New Clean Eatz offers Beaufort healthy alternatives

New Clean Eatz offers Beaufort healthy alternatives

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Clean Eatz recently opened in Beaufort Town Center offering health-conscious locals an amazing cafe with healthy alternatives for lunch, weekly meal plans, pre-packaged meals and and more. ESPB Photos

By Martha McDuff | ‘You are what you eat, ‘a phrase originally coined by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in 1826, basically means everything you eat becomes a part of your inner and outer being. David Katz, MD stated in an article from 2010, “nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of our cell membranes, bone marrow, blood, and hormones. Our bodies are made from the food we consume.”  More and more Americans are eating out. According to National Restaurant Association, Americans spend $222 billion on dining out each year. “Unfortunately, with the increase of eating out, comes an increase in the average American waistline. More than 1/2 of Americans are overweight and it’s no coincidence that we are eating out in record numbers,” stated Jayne Hurley from Center of Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

How can Americans maintain their busy lifestyles and fulfill their love of eating out while still staying healthy?

Clean Eatz is helping with that.

Clean Eatz, Beaufort’s newest food spot serves a menu low in calories and fat, with no sugar or added sodium… at an affordable price. Don and Evonne Varady founded Clean Eatz in 2013 and franchised it out just three years ago. As bodybuilders, they felt they had a hard time dining out because they couldn’t trust what was in the food. Their goal for opening Clean Eatz was to provide a place where everyone could go and find something to eat whether they are on a strict diet for competitions or for health reasons. A part of Clean Eatz’s mission states, “we are all about eating whole or real food in its most natural form in balanced portions. At Clean Eatz, it is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle.”

Beaufort’s Clean Eatz is owned by Cali Caulder, Beaufort native and avid bodybuilder. She, along with Seth Altman decided to invest in the franchise while at one of Cali’s competitions. Clean Eatz was at the competition and Seth had The Arnold (shredded beef, brown rice, peppers, mushrooms, lettuce, cheese and Buffalo sauce) and was hooked. He has always meal prepped for himself and Cali. Cali, who tires easily from eating the same thing over and over again, was frustrated at the lack of local options. After enjoying the Clean Eatz meal, they knew they had to bring Clean Eatz to Beaufort.

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The tendency of many people is to think that healthy food doesn’t taste good or it is boring. The Clean Eatz menu is a far cry from that. The menu consists of bowls wraps, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and even nachos The calories are listed, helping customers make healthy decisions to stay within their daily caloric range. The leanest meats are used and the fish is wild caught. The meals are portioned and weighed out. The vegetables used are fresh and seasonal. If you like to drink your meals, smoothies are on the menu. 1st phorm protein powder is used. This powder is gluten free and FDA approved.

Both Cali and Seth told me the bowls are the most popular menu item. Customers are able to build their own bowls and salads starting with a base and then adding vegetables, a protein and a sauce. When they asked me what I would like to try I had to go with the bowl. and I enjoyed salmon with quinoa, broccoli, brussels sprouts and mushrooms with a cilantro lime sauce. It was amazing and ended up being two meals for me.

Sound healthy? Sure. Tastes good too.

cleaneatz5Customers may dine in or grab and go. If you want to eat healthy all week long, Clean Eatz offers packaged meals from five meals to twenty-one. Meals must be ordered between Thursday and midnight on Sunday and then picked up Monday. Meal prepping, or simply taking the time to prepare several meals at a time, is a great step towards leading a healthy lifestyle. Often times, people come home after a long, stressful day and are too tired to cook so they grab what is easiest and that is often not the healthiest. Having meals prepared and ready to go keeps you accountable, is a time saver and keeps you on track towards your health goals. The drawback? Meal prepping takes time and because of this Clean Eatz is a great alternative.

“Our biggest customers of the meal plans so far seem to be busy moms, older Beaufortonians and local military,” Seth said. “We serve several drill instructors too”, he added.

A bonus is a drive thru option for local Marines. Because Marines can not go outside off of base in uniform, Clean Eatz has a drive thru option just for them. 

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A healthy lifestyle is about moderation. A big mistake people often make when going on a diet is depriving themselves of treats. Clean Eatz hs some of them as well with their desserts. During my visit, I sampled the paleo fudge (made from scratch) which was simply to die for. Along with seasonal desserts are s’mores and bars made from coconut oil, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

Eating healthy is the highest form of self- respect. The next time you find yourself on the go, or have a busy week ahead or simply do not feel like cooking……. I totally recommend you head over to Clean Eatz!

For more information go online to cleanteatz.com or find them on Facebook. Sign up for meal plans at cleaneatz.com/mealplans

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