Clean Fridge, Clean Mind

During this time of year it is so easy to be tempted and relaxed with what you eat... How many times have you looked in the fridge multiple times expecting something else to have magically appeared in there?! The answer is all of us have done this at some point.

In my opinion to stop temptation is to stop it at the source- the fridge and cupboards! If you had got the fridge stacked high with greens, fish, meats and healthy fats after one big weekly shop then thats going to focus you completely and you are more likely going to reach for a healthier snack or prepare a clean meal.

I really do believe in the motto- Clean fridge, clean mind.

I have taken a few photographs of my fridge and it is prepped with my different meal ingredients, healthy snacks and my favourite green raw juice so there is no room or excuse for me to go off track!

Healthy Snacks: 5 Quick and Easy Combos

Snacking is actually good for you! Smaller meals throughout the day is actually the ideal way to keep the hunger at bay and keep energy levels high and stable.

Below I have given you 5 ideas for the perfect snack combos for you to try! With no cooking or prior preparation these are perfect for a busy lifestyle that gives you no excuse to grab an unhealthy "fat free" breakfast bar or packet of crisps. Each one has a good protein so will leave you feeling satisfied and curb any sugar craving you may have.

1) Sliced Apple and Almond Butter

2) Avocado, Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Ball Skewers

Glorious Sunday Brunch Pancake Stack

I had to share with you my favourite stack of my clean protein pancakes that I have made to date! 

Click here for my Delicious Protein Pancakes recipe!

Adding different toppings and flavours really mixes up the taste buds and makes this recipe so versatile!!

For this particular pancake mix I have made them particularly Christmas-y! I have done this by adding different

Superfood: Quinoa Flakes

© Photography by Clean Foodie Guide

Trying different types of superfood is so interesting. Experimenting with recipes and trying them out with new flavours is something I love to do. This is exactly what I have done today! I recently found a pack of quinoa flakes which I have not tried before. 

Knowing how quinoa in its normal form is and having used it a lot in the past I found it a bit of a pain to prepare and and cook, so when I found this I was excited- all of the nutrition with none of the effort!! 

Eating Out Saga

It is always a struggle dining out with friends and family if you have food restrictions that narrow down the choices you can have! Looking for something that is gluten and sugar free that is still delicious but doesn't involve a piece of grilled chicken with a side of vegetables is tricky!

This is why when I had a lovely lunch out with my Mum the other say and shocked by the outcome of my lunch- wait for it - I had something healthy, filling and high in nutrients!!
I had to post this because I find it so rare to have something, in the place that I live that isn't very health-aware, that most definitely inspired me to try different spots to eat out more because it gave me ideas for my own recipes!


You may think is this it but really it was the best thing I have tasted in a while and didn't want it to end.... Enter the best superfood salad I have tasted when eating out!

The salad contained mixed leaves, cucumber, avocado, spinach

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato is so good for you so why not make it into everyone's favourite potato shape- fries! This easy and quick recipe is so great as part of a healthy dinner. 

Gluten Free Pastry

One meal that I missed when I went gluten free was quiche! Such a great meal and so versatile and easy to make so when I discovered that I could make pastry that I could eat, I jumped at the chance!  

Here is the delicious recipe that I think tastes better than normal pastry. 

Raw Protein Balls

These protein balls are amazing. They were one of the first raw clean treats that I made and showed me how delicious a combination of fruits and nuts can be!

The beauty of these raw bites is that they are ready whenever you fancy one, either as a clean treat or even for a quick breakfast if you haven't got time to prepare anything. 

They are kept in the freezer so they will last a good while (that's if you have eaten them all before frozen!) 

Kale Salad

A bit of a continuation from my last post Salad Loving... The truth is I cant stop trying new combinations out. This one is definitely a winner. Enter kale, avocado and cashews.... The dream combo..

This is an extremely good balance of food groups and is filling for a lunch or dinner idea.

Salad Loving

In the last few weeks I have not been able to get enough of salads! I used to be one of those that said "I don't like rabbit food" but oh how things have changed since then ha!

