So many people reach out to me about the Clean Slate Cleanse and ask if they will be surviving on raw salads and carrot sticks for 21 days. To this I answer an emphatic “No!” The truth is, there are hundreds of delicious, satisfying, flavorful foods included in the Cleanse. It is not a starvation diet, and the food is anything but boring. Read on to learn what a day in the life during the Clean Slate Cleanse looks like.
Let’s start with what you can have
The list below is a bit extensive, but if you are ever in question, this is a great place to check. Chances are, if it’s not on this list, it’s not on the Cleanse. Remember, you can have anything that is gluten-, sugar-, alcohol-, and caffeine-free and vegan. It’s also ideal to limit processed foods as well as artificial sweeteners for best results while cleansing.
Staples and cooking supplies
- Beans and legumes: Any and all beans are Cleanse approved. Dried beans are best but they do require more preparation. Canned beans and legumes are also fine and offer a quick and convenient option.
- Gluten-free bread, buns, and tortillas
- Corn grits and polenta
- Faux meats: Burgers, sausage patties, “meat crumbles,” “chicken” patties, (I love Beyond Meat products!)
- Gluten-free flours, such as arrowroot, buckwheat, chickpea, coconut, nut, potato, rice, and tapioca
- Fruits: All fruits!
- Grains: Amaranth, Arborio rice, basmati rice, black rice, brown rice, buckwheat, corn (non-GMO), jasmine rice, millet, quinoa, teff, white rice, and wild rice
- Mixed-grain hot cereals, like oatmeal, chia, etc.
- Mushrooms: Button, cremini, hen of the woods, miatake, portobello, shiitake, etc.
- Nut or seed butters: Almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, tahini, etc.
- Oils (plant-based): Avocado, canola (non-GMO), coconut, flaxseed, olive (extra-virgin), sesame, sunflower, safflower, walnut, etc.
- Gluten-free pasta: Buckwheat, chickpea, corn (non-GMO), lentil, quinoa, or rice
- Non-dairy protein powder: Hemp, pea, rice, or soy based
- Rice wrappers
- Seasonings: Any sugar-free seasonings
- Stock: Vegetarian soup base or vegetable bullion
- Sweeteners: Agave nectar, coconut sugar, monkfruit sugar, stevia, yacon syrup, and other natural sugars with a glycemic index less than 35.
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Vegetables: Go crazy! All vegetables are acceptable, including frozen vegetables.
Beverages that aren’t water
Drinking lots of water is part of the Clean Slate Cleanse. But sometimes you just want something different.
- Herbal teas (decaffeinated)
- Juices: Pomegranate, lemon, lime, and cranberry juice for sparkling water cocktails; vegetable juices (unsweetened)
Snacks
- Chips: Corn, potato, sweet potato
- Crackers and cakes: Almond, flax, rice, sweet potato, and seed crackers and cakes
- Guacamole: Make your own or buy from the store
- Hummus: Make your own or buy from the store
- Nuts: Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts (hazelnuts), macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Popcorn
- Salsas: tomato or fruit-based
Vegan Dairy Substitutes
- Butter
- Cheeses
- Mayonnaise: Make your own or buy from the store.
- Non-dairy milk: Almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, rice, or soy milk (unsweetened)
Rise and Shine; It’s Time for Breakfast
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Start your day off right with a bowl of hearty Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Bananas, or Warm Blueberry Bake (a Clean Slate Cleanse fan favorite!) Or for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, try some Chia Breakfast Pudding.
Breakfast on the Cleanse is delicious and sets up your day to stay on track. Check out more of my Vegan Breakfast Recipes.
Juices and other Beverages
I love fresh juices, and juices enhance cleansing so much. Check out a couple of my favorite juices, like the Everyday Green Juice. There are also some fun mocktails, like this Ginger Lime Mocktail, for those times when you just want something a bit more festive!
Snacks
Don’t worry; when it comes to snacking, there’s more to the Clean Slate Cleanse than carrot chips and celery sticks. A couple of my favorite snacks on the cleanse are Mexican Roasted Chickpeas and Breakfast and Snack Toasts Six Ways. You can enjoy a variety of nuts, chips, crackers, and dips, like hummus and guacamole as well. (Check the list above for more ideas!)
Click here for more great ideas for snacking on the Cleanse.
The Main Dish
Creativity abounds with lunch and dinner dishes on the Clean Slate Cleanse! A variety of vegetables, spices, pastas, and other foods allow for plenty of variety. I’m a big fan of nextovers, and many of my dinner recipes can be repurposed as healthy lunches.
Some popular main dishes on the Cleanse include Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Vegan Ranch Dressing, Ramen, and Vegan Mushroom Lentil Burgers. For a special dinner, try Shanghai Style Dumplings or Spiced Pumpkin Ravioli.
Need more ideas? Check out this post with links to more main dish recipes.
Ready for Lunch?
When lunchtime rolls around, there are plenty of quick and easy options, as well as make-ahead dishes that will satisfy midday hunger.
Why not try a comforting Vegan Egg Salad or an Asian Rotini Pasta Salad? If you love warm, hearty lunches, the Clean Slate Cleanse offers plenty of filling soups as well. Check out this Coconut Lentil Soup or Carrot, Ginger, and Turmeric Soup with Sweet and Spicy Carrot Chips.
And don’t forget last night’s dinner that can be reheated for lunch or made into a soup. In the Clean Slate Cleanse, we call that nextovers!
Want to Learn More?
If you want all the recipes, plus a meal plan and lots of food education, get the Clean Slate Cleanse Cookbook and Workbook!
