Talk about preparation and dishes! My sink was piled high! Now that all the dishes are clean and my refrigerator is packed with ready-to-go meals, I can breathe.

Here are the things I cooked to make it easier to follow an unprocessed diet.
4 servings of steel cut oats
1.5 pounds of chicken
Roasted asparagus, carrots and a sweet potato
Hard-boiled eggs
2 c. brown rice

In addition to this food I have plenty of fruit, spring mix (my favorite!) and lots of frozen spinach and broccoli. With all of these fail-safe options, I can make a clean and balanced meal without any fuss.

Though I have been eating mostly clean for several years, this challenge takes even more preparation and planning. I mapped out what I was going to eat for tomorrow and even what times I had to get the food in. With my schedule being all over the place, I have to make sure to have all the food I need with me and ready to go!

I had to visit Whole Foods before all this preparation to get a few of the missing ingredients I forgot on Saturday's grocery trip. Normally when I shop I don't even look at the tempting foods. I simply get what I need and get OUT of there. Today I found myself hanging around the cheese aisle, reading yogurt labels and gazing longingly at the hot food bar.

This goes to show that you only really want what you can't have! It was like I had to say goodbye to food I rarely even eat! I thought back about the days when I would eat so much prepared food, because it was easy. I was taking in so much sodium and fat my body was crying out for a cleanse. This was a few years ago, before I got into the business of fitness and health. 20 unhealthy pounds ago! I do not miss those convenient foods anymore when I think of how unhappy and unhealthy I was.

No more Pasta Sides for that girl! It is NOT worth it. In total, all that preparation took about 2 hours. This was also while cleaning up my house, getting work clothes ready for my early morning and catching up on Criminal Minds.

Preparation is the KEY!