I think it is because salads have evolved in recent years instead of that standard iceberg lettuce and slices of grilled chicken... Not really something that would get me running to the kitchen. But now I have discovered different elements that have made me do a U-turn! 

I think the foundation to a good salad is a good source of protein, and an ingredient that you love (mine is avocado) and a great topping like pesto or balsamic vinegar. Then you can build things around that, but always remembering to mix it up. Repetition can be very dull.

So have a look below for my favourite salad creations, and I hope you feel inspired!

Sweet Potato Crisps

Sweet potato crisps are so tasty and a perfect guilt free snack that is good for you. Such a simple and easy recipe that cant really go wrong really! (Unless you forget they are in the oven!)

Cauliflower Pizza Base

I have been meaning to try Cauliflower Pizza for a while now since my friend said how yummy it was. I heard that you cant even taste the difference between a typical pizza crust and this cauliflower crust!

I definitely put this to the test and let me tell you- the rumours are correct!! It is delicious. Try it for yourself now!

Ingredients:

Grilled Maple Apple Slices

If you are like me and have a sweet tooth, want a treat but not the refined sugar and fat that is in most confectionary, this is the recipe for you! I am trying to experiment with new recipes that are quick simple with few ingredients.

These are grilled maple apple slices with cashews and are absolutely delicious!! You who what they say an apple a day keep the doctors away well if you insist....

Ingredients:

Death By Chocolate Brownies

I tried these for the first time yesterday and I have already had requests to make more at the weekend they are that good!

These chocolate brownies are flour-less, refined sugar free, gluten free and absolutely heavenly (hence the 'Death by Chocolate' name).

A very quick method to making them so you will be able to whip up a batch in no time...

Ingredients:

Matcha Green Tea and Wheatgrass Smoothie

If you are looking for a superfood detoxifying smoothie to kick start your morning then look no further!

Follow this recipe for creamy fresh delicious-ness in a jar!!

Matcha green tea powder is the highest quality powdered green tea there is. Some of the benefits include, very high levels of antioxidant, raised energy levels for up to 4 hours, boosted metabolism, regulated blood sugar levels and a created state of calm with mental alertness.

In other words we need to get it in our lives!

Chocolate Heaven

Surely this is a dream?! Healthy chocolate with four ingredients that can be eaten guilt-free?!

Yes this is true... Follow this recipe and you will be in chocolate heaven in no time!

This is an example of the chocolate being used as a cake filling and topping but can equally be stored as a solid to indulge whenever you fancy.

Ingredients:

(To make this chocolate for a filling and topping of a cake double the ingredients.) 

Clean Vanilla Sponge Cake

This is a cake for any occasion- a birthday, a celebration, or just a treat for family and friends! The beauty of it, is that is is Gluten free and refined sugar-free. For baking I like to use alternatives with the ingredients that I cant eat, instead of coming up with a complicated new recipe.

I challenge anyone to taste any difference in the taste of a normal sponge cake and my GF and SF sponge cake because it really is that delicious!

I have added a sugar free chocolate icing in the centre and as a topping that I will share the recipe in a post soon! This post is all about getting a perfect sponge....

Ingredients:

Clean Crustless Pumpkin Pie

It is that time of year again.... Autumn is coming and what does that mean?... Pumpkin time! I'm going to be honest I have never tried pumpkin before I made this recipe but have read a lot of the health benefits and been getting a lot of inspiration for it on the internet! Thought I would give it a go (very happy I did!).

 Gluten and sugar free this is a lovely sweet treat that is clean and with no guilt after! Winner!

Supporting Local Produce

Living on the Isle of Wight there is a big community feel about the Island and local produce is no exception! Majority of the island is agriculture which means amazing organic fresh, and more importantly local produce.

There are health benefits shopping for local produce because the chances of pesticides being used in mass produce growing are high and almost certain! The distance the food has travelled I couldn't even guess with supermarket produce, whereas if you source it more locally it has spent a fraction of the time travelling, and therefore you have a longer time period to use the produce. Supporting local businesses is really important too!

