How to Eat Clean for an Entire Week: Your 21-Recipe Meal Plan (2024)

food

It's easier than you think, promise

By Katherine Gillen

•

Published Dec 3, 2023

Additional reporting by

Lizzy Rosenberg

Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

The whole “clean eating” thing sounds daunting, but TBH, it just comes down to choosing real, non-processed foods in order to feel like your best self. To make things simple, we rounded up a number of healthy recipes that'll help you create a meal plan for seven days straight, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. (For a preview, day one's menu includes turmeric waffles, an avocado chickpea salad sandwich and low-carb zucchini enchiladas—yum.) Whether you make one or all of these recipes, you'll be on your way to feeling great.

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Meet the Expert

Keri Glassman,MS, RD, CDN, is the CEO and founder ofNutritious Life andthe Nutritious Life Studio, which offer online certification programs for jobs in the health and wellness industry. She's written four best-selling books and regularly appears as a nutrition expert on various TV programs, such asThe Today Show,Good Morning America andThe Rachael Ray Show.

What Is Clean Eating?

Words like “clean” can be confusing when making food choices, because they don’t always mean the same thing to the same person (or brand). But if you ask us, clean eating means choosing whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible, a sentiment echoed by nutritionist Glassman. She encourages us to choose “naturally nutrient-dense foods,” adding that clean eating “is mostly plant-based by default.” Think vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains and unprocessed meat, poultry and dairy. (It’s a lot like the Mediterranean diet.)

How to Eat Clean for a Week

Now that you know what clean eating is, you can try incorporating it into your meal plan. Not sure where to start? Here are a few menu ideas:

Overnight oats with blueberries and almonds for breakfast, spicy lemon ginger chicken soup for lunch and a salmon and spinach rice bowl with green tea broth for dinner
Baked eggs and zoodles with avocado for breakfast, Instant Pot carrot ginger soup for lunch and vegan spaghetti squash with mushroom marinara for dinner
Sweet potato rösti with fried eggs and greens for breakfast, miso-tahini glazed roasted eggplant with farro for lunch and Instant Pot coconut salmon with fresh herbs and lime for dinner

Need further proof that clean eating isn't all carrot sticks and chicken breast? Here’s a week’s worth of clean-eating recipes to guide you.

Claire Thomas/Sweet Laurel Savory

1. Monday Breakfast: Turmeric Waffles

Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free, kid-friendly

Don’t let the turmeric intimidate you: These waffles are just sweet enough, not to mention grain free. If you have leftovers, let them cool before wrapping them in plastic wrap. They can keep in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat them in a toaster or oven.

Get the recipe

Ambitious Kitchen

2. Monday Lunch: Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich with Cranberries and Lemon

Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, no cook, vegan

Who needs mayo when you've got buttery avocado? The beloved fruit is so creamy, you won't miss the condiment that offers fewer nutritional perks. And the chickpeas provide protein, so you won't be hungry until dinnertime.

Get the recipe

Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

3. Monday Dinner: Low-Carb Zucchini Enchiladas

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, gluten free, low carb

Finish off the day with a cheesy, gooey, protein-packed meal that’s also free of refined carbs. Make it vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu, seitan or add extra black beans. Feel free to top them with all the guac and sour cream you crave.

Get the recipe

NGOC MINH NGO/HEIRLOOM

4. Tuesday Breakfast: Quick Congee

Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus soaking time)
Why We Love It: vegetarian, gluten free, low carb

Break out of your boring oatmeal rut with this equally comforting bowl of porridge. The recipe calls for eggs, scallions, kimchi and sautéed mushrooms for toppings, but you can also add any greens, hot sauces or veggies you'd like.

Get the recipe

Senior Food Editor

Katherine Gillenis PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City...

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Lizzy Rosenberg

Freelance PureWow Editor

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How to Eat Clean for an Entire Week: Your 21-Recipe Meal Plan (2024)

FAQs

How to eat clean for a whole week? ›

The Eat-Clean principles are:

Eat six small meals a day.
Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of getting up.
Eat lean protein and complex carbohydrates at every meal.
Have two or three servings of healthy fats every day.
Get fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes from fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Apr 21, 2023

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What is the 21 day whole food diet? ›

The 21 Day Whole Foods Reset is a tasty 21-day roadmap to a healthier and happier you. During this time, you'll remove all dairy, animal and gluten products. The program is also void of caffeine, alcohol and processed food free.

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What is 21 days to healthy eating? ›

The 21 Day Fix program encourages healthy eating and emphasizes fresh produce, lean proteins and healthy fats. The following are examples of foods to eat on the 21 Day Fix: Vegetables: Kale, watercress, collard greens, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, beets, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, etc.

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Are potatoes clean eating? ›

The Bottom Line. It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day. While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

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Is pasta clean eating? ›

If you love pasta, there's no reason to cut it out from your diet, the experts say. It can be a great way to pack in vegetables, healthy fats from nuts, olive oil and pasta sauces, Linsenmeyer says. "It's fine to include in a regular diet as often as every day. It really is."

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What foods are allowed on the 21 day meal plan? ›

21 Day Fix Container Cheat Sheet:

Green Container: Vegetables like broccoli, spinach and even pico de gallo.
Purple Container: Fruits like blueberries, strawberries, mango, and banana.
Red Container: Proteins like chicken breast, salmon, eggs, and tempeh.

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How do I calculate my 21 day fix meal plan? ›

Use the following equation. It will determine your daily caloric intake allowance for you to lose weight on the 21 Day Fix. Basically, the equation is “your weight” X 11 = your baseline calories. Daily Caloric Needs – 750 = Calorie Target to lose weight with the 21 Day Fix Program.

How many days a week should you eat clean? ›

Some people try to apply the 80 percent rule to weekdays and the 20 percent rule to weekends, but this can lead to overeating since you've denied yourself treats all week. Following the 80/20 rule daily means you have wiggle room to splurge every day.

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What does 10 days of clean eating do? ›

You can revitalize and transform the most important areas of your life – physical health, energy and vitality – if you commit to our 10-Day Diet Challenge. You will not only lose weight, feel better and experience greater energy, but you'll have a renewed sense of excitement, joy and possibility.

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What happens the first week of clean eating? ›

After one week of eating healthy, you will feel more energized and alert throughout the day. This is because the foods you eat contain nutrients that boost your energy levels. The type and quantity of food you eat plays an essential role in determining your energy levels during the day.

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