’ll go gaga for these bars. Lemons are full of vitamin C, and the phenolic compounds in berries may protect against conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Avocado Tartines With Gribiche Egg Salad

This recipe tops slices of bread with mashed avocado and an egg salad mixed with dijon, shallot, capers, and a blend of herbs: flat leaf parsley, tarragon, thyme, chives, and fennel fronds. Even if you don’t have all the herbs, the taste is delicious—light, fresh, and with a little kick.

The post 32 Meal and Snack Recipes for Clean Eating appeared first on Sonima.

My trick to a perfectly roasted sweet potato is to rub it with extra virgin olive oil before baking. Feel free to swap yellow or red bell peppers with green for an extra touch of sweetness. Whichever peppers you prefer, you can expect lots of nutrients such as vitamins A, C and K as well as B6 and potassium, all of which are needed to keep your immune system healthy, especially as the weather gets cooler this fall.

The fresh herbs, sweet potatoes and kale in this recipe are loaded with fiber, which is key to keep our digestion happy and moving along (detoxification). You can also use fresh basil or cilantro to switch up the garnish depending on what your tastebuds are craving. Lastly, the Garlic Tahini Drizzle is a terrific source of calcium. If you’re like me and can’t eat dairy, this is a great way to get your calcium fix as well as a good dose of magnesium and potassium.

Meat Alternative:

If you’re in the mood for a heartier dinner, poach two large, organic chicken breasts in a large pot of water with a pinch of sea salt for 15 minutes over medium heat. Drain the water and use a fork to ‘pull’ the chicken and add on top of the sweet potatoes.

Related: Sweet Potato and Turkey Meatballs

The post Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Tahini Drizzle appeared first on Sonima.

A fresh summer peach and pear, as well as unsweetened coconut flakes, add the perfect touch of natural sweetness without any added sugar involved. The best part of this recipe is the creamy avocado drizzle, which you’ll likely want to make again before the last bit gets scooped out of your bowl. Serve it with raw veggies as a snack, or spread a generous portion on a fresh sandwich in place of mayo.

Related: Can’t get enough kale? Try these millet kale tacos for dinner!

The post Massaged Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado Drizzle appeared first on Sonima.

The combination is one you wouldn’t ordinarily see together: a crisp apple, fresh dill, crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and hearty walnuts. It’s perfect for a light appetizer or a main dinner served with a side of protein, such as chickpeas or the meat alternative suggested below.

The prep is as simple as it gets. A little chopping, a little dicing, a little tossing (with a tart and tasty lemon vinaigrette that will please any palate), and a lot of delicious eating. Fresh, flavorful, and good for you—what more could you need after a hot summer’s day?

Meat Alternative:
Ground beef pairs nicely with these ingredients, and takes no time to prepare: Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 pound of organic grass-fed ground beef. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of ground cumin. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until fully cooked. Remove from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes, and toss with the salad.

The post The Simplest Summer Salad appeared first on Sonima.

If you can catch yourself before you head to the freezer with a spoon looking for Ben & Jerry’s, you can pause and be conscious of your actions and make better decisions. Instead, toss a handful of food containing healthy fats into your mouth, such as walnuts, to balance your blood sugar. This will buy you some extra time to make a nourishing meal, like this salad, that is filled with natural sweetness and fiber.

What might surprise you about this salad is the fresh figs. Figs aren’t an ingredient you see every day—though they are available at the majority of food stores (just ask customer service if you don’t see them!). They’re packed with enough natural sugars to help settle any sweet tooth, plus ofter you some much-needed fiber. The fresh lemon zest, basil, carrots and cherry tomatoes also found in this recipe are great at curbing cravings, too. This way you’re not scouring your kitchen cabinets for dessert afterward.

Related: 7 Realistic Ways to Approach Mindful Eating

If you’re looking to add protein, try four large hard boiled eggs. After boiling them in water on the stovetop for 10 minutes, remove them from the heat and run them under cold water for two minutes. Peel and discard the outer egg shell, then chop the egg yolks and whites. Next, blend them with one ripe mashed avocado to make an avocado egg salad. Serve this on top of the below salad.

The post Shaved Carrot Salad with Figs appeared first on Sonima.

Cutting back on corn, too? No problem. Swap out the taco shells for large leaves of Bibb or romaine lettuce, kale, Swiss chard or collard greens. If you chose kale or collard green, I suggest you lightly steam or blanch them in boiling water on the stovetop before serving. This makes your leaves easier to chew! Sometimes raw leafy greens, such as kale and collards, can be a little bit rough on your digestion when they’re raw, so a little hot water will soften them right up.

