Clean eating

Sarauk2sf

*sigh*


OP: you will find that most people who eat 'clean' actually end up eating mainly whole foods (which are usually processed to some degree or another) with some treats here and there. On the flip, you will find that most people who follow IIFYM or eat 'dirty' also suggest mainly whole foods with some treats thrown in. The % of 'dirty' foods may vary, but not by that much if someone is actually following IIFYM (or a reasonably balanced diet if not IIFYM) properly v 'clean' eating.

Its semantics.

Generally, go for a bunch of nutrient dense foods, try to get a lot of volume veggies for satietu, and if you want (especially if it helps adherence), throw a treat in - can be daily or every now and again, it really depends on your individual circumstances.

RllyGudTweetr

Has OP defined 'clean' by her standards yet?

For those who restrict it to 'organic' foods, I wonder: If foods that have been genetically modified by humans (at some point) are exempt from the 'organic food' label, I must wonder what foods actually qualify.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html

Amanda4change

[/quote]

Again, this is the problem with "clean" eating discussions. About half of what you listed here would be considered "unclean" by most who follow the clean philosophy. So why label what you're doing as "clean" eating? A. It's not and B. it really does set people's teeth on edge with this false dichotomy of "clean" vs. "unclean" foods. The connotation of "clean" has a value judgement that "whole" or "healthy" just don't have.

[/quote]

I answered the question that the OP asked, what it means to me. I'm sorry you appear to be butthurt over my personal view of what it is.

WinoGelato

RllyGudTweetr wrote: »

Has OP defined 'clean' by her standards yet?

For those who restrict it to 'organic' foods, I wonder: If foods that have been genetically modified by humans (at some point) are exempt from the 'organic food' label, I must wonder what foods actually qualify.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=organic-agriculture.html

To be fair to OP, she did say she was interested in understanding what "clean eating" meant to others and asking some questions about how people manage their choices on a day to day basis. I know normally people start out these posts saying, "I'm going to eat clean" without a clear understanding of what that means, to themselves or others, but at least this time, I think OP was pretty honest up front that she doesn't have a clear definition and she knows it is a contentious topic.

Back to my dirty lunch. Grilled turkey breast tenderloin, packaged noodles, roasted veggies and a Ghiradelli dark chocolate salted caramel square.

SnuggleSmacks

*shrug* Sorry if you see continuing the conversation the rest of us have been having for 2 1/2 pages as "butthurt." I didn't mean any offense...you just demonstrated my point admirably with your post.

970Mikaela1

MrM27 wrote: »

PSlosing29 wrote: »

Clean eating = non processed foods, non bleached foods. Foods that don't have ingredients you can't pronounce.

What's in an apple ?

Don't know can't pronounce most of it.
Eta nothing.

lemurcat12

sparkly75 wrote: »

But I think having something that isn't organic / whole etc .. once in a while is OK - especially considering the diets that most of us used to have!

I think that's one reason I'm so cynical about the "clean eating" stuff (other than just hating the name). I've had a preference for so-called "natural" foods for a long time (although I'll mock myself for it without problem or at least admit it's a preference, not something more). And I managed to gain lots of weight while eating that way, as well as lose lots of weight while eating that way.

lemurcat12

aribeiro659 wrote: »

What clean eating means to me: I avoid processed foods, if the list of ingredients contain things I can't pronounce or I have to look it up I generally don't eat it.

This seems contradictory. Isn't everything with a list of ingredients processed?

lemurcat12

SnuggleSmacks wrote: »

aribeiro659 wrote: »

What clean eating means to me: I avoid processed foods, if the list of ingredients contain things I can't pronounce or I have to look it up I generally don't eat it. For the most part 90% of what we eat is made at home from scratch, but I have the time to do this. When I buy meat I buy organic, as I don't like the idea of added hormones. We don't drink cows milk (two of my kids are lactose intolerant and two have milk protein allergies) instead I buy the unsweetened almond milk. The most processed stuff we have in the house are things like ketchup, salad dressing, etc. For the most part my fridge is filled with fruits, vegetables, yogurts, cheeses, lean meats and fish. My pantry is full of baking stuff (so I have things on hand for baking breads, crackers, pasta), rice, beans, canned veggies, oats, nuts, dried fruits.

We rarely go out to eat, for a few reasons. There are 7 of us and dinner out can get very expensive very quickly. In general I have found that I can usually make it better and cheaper at home. If we do go out I usually stick to a grilled fish or chicken (that is NOT cooked in a sauce) or a salad (with dressing on the side). The only times that we usually have fast food is when we are on a road trip (or like the other day when I had to help hubby work on his car that broke down at his office, we had subway for lunch and a chicken salad bowl thing from taco bell for dinner). We try to stick to the "better" fast food places on road trips, though that doesn't always happen. I never buy hamburgers at fast food restaurants (my stomach doesn't tolerate them) instead I will order a grilled chicken sandwich with mayo on the side or a salad (if they have them) with dressing on the side. I personally have found that I don't crave junk food, and most of the time if I do eat some my stomach lets me know it doesn't like it.

My suggestion is to start making small changes as those become routine start adding more changes.

Again, this is the problem with "clean" eating discussions. About half of what you listed here would be considered "unclean" by most who follow the clean philosophy. So why label what you're doing as "clean" eating? A. It's not and B. it really does set people's teeth on edge with this false dichotomy of "clean" vs. "unclean" foods. The connotation of "clean" has a value judgement that "whole" or "healthy" just don't have.

Couldn't agree more. I really wish someone would answer this question.

lemurcat12

Kruggeri wrote: »

To be fair to OP, she did say she was interested in understanding what "clean eating" meant to others and asking some questions about how people manage their choices on a day to day basis. I know normally people start out these posts saying, "I'm going to eat clean" without a clear understanding of what that means, to themselves or others, but at least this time, I think OP was pretty honest up front that she doesn't have a clear definition and she knows it is a contentious topic.

Yes, personally I have no real argument with the OP.