 This is why I love buying my fruit and vegetables in local stores not just the big chain supermarkets. Below are a few photos of my local produce shopping recently....

Isle of Wight

Gluten Free Soda bread

For any bread lover that cannot eat food with gluten this is a god send! Deliciously warm and crunchy on the outside and soft and squiggy on the inside this bread is great! If you bake this with people around I can assure you this wont be around for long!

The crazy thing is about this soda bread is that it only has four ingredients! No prove needed with this dough either so it is very quick to whip up- only around a 10 minute preparation time.

Speedy Pancake Stack

Speedy meal alert! These scrumptious stack of pancakes only have two main ingredients in them....

Berry Beauty Smoothie

As a smoothie lover I love experimenting with different flavours. This is an updated version of my Banana Protein Smoothie and it really does taste as good as it looks! I call this one the beauty smoothie as it contains amazing superfoods such as berries which contain antioxidants that can improve your health, protect your skin and hair and prevent certain diseases. 

So I say its smoothie time!!!

You can have this smoothie any time- Breakfast, Pre/Post Workout or even if you just fancy something sweet!

Ingredients:

Baked Almond Butter Banana

Gooey, Oozey, melted goodness.... This is the Baked Almond Butter Banana and is such a simple way to have a guilt free treat! This could be a perfect pudding for guests to try or just if you want a special winter warmer! Delish! 

Only 3 ingredients in this heavenly

Healthy Homemade Granola

Often granola we buy from the supermarket are packed with preservatives and a lot of sugar. I wanted to experiment and make a tasty one that has no added refined sugar and is quick to cook. 

Hearty Breakfast Bowl

  This recipe was a pure accident one morning, in my attempt to make breakfast while seemingly still sleeping! Don't be put off by the mixture of cottage cheese and natural yogurt it is so yummy and filling. This is the ingredients I always use but feel free to add any favourite fruits or any that are in season to try something different. 

Here is the recipe.....

Carrot and Sweet Potato Raw Juice

  This is a delicious juice full of vitamins and minerals and the colour is so vivid! When I first heard of adding raw pealed sweet potato to a juice I was sceptical, but for the sake of experimentation and the reviews it had, I indeed had to give it a try! Boy was I glad I did it is fast becoming my favourite juice to drink. 

  Did you know that sweet potato

Delicious Protein Pancakes

 When I first discovered the recipe for healthy pancakes I was shocked at why people still cook them the unhealthy way.

 As a lover of cottage cheese I was thrilled that this was one of the ingredients. This tasty recipe is a perfect sunday brunch feast that can be switched up and has unlimited topping choices!! Will touch on that later. Here is

Raw Green Juice

This is the perfect juice to have either everyday or once in a while for a nutrients top up! As there are only two fruits in thhe juice along with lots of vegetables so if you were to have this in the morning it would definitely

Banana Protein Smoothie

This is a really great idea for a quick breakfast or a pre/post gym meal as it is so speedy to whip up. With only three ingredients you cannot go wrong!

And so it begins....

I am so excited to finally say that Clean Foodie Guide has a blog! It indeed starts here. I will be posting healthy meal ideas, recipes and tips for all you foodies out there! Below is an introduction to why I started Clean Foodie Guide...


Hi, my name is Ella. I am a 22 year old health and wellness blogger from the UK. Having an intolerance to gluten, refined sugars and some grains I have found making easy alternatives in recipes in order to still enjoy delicious meals and to satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling the pain after. Eating clean for me means cooking and eating food in it's most natural form. If it has more than five ingredients the chances are it is not as pure to it's form and therefore not as nutritious and good for your body! At the same time the health benefits have been remarkable, my energy has soared, skin is glowing and generally feeling so much healthier and happier! 

I hope this blog helps you all start a healthy lifestyle with quick and easy changes in your daily diet that won't break the bank!
If you have any questions at all I would be more than happy to help.

Ella xx