Meat Alternative:

In place of, or in addition to, the millet, poach four organic chicken breasts in a large pot with chicken broth, sea salt and freshly ground pepper for 25 minutes over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Finely chop the chicken and toss it with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Then, serve it inside the tacos before you add the millet.

The post Millet Kale Tacos with Creamy Cashew Drizzle appeared first on Sonima.

To make it extra soothing and satisfying on cold nights, I scooped out the flesh from roasted sweet potatoes. Before you roast them, rub each potato with oil so that it’s easier to remove the skin when you’re ready to eat them.

Add fresh mint and cucumber for a touch of coolness to this salad. Bring some heat with chili powder and cayenne pepper to round out this beautiful winter meal. Prepare this on a weeknight, and enjoy it again the next day with any leftovers at lunch. The dressing holds up well in a sealed container.

Meat Alternative: Sauté one minced garlic clove with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add a pound of organic ground chicken with sea salt and freshly ground pepper over medium heat, cover, and stir every two minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Serve the cooked ground chicken on top of this salad.

Photography by Amie Valpone

The post A Wintry Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Chickpea Dressing appeared first on Sonima.

Researchers at Loughborough University studied healthy, college-aged women on a calorie-restricted diet and discovered that they ate an additional 300 calories, on average, at dinner compared to the control group, who ate three standard meals. The reason for consuming more may be because they had higher levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you feel hungry), and lower levels of peptide YY (a hormone that suppresses appetite). Odds are, if you’re feeling ravenous, you will go hog wild when it’s finally time to chow down.

Related: Is Your Relationship with Food Actually Harmful?

Another study published in Cognitive Neuroscience examined the brains of chronic dieters, and found that those with higher body fat percentages had a weaker connection between two areas in the brain: the part that manages executive control, and the reward region. They concluded that it may be harder for people to override temptations, making them at a greater risk of becoming obese. Some other studies, however, have shown that you can develop greater self-control through practice. Willpower, like any form of strength, must be developed over time. But rather than put all your efforts in your willpower to get healthy, consider focusing on a nutrition strategy designed to help you “reset.”

A reset is a new beginning—one that gets your digestive system and your body’s “clearing house” (the liver) in tip-top shape. Your liver is your body’s largest solid organ, and it’s chiefly responsible for eliminating toxins that can pollute your system and erode your health and well-being. All day, every day, food, stress, pollutants, and other toxins accumulate in your body. Although your liver is built to handle this, sometimes it gets behind schedule (like when you eat too much junk food or are under extreme stress), which causes inflammation in our body. This inflammation puts a strain on your metabolism and leads to weight gain, especially around your belly. The best way to reduce the inflammation and help your liver function at its best is to give the digestive tract a bit of a vacation—like this five-day reset.

The good news about this meal plan is that it’s just five days long. It won’t leave you hungry, and it will set you up to continue eating right because it helps reset your tastebuds, too. When you enjoy fresh vegetables seasoned with spices and herbs, you learn to appreciate their flavors more and no longer desire as much excessive sugar or salt. The meals in this plan also leave you feeling lighter, yet still satisfied, so you feel energized and not in a food coma. Many people who have tried this reset also say they feel less stressed. One remarkable thing about the body is that as our digestion rests and relaxes, so does our mind. During these five days, I recommend you try meditation, too. Here are a few guided meditations to get started.

This five-day reset plan below includes lots of fresh vegetables―full of the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and polyphenols your body needs to perform at its best. Choose organic produce when possible to avoid harmful herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. Also, be sure to drink water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated and curb cravings. We often confuse dehydration with hunger, so drinking more H2O may help keep you out of the kitchen at odd hours. You can flavor your water with fresh lemon juice and also enjoy lemon balm, green, and oolong tea as often as you’d like it. If you feel like noshing between meals, be sure to add light, easily digested proteins to help keep you fuller for longer. Soft-boiled eggs, poached chicken and fish, or cooked lentils are good options. Try not to eat too much at any one time, however, because the goal of this reset is to clear out your digestive system.

DAY 1

Blended Vegetable Soup

Start to reset by enjoying a blended soup of zucchini, parsley, celery, green beans, and any green leafy vegetables you enjoy three to four times a day. This simple soup, called Bieler’s soup after the doctor who created the recipe, is incredibly nourishing. Unlike juicing, which removes fiber, blending lightly steamed vegetables retains the fiber, so you feel fuller longer. Fiber also keeps your digestive track running smoothly. Between meals, snack on bone broth or, if you’re feeling hungry, more Bieler’s soup.

