Our One-Day Cleanse Menu: How to Reset the Easy Way

Post-holidays, you may find yourself wishing for a little reset. With all of our December celebrations, we can take in more sugar, dairy, wheat and alcohol than we might normally, causing our bodies to feel sluggish, inflamed and just generally a little off (albeit probably pretty happy about all of those Christmas cookies).

To restart your great eating habits and transition back to an on-track January, check out this simple one day cleanse menu. It’s free of dairy, sugar and gluten, with recipes that take less than twenty minutes to throw together. (And we have 100% vegan option too.)

You’ll likely have many of these ingredients at home already, making this a no-fuss way to get back in the swing of things to set yourself up for a happy, healthy 2018.

Breakfast

Easy Whole Grain Breakfast Bowl

Makes 1 serving

1 cup cooked gluten-free whole grain (gluten-free oats, quinoa, brown rice, millet)
½ cup dairy-free milk (almond, cashew, hemp, rice)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Serve warm or cold.

Lunch

(While lunch may take a bit longer, you can whip it up the night before to get in the reset spirit, and reheat when you’re ready to eat.)

Vegan Creamy Chard and Cauliflower Soup

Makes 2-3 servings

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (extra for drizzle if desired)
½ cup yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium to large head of cauliflower, stems and florets cut into 1" pieces
2 cups chard, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped plus more for garnish
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in large soup pot. Sauté onion until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.

2. Add cauliflower, chard and parsley. Pour water over the top. Bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until greens and cauliflower are soft.

3. Puree soup in high-speed blender. This may work best in two batches depending on the size of your blender. If needed, add additional water ¼ cup at a time to adjust mixture to your desired consistency.

4. Serve with a drizzle of extra olive oil and a sprig of parsley.

Dinner

(Try one of these two dinner options, depending on your protein preference!)

Rainbow Chard Wraps

Makes 2 servings

Filling
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2" fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely sliced
1 medium green pepper, seeded, cored and diced
1 medium white onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato, skin on, finely diced
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded Brussels sprouts or cabbage

Sauce
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tbsp miso paste

For serving
1 head of Rainbow chard (2 leaves per person)
3 tbsp coarsely crushed cashews

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add ginger and garlic and saute ~1 minute until fragrant.

3. Add sweet potato and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Sweet potato will soften slightly and brown on the sides. Add Brussels sprouts and continue sauteeing until softened.

4. In a small bowl, mix together tamari and miso paste until well combined. Once all veggies are cooked through, stir in your miso-tamari sauce and remove pan from heat. 

5. Transfer veggie mix to a bowl and top with cashews. Serve with your leafy green 'wraps'.

Sauteed Lemon Chicken with Zucchini and Onions

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced onion
4 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
dash garlic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and pour in olive oil.

2. Add sliced zucchini and onion to pan. Stir and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables soften.

3. Move vegetables to side of pan and add chicken. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

4. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice and water. Cook together about 1 minute. Serve.

Snack

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

½ cup unsweetened pumpkin, chilled in the fridge at least 30 minutes
1 tbsp goji berries or other unsweetened chopped fruit of choice (cranberry is a great low-sugar option)
1 tbsp walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp almond butter
dash cinnamon and nutmeg

1. Scoop pumpkin into a bowl,

2. Top with remaining ingredients.

- Amy Height

Ready to take this to the next level? Get more menus and grocery lists to keep your healthy habits going.