14 Days of Eating Clean Mini Challenges

With this Challenge I will be posting one Eating Clean Challenge each day for 14 days in our Facebook Event.  Each you can accept the challenge and tell us how it went, what your struggles were or share photos of you meals, groceries etc. 

If you’re interested in giving these daily challenges a shot you can choose build each day on top of the next or simply tackle one daily challenge at a time. My hope is if you take on these mini-challenge, you’ll gain a new perspective from the experience and make at least some positive long-term changes as a result. No matter what though…these mini challenges will get you to start reading ingredient labels (if you don’t already)!

Please join my 14 Days of Eating Clean Mini Challenges Facebook Event for support from others doing the same challenge as you and accountability for the two weeks!  

14 Days of “Eating Clean" Mini-Challenges:

• Day 1: Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal – Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.
• Day 2: “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week for the duration of the challenge, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
• Day 3: Meat – All meat consumed this today will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). 
• Day 4: Read ingredients – I challenge you to open up your cupboards and read the ingredients lists on your processed foods.  What surprises you?  What ingredients are you unsure of?  Then share with our Facebook group the ingredients you are surprised to find, want more information on or want to share with the group. 
• Day 5: No fast food or deep-fried foods – No fast food or any foods that have been deep-fried in oil.
• Day 6: Try two new whole foods – Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before. Share in the 14 Days of Eating Clean Mini Challenges Facebook Event to tell us what you tried today!
• Day 7: No low-fat, lite or nonfat food products – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”
• Day 8: 100% Whole grain – All grains consumed must be 100% whole-grain.
• Day 9: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
• Day 10: Stop eating when you feel full – Listen to your internal cues and stop eating when you feel full.
• Day 11: No refined oils – No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.
• Day 12: Eat local foods – Eat at least 1 locally grown or raised food at each meal. This includes, but is not limited to: fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, nuts, meats, and sweeteners like honey.
• Day 13: Nothing artificial – Avoid all artificial ingredients including, but not limited to: sweeteners, flavors and colors.
• Day 14: No more than 5-ingredients – Avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients

By the end of the two weeks what you can and will be able to eat:

1. Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
2. Lots of fruits and vegetables 
3. Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese
4. 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains (Find a few of my recommended 100% whole wheat breads on my Which bread is best blog series)
5. Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)
6. Locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken.
7. Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
8. Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn.
9. All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation.

By the end of the two weeks what you won't be eating:

1. No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat”).
2. No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda.
3. Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredientslisted on the label.
4. No deep fried foods
5. No “fast foods”