Day 8 Of The 2015 Clean Eating Challenge (2024)

BuzzFeed Life's Clean Eating Challenge is a two-week plan that's all about eating real food in order to feel great and have more energy. The food is low-carb and gluten-free with an emphasis on lean protein, healthy fats, and lots of fresh produce. There's no processed food allowed; every meal is homemade.

It's important that you follow the meal plan in order starting with Day 1 since most of the recipes call for leftover ingredients from previous days. But you can start any time and find full instructions here. Aim to eat every 3-4 hours and try not to eat within two hours of bedtime.

Baked Eggs In Garlicky Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes

Makes 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced in ¼-inch ribbons

sprinkle of paprika

½ a roasted sweet potato (leftover from Saturday's breakfast), wedges cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large eggs*

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

*Men, use 3 eggs

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the sliced garlic, sliced collard greens, and paprika. Cook, stirring often, until the collard greens are bright green and slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and spread the vegetables to cover the bottom of the pan, creating small nests for the eggs, then crack the eggs on top of the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake in the preheated oven until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 8-10 minutes. Eat immediately while it's warm.

365 calories, 14.4 g fat (3.9 g saturated fat), 37.8 g carbohydrate (7.1 g fiber, 13.2 g sugars), 18.2 g protein, 368 mg sodium, 372 mg cholesterol

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook just until it starts to soften and smell delicious.

Cook, stirring sometimes, until the collards are wilted.

They should be sitting on top of the vegetables, not really making direct contact with the pan.

Bake in a 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.

White Bean, Cucumber, and Tomato Herb Salad

Makes 1 serving plus leftover ginger-lemon juice

This recipe uses ½ of a can of white beans; save the other half in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. It also makes extra ginger-lemon juice that you'll use for tomorrow's snack and Friday's lunch.

INGREDIENTS

For the ginger-lemon juice:

1 2-inch piece of ginger

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 3 lemons

1 jalapeno pepper (optional, if you want it a little spicy)

For the salad:
1 tablespoon ginger-infused lemon juice (recipe below)

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ a 15-ounce can (about ⅔ cup) cup white beans, drained and rinsed

½ medium English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons parsley leaves

2 tablespoons mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 scallion, thinly sliced

freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

For the lemon juice: Cut the ginger into a few pieces, no need to peel it. If you're using a jalapeno, cut the top off of the pepper, cut it in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds and throw them away. Combine the ginger, jalapeno (if using), and lemon zest and juice in an airtight container. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before using. Juice will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the salad: In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the infused lemon juice and the kosher salt. Whisk together, then slowly add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, continuing to whisk. When the mixture is thoroughly combined, add the white beans, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallions and mint. Toss everything together and eat.

327 calories, 14.1 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 38.5 g carbohydrate (9.4 g fiber, 3.7 g sugars), 11.7 g protein, 154.9 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Roast Pork Loin and Butternut Squash with Grapefruit and Arugula Salad

Makes 3 servings of pork and butternut squash, one serving of salad

You will save two thirds of the pork this recipe makes for Tuesday and Thursday's lunches. Leftover squash will be used for tomorrow's lunch and Tuesday's dinner.

INGREDIENTS
For the pork loin and butternut squash:
1 small butternut squash, cut in 1-inch cubes (3 cups of cubes)

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

12 ounces (¾ pound) boneless center-cut pork loin

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

sprinkle paprika

*Men, cook 24 ounces (1 ½ pounds)

For the grapefruit and arugula salad:

½ large grapefruit

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups arugula

PREPARATION
For the pork and butternut squash:

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the cubed butternut squash on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with ½ tablespoon canola oil, and sprinkle with the kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper. Toss to evenly coat the squash, then bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the pork: Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron, but any heavy-bottomed skillet will work) over high heat. When the oil is hot, lay the pork loin in the skillet. Sear the pork on all four sides until they're golden brown, about 1 ½ minutes per side.

Once the pork is browned and the butternut squash has been in the oven for 15 minutes, take the squash out of the oven and clear space in the middle of the baking sheet for the pork. Lay the browned pork on the baking sheet. It should be surrounded by the butternut squash but not on top of it. Mix the dijon mustard, paprika, and vinegar together in a small mixing bowl, then brush or pour the mixture over the pork.