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Ingredients

3 medium zucchini, sliced
1 handful (1/3 pound) green beans, ends trimmed
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bunch parsley, tough stems removed
2 cups water
1-2 teaspoons olive oil or 1/2 teaspoon grass-fed butter
Himalayan or preferred salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Spices: granulated garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and/or cayenne (optional)

Directions

1. Place the vegetables and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam on the surface.
2. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Puree soup in the pot with a handheld blender or in standalone blender in batches.
4. Serve with olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

Yield

2-4 servings

DAY 2

Mixed Steamed Vegetables

Use your bone broth and blended vegetable soup as snacks, and begin eating meals of steamed vegetables, such as zucchini, broccoli, onion, cauliflower, and leafy greens—pick your favorites. Lightly steaming vegetables helps retain their nutrients and is easy and fast. Serve your vegetables drizzled with olive oil to taste. Healthy fats helps you absorb more vitamins and minerals from the vegetables.

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Ingredients

1+ cups mixed vegetables, chopped
1-2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Spices of choosing (optional)

Directions

1. Steam vegetables for about 5 to 8 minutes, until soft.
2. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with seasonings to taste.

Yield

1 serving

DAY 3

Lemony Fish

Add lighter proteins such as steamed, poached chicken breast or cold-water white fish or wild salmon to your steamed vegetables and continue with the same snacks. The protein will help you feel more satisfied and is essential for maintaining muscle, which helps you burn more calories. Season your protein with herbs and spices for a boost of flavor as well as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. I like AllRecipes.com’s take on Lemony Steamed Fish (make it tonight!).

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DAY 4

Quinoa Pilaf

Today, you can repeat Day 3’s meals, or enjoy complex carbs such as quinoa, organic brown rice, or wild rice as part of your evening meal. Complex carbs have more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white pasta, and white bread.

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Close-up of healthy quinoa salad with goat cheese, olives, goat cheese dressed with olive oil on desk in office.

Ingredients

1/4 cup quinoa
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Herbs and spices of choosing (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and add seasonings to taste.
3. Serve with your protein and steamed vegetables of choice.

Yield

1 serving

DAY 5

Colorful Salad

Start today’s his meal plan with the blended vegetable soup and hot tea for breakfast. Follow this up, with soup or salad and a two- to four-ounce grilled, steamed, or poached chicken or fish for lunch and dinner. To switch things up at the end of the day, swap out the last meal for quinoa and steamed vegetables. Snack on bone broth when you feel hungry between meals.

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Ingredients

Mixed lettuce (the more color, the more nutrition)
Any raw vegetables you enjoy
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Herbs and spices
2-4 ounce chicken or fish, grilled, steamed or poached (optional)

Directions

1. Combine lettuce and vegetables.
2. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs and spices to taste.

Yield

1 serving

The post Reset Your Body with this Easy 5-Day Eating Plan appeared first on Sonima.

After cooking for five hours the lamb should be fork-tender and ready to eat. To serve, place in corn tortillas and top the meat with some avocado and this tangy cilantro pesto, and you’ve got a flavor-packed dinner that won’t overheat your kitchen during the hot summer months.

Photo by Lacy Kiernan

The post Slow Cooker Lamb Barbacoa appeared first on Sonima.

For the next seven years, Valpone would receive a long list of other false diagnoses and incorrect medical treatments that seem to make her mysterious condition worse. Along the way, she was called many names (from hypochondriac to anorexic to bulimic), quit her corporate job, went on disability, turned her small Manhattan apartment into a makeshift medical center, and contracted a near-fatal bacterial infection called C. difficile colitis during one of her many hospital visits. At age 28, Valpone was given 24 hours to live.

“After surviving C. difficile colitis, I decided I was done with Western medicine. It kept making me so sick,” says Valpone, who was already in the process of getting her integrative nutrition degree at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which, at the time, was affiliated with Columbia University. That’s when she decided to open up to her readers on TheHealthyApple.com—then her year-old recipe blog—about her health struggles and was surprised by the outpour of confessions from those who faced similar issues.

With the support of this newfound community, Valpone became more determined to heal herself. She read as many medical books as possible, completed her nutrition degree, spent hours in the kitchen inventing recipes she could stomach, and began working with forward-thinking doctors in functional medicine. The right diagnoses started to come together piecemeal. By age 29, she could confirm that she had the following: Lyme disease, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, adrenal fatigue, leaky gut, candida, mold and heavy metal toxicity, fibromyalgia and Epstein-Barr virus. Today, at age 33, Valpone has a clean bill of health.

