Busy Weeknight Dinner Ideas for Clean Eating

I’ve gotten several requests recently for easy clean eating recipes, so I thought I would give you some 30 minute or less meal ideas!
When you’re doing your best to balance all of your responsibilities, I know it can be really daunting to sit down after an intense day and figure out what to eat. When you’re overhauling your diet to clean eating, trying to come up with new recipes can take some time. After some time passes while adhering to this type of diet, you’ll start gathering an arsenal of recipes that you love.
But until that happens, here are a few to get you started!

Spaghetti Squash Topped with Meatballs

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash?  Because of its natural noodle-like shape and texture, it’s an excellent replacement for any dish where you usually use noodles. For this particular dish, the squash is replacing the spaghetti noodles.
In an ideal world, buying locally raised, organic meat that you can have ground by a butcher is best. Otherwise, source organic meats from your local farmer’s markets or online at Butcher Box or US Wellness Meats. If you’re looking for a vegetable-based option, you can replace the meatballs with seared broccoli or mushrooms (or any of your favorite veggies).
Ingredients:

• 1 small to medium spaghetti squash
• 1 jar of your favorite organic spaghetti sauce
• 2 lbs ground grass fed organic beef
• 2 T almond or coconut flour
• 1 T italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive or coconut oil for cooking

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half, brush all over with olive or coconut oil, and place face down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender enough to remove seeds and scrape out the insides with a fork.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the meatball ingredients – ground beef, flour, and seasoning. Form meatballs and saute in a pan over medium-high heat in oil until cooked through.
3. Drain the meatballs, turn heat to low, and add sauce to warm.
4. Top spaghetti squash with meatballs, sauce and enjoy!

Quick Turkey Burger

This is another meal that can be made in 30 minutes or less with easily acquired ingredients! To make a turkey burger clean eating-friendly, we simply have to get a little creative with the “bun.” There are plenty of options you can have fun experimenting with to find what you love the most. You can also customize your burger with different toppings and seasonings to make it tasty for you.
Ingredients:

• Burger –
  • 1 lb grass fed lean ground turkey
  • 1 pastured egg
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onions
  • ¼ chopped red bell pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — to taste
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
  • 1 t onion powder
  • 1 t garlic powder
  • 1 T fresh parsley
  • 2 t extra virgin olive oil for cooking
• Bun ideas –
  • Lettuce – I find butter lettuce and romaine to be the most functional to use as a bun.
  • Sweet potatoes – Thickly slice and bake or saute sweet potatoes to sandwich your patty.
  • Portobello mushrooms – Clean portobello mushrooms by scraping out the gills, season with your favorite seasonings, and saute or grill.
• Topping ideas –
  • Microgreens
  • Organic, grass fed bacon
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Tomato
  • Sliced onion

Directions:

1. To make the burger, combine all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large bowl. Mix everything well to combine and divide the mixture into 4-6 burgers.
2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the burger for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they reach 145°F for medium-rare or 160°F for well-done.
3. Put your toppings and patty on your “bun” and enjoy!

Ham & Chives Waffles

This creative recipe can be used for any meal from breakfast to dinner! If you want to add more flavor to this treat, then you can add some peppers and garlic to the mix before you place it in the iron. Season your waffles to your taste, just be sure to leave them in the waffle maker until the edges become crisp. You can drizzle your creation with anything that fits into clean eating, so the only limit is your imagination! I recommend topping them with over-easy eggs.
Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 cup organic ham, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives

Directions:

1. Preheat the waffle iron
2. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, almond milk and mustard
3. Add in the almond flour and pepper and whisk until well combined
4. Add chives into the batter along with the diced ham
5. Pour the batter into the waffle iron until it covers the bottom portion, close and cook for approximately 2 minutes or until a fork easily lifts them out.

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Vegetable Stir-Fry

This is probably the easiest and fastest on this list. All you have to do is choose a veggie mixture that suits your taste, lightly saute it with oil, and season to taste.
You can add your sauteed mixture to spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice to replace your traditional processed carbs like noodles or rice.
If you want to add a protein, you can saute free range chicken or grass fed steak along with your veggies.

Fish Tacos Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Crema

For this recipe, try to find the freshest fish available—that makes a huge difference! You can cook your fish in your favorite way, or use my suggestion below. The great thing about tacos is that you can customize them to your heart’s desire! You can top with cilantro, chopped onions, pico de gallo, or cabbage slaw to give you some ideas.
Ingredients:

• 1 head butterhead lettuce
• 2 fish fillets (I suggest wild-caught salmon)
• Olive, coconut or avocado oil
• Salt to taste

Avocado Crema:

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• 1 t sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients for avocado crema in a food processor until smooth.
2. Preheat the grill on high heat. While the grill is heating, drizzle the salmon with oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Place the salmon on the grill and immediately lower the heat to medium. Cook until the salmon is just done, starting to flake but with some softness left. Normally 5-8 minutes for filets.
4. When salmon is done, construct your tacos with the butter lettuce as your tortilla, avocado crema, and any other toppings you’ve gathered!

I hope these recipes will help make your clean eating less stressful! If you try one out, let me know what you think in the comments.