Put the baking sheet back in the oven and roast until the butternut squash is soft and starting to brown and a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork loin reads 145°F, about 25 minutes more.

Let the pork rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, make the grapefruit and arugula salad (directions below).

Cut the pork loin into three even portions. Cut one portion into a 3-4 slices for tonight's dinner. Let the other two pieces of pork cool completely before refrigerating.

Divide the butternut squash into three even portions. Serve one portion with tonight's dinner. Let the rest of the butternut squash cool completely before refrigerating.

For the grapefruit and arugula salad:

Use a knife to cut the peel off of the grapefruit, so that there's no white pith left on the outside. Then, use a small, sharp knife to cut the segments away from white membrane that separates them. (See step-by-step photos for more instructions.) Work over a small mixing bowl, because juice will drip down and you want to use that to dress your salad. Once you've cut out all the grapefruit segments, squeeze the membrane that's left, to get out any extra juice.

Use a spoon to take the grapefruit segments out of the bowl and set them aside, leaving the juice in the mixing bowl. Add the salt, whisk together, then add the tablespoon of olive oil slowly, whisking constantly. Once everything is thoroughly combined, add the arugula and grapefruit segments to the mixing bowl, and toss everything together to coat and combine.

Plate the salad with the pork and butternut squash.

445.7 calories, 23.1 g fat (4.9 g saturated fat), 32.2 g carbohydrate (8 g fiber, 9.4 g sugars), 27.5 g protein, 395 g sodium, 70 mg cholesterol

Cube the squash and spread it over a lined baking sheet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 400°F oven. Meanwhile, prepare the pork.

While the squash cooks, heat oil in a medium cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork.

When the pork is browned and the butternut squash has been roasting for 15 minutes, take the squash out and put the pork in the middle of the baking sheet.

Brush the dijon glaze onto the pork, then roast everything until the squash is soft and browned and the pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes more.

Let the pork rest. Meanwhile prepare the grapefruit. Cut away the peel with a paring knife, so that there's no white pith left.

To segment the grapefruit, cut the sides of each segment away from the white membrane.

Once the grapefruit is segmented, squeeze any extra juice out of the membrane that's leftover.

Take the grapefruit segments out of the bowl, leaving the juice behind. Make the vinaigrette, then add the kale ribbons and massage the vinaigrette into the ribbons until the kale starts to soften.

Once the pork has rested for at least 10 minutes, put 2/3 of it in an airtight container and let it cool completely before storing it, covered, in the fridge. Cut 1/3 of the pork into 3 slices for tonight's dinne.r

DAY 8 (SUNDAY) TOTAL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

1,410 calories, 67.1 g fat (17.1 g saturated fat), 137.5 g carbohydrate, 31.4 g fiber, 44.8 g sugars), 63.4 g protein, 1031 mg sodium, 442 mg cholesterol

Cook the Roasted pepper, Goat Cheese, and Spinach Egg Muffins for tomorrow's breakfast (recipe below) and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Roasted Pepper, Cheddar Cheese, and Spinach Egg Muffins

Makes 5 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon olive oil

5 large eggs*

⅓ cup roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped

2.5 ounces (half a 5-ounce bag; about 2 cups loosely packed) baby spinach, roughly chopped

2 ounces sharp yellow cheddar, grated

*Men use 8 large eggs make 8 muffins

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375°F and use the olive oil to grease 5 muffin tins (men, you'll fill 8 muffin cups, so use 1 ½ tablespoons of oil). You can use a pastry brush or your fingers, just make sure the insides of the cups are covered with a thin layer of oil.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites until thoroughly mixed. Add the red peppers, spinach, and cheddar cheese, and stir everything together to combine.

Divide the mixture among the greased muffin cups (5 cups for women; 8 cups for men), filling each cup ¾ of the way. Bake in the preheated oven until the egg is cooked through and the middle of each muffin doesn't jiggle when you shake the muffin tin, 18-20 minutes.

Let the muffins sit in the muffin tins for 5 minutes to cool, then flip them out of the muffin tin and let them cool completely at room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge.

Add the roasted peppers, spinach, and cheese.

Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 375°F oven, until the muffins are totally set.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then flip them out. Let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge.

So, you’re taking the Clean Eating Challenge? We’d love to see how it goes! Post your photos to Instagram or Twitter and tag them #BuzzFeedCleanEating