Your Clean-Eating Cheat Sheet For the Weekend

POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Having a healthy clean-eating weekend is a good idea for so many reasons. Sticking to a wholesome diet helps support your healthy goals, and you'll enter into Monday morning full of energy! Luckily, it doesn't have to be a confusing or hard endeavor. Follow these rules: you'll be good to go.

  1. Sip with a clean start: Make a cup of hot water with pH-balancing lemon juice part of your weekend morning ritual. As you hydrate with H2O, this warming, soothing drink will also aid healthy digestion.
  2. Cook at home: Eating out at restaurants should be a treat — not an every-meal occurrence. Cook at home this weekend to have complete control of the healthy ingredients going into every meal.
  3. Add produce to every meal: Bump up the nutritional value of every meal by always adding a helping of fruits and veggies. A fruit cup makes a great breakfast side, and every protein is better alongside a cup of greens.
  4. Say no to processed foods: Fast food, junk food, and other processed goods have got to go. If you can't pronounce an ingredient, try to avoid it this weekend.
  5. Keep carbs smart: Comforting staples like white bread, bagels, and pastries can result in your energy crashing through the day; support your digestion and energy levels with complex carbs.
  6. Don't hold out to eat: When you sit down to a meal famished, you're far more likely to overeat and overdrink — or eat whatever is in sight! Stay satisfied between meals with snacks so you don't skip out on your healthy goals.
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne
  1. Skip the added sugar: Natural sugar from fruit is what you're looking for on a clean-eating plan; the white sugar that goes into baked goods or your supersweet coffee beverage is not.
  2. Keep snacks homemade: Plan ahead and prep a quality snack so there's no need to step into a convenience store.
  3. Give the booze a break: Skip the brunch full of mimosas or evening out with cocktails; booze is full of empty calories and tons of sugar, which can mess with all the hard work you put in with meal planning.
  4. Drink more water: One of the easiest ways to support any healthy weekend is to drink plenty of water. Keep your bottle full at all times to help rid your body of toxins and support healthy digestion.
  5. Kick out condiments: Ketchup, mayo, ranch dressing — whatever comforting condiment is your pick — keep it far away from a weekend of clean eats. Focus on enjoying fresh, natural flavors instead.
  6. Opt for organic: According to naturopath practitioner Dr. Holly Lucille, ND, RN, pesticides, herbicides, and hormones can "disrupt your endocrine system, [and] spur on weight gain and inflammation." Opting for organic goods makes steering clear of these chemicals a priority.
  7. Bring your own food: Eating clean doesn't mean you can't stay social! Just don't make it all about the food. Instead of meeting up at a bar or restaurant, spend time outside or at a friend's house where you can enjoy your clean food freely.