“My blood work is perfect,” says Valpone, who shares more than 200 recipes that helped her get healthy in her book Eating Clean: The 21- Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body. “You have to take charge of your own health. No one is going to cure you. You need to find the right team of doctors and do the work,” she says. You don’t need to have any health issues to benefit from this book. If you’re looking to clean up your diet, these four recipes are a good (and tasty) start.

1. Golden Bell Pepper Soup

When I contracted C. difficile colitis, I could barely digest anything. This recipe helped keep me alive the year that I lived eating out of a blender and food processor because I couldn’t consume whole foods. I was in love with the creaminess of sweet potatoes and enjoyed pureeing them in a food processor for a snack. Soon I realized I could add vegetable broth and red, orange, or yellow bell peppers to create a naturally sweet soup that was full of antioxidants and fiber.

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Ingredients

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 yellow, red and/or orange bell peppers, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 recipe gluten-free herbed croutons, for garnish
Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)
Finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Sriracha sauce, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the bell peppers and cook until soft, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the sweet potatoes and broth. Season with salt and black pepper, cover the pot, and bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat and add the marjoram. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Let the soup cool slightly, and then, in batches, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. If needed, thin the soup with water.
7. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper if necessary. Return the soup to the pot to keep warm until serving. Serve garnished with the herbed croutons and, if desired, the avocado and cilantro on top and Sriracha sauce on the side.

Yield

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2. Sunrise Nori Wraps with Spicy Tahini Drizzle

When I had no energy to cook, I ate a lot of simple dips and spreads made from nuts and seeds, which you will see throughout my book. When tahini entered my life, I fell in love with the savory and creamy consistency that could be added to any dip, spread, salad, dessert and, in this case, wraps. This easy recipe is full of healthy fats and other nutrients, like protein and calcium found in tahini, which is made from sesame seeds. Also, for many years, I couldn’t digest heavy foods. This dish got me back to eating raw vegetables after way too long not being able to digest them.

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Ingredients

4 nori seaweed sheets
¼ small head red cabbage, very thinly sliced (use a food processor, if possible)
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 small yellow summer squash, julienned
1 small cucumber, julienned
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced

Spicy Tahini Drizzle

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ¼ tablespoons chickpea miso paste
1 tablespoon raw tahini
2 medjool dates, pitted
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Water, as needed to thin the drizzle

Directions

1. Place the nori sheets on a flat surface.
2. Divide the cabbage, carrot, squash, cucumber, and avocado among the sheets.
3. To make the tahini, combine all of the ingredients except the water in a blender. Blend, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time as you go until the mixture becomes a thin sauce.
4. Top each pile of vegetables with a heaping tablespoon of the Spicy Tahini Drizzle, then roll up the nori sheets into a tube shape.

Yield

Makes 4 servings

3. Basil and Mint Squash Noodles

I love making this one for my clients to help get them off inflammatory white pasta. It’s also a great introduction to the joy of simplistic flavor. Mint and basil really helped me cut sugar from my life. I used to be addicted to flavored drinks and thought that I couldn’t live without them. Now I’ve trained my taste buds to love lemon and water with fresh herbs. Once you start to identify chemicals and sugars in certain foods and detox them from your life, you can begin to train our palate to really taste and savor the flavors of real food. I added chopped raw walnuts for an extra anti-inflammatory boost and to bulk up this recipe to take it from a side to a main dish.

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Ingredients

3 large yellow summer squash, cut into thin strands with a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer (spiralizer) or julienned
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, toss to coat, and serve.

Yield

Makes 2 servings

4. Magical Peach Arugula Salad

Experimenting in my kitchen with fruits and vegetables makes my heart sing. I can whip up a salad and an amazing dressing in under 10 minutes—and I often do. For this dish, I wanted to create a beautiful lunch or summer side salad that serves a big group. I also wanted to show people that you can entertain guests while eating healthy, anti-inflammatory, whole foods that are nourishing.

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Ingredients

10 cups arugula
5 medium ripe peaches, pitted and diced
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, diced
1/3 cup finely chopped raw walnuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, peaches, bell peppers, and walnuts.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the arugula mixture, toss, and serve.

Yield

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Learn more about  Valpone’s favorite foods at eatclean.nowfoods.com.

Photos by Lauren Volo

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