Top 5 Clean Eating Recipes for 2021

In the year 2020, people with zero belief in a healthy lifestyle had suddenly changed their mindset. In a recent study, it was shown that every Indian household had the most amounts of healthy drinks and boiled foods during the lockdown out of the coronavirus fear. 

Every morning in India people had been consuming 'Kadas'- a healthy drink made out of ayurvedic herbs. Regular exercise and eating a balanced and well nutritious food would certainly help us defeat any such pandemic in our near future. Having said that following a strict diet is not what a healthy lifestyle means. For example, if a person starts doing a keto diet or intermittent fasting isn't what makes him or her living a healthy life. Remember our body requires all kinds of nutrients and the only source of it is food. 

Now what exactly is Clean Eating?  

Clean eating does not mean that all foods in the raw state must be eaten. Cutting back on foods with added salt, sugar or fat is the second most important step to it. Clean eating recipes include all those meals which have fewer carbohydrates but are rich in proteins and as well as are low in calories. Start with simple meals to help you get into the habit, such as whole-grain roasted chicken wrap for lunch. 

To have a clear mind of what actually is accepted in a Clean Eating habit here are 5 great examples with recipes as well: 

1.Lean meats: The best sources of proteins are lean meats like chicken and turkeys which contain lesser salt and are great option to fulfill the daily calorie intake of an average individual. 

Recipe: In India we have all come across of “Tandoori chicken” dish. Though the restaurants versions are high in calories, but if it is made in our own kitchen you can certainly cut off those extra calories and eat a healthy as well as the delicious meal.  

 To make this delicious meals follow the given steps: 

• In a bowl add some curd, some red chilli powder, salt and turmeric, additional spices of your choice, some lime juice and make a smooth paste.

• Now add the chicken pieces into the bowl and marinate the chicken properly.

• Next heat up your pan, grill, oven or even a bonfire one can cook it.

• For pan just let your chicken pieces cook each side for atleast 5 to 10 mins and its ready to  serve hot with some lime and extra green chutney as well. 

2. Fish with low calories: fish like tilapia, foulder, cod etc. are a great option for all the fish lovers to add them in their clean eating meals.

Recipe: here is a recipe of Tilapia fish which is very popular in the state of West Bengal. 

• At first we need to marinate the Tilapia fish as well as some roughly chopped eggplants with a bit of salt and turmeric and keep it aside for 10 mins.

• Next fry up the eggplants and tilapia fish one by one and keep it aside.

• Then in the same pan add some black cumin seeds, Bay leaf and roughly chopped green chillieadd some regular cumin paste and sauté the mixture 

• Add some salt and turmeric, add some water and let it come to a simmer.

• Add the fried fish and eggplants and let it cook for 10 mins.

• Garnish with some freshly chopped coriander and serve it hot.

3. Include leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are an additional advantage for making our body healthy. There's one such great leafy vegetable recipe which one can make in just few minutes. It can help in avoiding wastage of food also.

• In a pan add a half table spoon of desi ghee and add some cumin seeds.

• Add some chopped onions and ginergarlic paste. 

• Stir until it is golden brown and then add some chopped tomatoes.

• Add the salt turmeric and additional spices of your choice.

• Then add some chopped cauliflower leaves along with some spinach and methileaves and let them cook. 

• After 5 mins of cooking, the delicious saag is ready to be served.

4. Include red vegetables: including vegetables is always something which is considered as healthy. For clean eating recipes it is mostly suggested to include red vegetables such as beet roots for their rich nurtrient factors.

Recipe: Make thin slices of beet roots and boil them. Add some salt and chaat masala and there you go a great snack for your healthy evening.

5. Moringa or drumstick: Moringa has been long used as a food source in Indian home and now it has also been considered to be a super food.

Recipes: In soups, stews, gravies, stir-fries add the drumstick pods as they are endlessly flexible and are cooked the same way you would cook okra. Spicy soups, which usually have moringa pods, example the South Indian sambar and Thai kaeng som are some great example for your clean eating recipes.