Making the switch to a clean eating lifestyle is quite simple. But if you’re accustomed to eating frozen dinners and boxed snacks, this transition may understandably seem a bit intimidating.

After committing to clean eating, you’ll have to carefully choose the foods you eat—especially when it comes to packaged food—to avoid clean eating no-nos, such as chemical ingredients, added sugars and GMOs. In some cases, it might seem next-to-impossible to find clean versions of some foods.

That’s why it’s important to embrace cooking. You choose the ingredients and can be confident what you’re eating is clean and will benefit your health, not harm it.

Fortunately, a Vitamix is the perfect tool for your clean eating journey. The powerful blending capabilities of a Vitamix machine allow you to make healthy and delicious substitutes for many highly-processed foods loaded with ingredients that you must stay away when following a clean eating lifestyle.

The quintessential Vitamix recipe is the smoothie. You can fill the container with fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and quickly pulverize these healthy, nutrient-dense ingredients into a silky smoothie. No added sugars. No chemical additives that you can’t pronounce. Just high-quality ingredients full of energy, vitamins and nutrients.

However, a Vitamix can blend far more than smoothies. Granola? Check. Hot soup? No sweat. Cakes? Absolutely! Put simply, you can make clean versions of many processed foods you’d typically buy with a single appliance.

Here are three of the dozens of clean eating recipes you can make with a Vitamix and achieve a clean eating lifestyle.

Smoothies

Smoothies purchased from chain stores are often loaded with sugars and cheap ingredients—sometimes with more than 100 grams of sugar in a single smoothie. There are exceptions but why not make your own? There are too many delicious and simple options not to!

Going Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup (120 ml) water
  • 1 cup (170 g) green grapes
  • ½ cup (85 g) pineapple, peeled, cubed
  • ½ banana, peeled
  • 2 cups (60 g) spinach
  • ½ cup (70 g) ice cubes

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
  2. Select Variable 1.
  3. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
  4. Blend for 45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately.

Hot Soups

Canned or packaged soups are typically far from clean. With a Vitamix, it’s possible to cook a hot soup full of vegetables of your choosing. No stove required.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (720 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1½ cup (315 g) black beans, cooked, rinsed, drained
  • 1½ cup (360 g) chickpeas, rinsed, drained
  • ½ cup (80 g) onion, sautéed
  • 3 garlic cloves, roasted
  • 3 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup (35 g) red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, diced

Directions:

  1. Place broth, ¾ cup (155 g) beans, chickpeas, onion, garlic, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, and seasonings into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
  2. Select the Hot Soups program, or Variable 1.
  3. Turn machine on and allow the machine to complete the programmed setting, or slowly increase speed to High and blend for 6-7 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.
  4. Reduce speed to Variable 4 and remove the lid plug. Add peppers and reserved ¾ cup (155g) beans through the lid plug opening.
  5. Blend for additional 10 seconds. Serve immediately.

Desserts

Yes, you can and should satisfy your sweet tooth, even when eating clean. However, boxed desserts such as brownies may include ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils (i.e., trans fat), carrageenan, preservatives and artificial coloring. A Vitamix allows you to remove these additives and and create alternatives of your favorite sweet treats that fit in with your clean eating lifestyle.

Lindsey’s Sweet Potato Brownies

  • ⅔ cup (160 g) sweet potato, cooked
  • ¼ cup (65 g) unsweetened applesauce
  • ¾ cup (165 g) almond butter
  • 1 cup (135 g) dried dates, pitted, halved
  • 2 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅔ cup (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9-inch (23 cm) square baking pan with non-stick spray.
    2. Place the sweet potato puree, applesauce, and almond butter into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
    3. Select Variable 1.
    4. Turn machine on and slowly increase to the highest speed.
    5. Blend for 25 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
    6. Stop and add the dates and eggs to the container. Select Variable 1.
    7. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 7. Blend for 15 seconds, using the tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
    8. Stop and add the cocoa powder and baking soda to the container. Select Variable 1.
    9. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 7. Blend for 10 to 15 seconds, using tamper to press the ingredients into the blades.
    10. Remove batter from container and into a bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips and combine.
    11. Spoon mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.