One Month Down: My (Annoyingly Effective) Healthy Eating Challenge

One month into my challenge to eat a happy, healthy, and clean diet, and let me tell you – I’ll keep it real with you. It is annoying how good I feel. Seriously. It’s also excruciatingly painful not to cave in and grab a peanut butter cookie.

What’s crazy (and, quite frankly, horrible at the same time) is that I think my body went through a full detox. I’m not even craving sugar anymore. Even though I joke about missing cookies (okay, okay – and cake), my body isn’t feeling deprived. And that’s probably a good thing because this journey is nowhere near over.

What’s really exciting news is I also think my diet has helped a lot with my inflammation. I’m not struggling at all in PT anymore. I’m mostly just sweating from the strength training we’ve been working on. It’s been helping a ton, but I think cutting out overly processed refined foods has helped too. But hey, you know, this could all be in my head as well. idk.

One Month Down: My (Annoyingly Effective) Healthy Eating Challenge

The best part? I finally got the okay from PT to start yoga again! My plan is to ease in gently, go three times a week, and use all the modifications necessary so I don’t re-injure my neck or flare up my shoulders. Let’s hope this all works out because I am sick of going to the gym just to walk on a treadmill. Also? I’m over these gray, rainy skies (sorry, WA). I’d much rather take a stroll under blue skies.

Okay! Ugh… here’s all the stupid healthy food I ate this month (which is what I was originally going to name this post). 🙄

I made my own Chipotle

I live, laugh, crave a good steak bowl from Chipotle. Admittedly, my homemade version was nowhere near as delicious – but I made four full servings for about the same price as one at Chipotle. That alone made it worth it. There are definitely ways to improve this recipe, like cooking the steak better (or, you know, picking a better cut to begin with). Still, I’d call it a success! The only thing I regret? Not grabbing an avocado—but they were just too expensive.

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An Evergreen Salad

I don’t remember what this salad was called but I’m sure I made some modifications. I swapped blue cheese for feta, added garbanzo beans and beets (because I LOVE beets), and subbed the dressing for a vegan one.

Was it the healthiest salad? Nope. Bacon added plenty of saturated fat. But did I devour every last bite? You bet. I enjoyed this while catching up with a friend in the city, and honestly, 10/10. No regrets.

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Faux Pho

Haha, well that’s a very fun play on words. I’m calling this faux pho simply because it is nothing compared to the traditional and delectable Pho Soup. However, it was delicious, and I made this 4 days in a row. I used rice noodles (technically processed, but eh), a fancy bone broth (because it was on sale), and topped it with crispy fried onions for crunch. Not authentic, but it hit the spot.

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A Boring but Delicious Breakfast

What was it? One orange, two six-minute eggs, and a slice of cheese.

Was it fancy? Nope.

Was it delicious? Absolutely.

Also, shoutout to Costco for selling really good English cheese.

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Lentil Soup (with a Much-Needed Upgrade)

I found this recipe from a vlogger I love, but—sorry—not to be dramatic, it was bland and weirdly sweet?

So, naturally, I fixed it.

I threw in a lot more smoked paprika and, not gonna lie… butter. Because sometimes, that’s the only way to save a soup. And you know what? Zero regrets. It ended up being hearty, nutritious, and exactly what my anemic body needed.

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Fresh Tofu Spring Rolls

OMG, I surprised even myself! These were immaculate. I would change 100% nothing about them.

I made a peanut sauce using all-natural crunchy peanut butter, sesame oil, and a bit of rice vinegar. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

The rolls themselves? A dream. I used rice paper and filled them with tofu, purple cabbage, romaine, carrots, cucumbers, chives, and (in some) rice noodles. These felt like such a treat, and I can’t wait to make them again.

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One-Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, and Asparagus

Let the record show: I love roasted carrots. I would eat them at every meal if I could.

This one-pan meal was amazing. I made it three days ago, and I’ve been having it for lunch ever since. It’s too good. Definitely adding this to my rotation because it’s tasty, filling, and honestly, pretty budget-friendly.

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Other Side Dishes& Snacks:

• Full fat goat yogurt with berries or a little maple syrup
• A lot of fruit (plums, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, and oranges)
• Macademia nuts, Almonds (ugh, so boring), walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
• Lara bars (because sometimes you need an easy snack)

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So… Was This Post Boring?

I can’t tell if this post is interesting or the most boring thing I’ve ever written. But that’s what I’ve been chomping on!

What are your go-to healthy meals? Drop them in the comments – I need ideas!

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