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How to eat cleaner

Zipp237

What cookbooks and sites do you use? I want to eat cleaner but I don't know how or where to find out how. I can't cook and I don't like vegetables and all I want to eat is crap food and I want to know how. Everyone says do it and shop the perimeter but shop for what. How do you do it. Helllllp!

Replies

juggernaut1974

You'll first need to define what you mean by "eating cleaner".

There are so many different definitions, it's impossible to give advice until we know which definition you're using.

Zipp237

I don't know that's what I need to know. How. What do I do? Just tell me anything on how you do it.

Kellie82much

My definition of clean eating is eating 'as close to the earth as possible' which for me means unprocessed. You can find many great recipes by simply googling 'clean eating recipes'.
I follow a couple of bloggers and I pick and chose recipes from their blogs. One is Hummusapien and the other is Ambitious Kitchen.
Good luck to you.

tennisdude2004

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

You'll first need to define what you mean by "eating cleaner".

There are so many different definitions, it's impossible to give advice until we know which definition you're using.

I'm pretty sure you have a good idea what the op means !!!

OP there are some decent groups on mfp you can look up, they will understand what you are looking for and can give some sensible advice.

Good luck on your healthier eating journey.

juggernaut1974

Ogeez wrote: »

I don't know that's what I need to know. How. What do I do? Just tell me anything on how you do it.

I don't do it - or at least I don't define foods as clean or unclean...they're just food.

I eat a well-balanced, wide variety of different foods. Meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even some treats.

I aim to stick to a certain number of calories each day.

I aim to eat at least a minimum amount of protein and fat.

That's really all the complicated you need to make it. If you follow those rules, everything tends to work itself out in the end...at least it did for me.

Zipp237

Kellie82much wrote: »

My definition of clean eating is eating 'as close to the earth as possible' which for me means unprocessed. You can find many great recipes by simply googling 'clean eating recipes'.
I follow a couple of bloggers and I pick and chose recipes from their blogs. One is Hummusapien and the other is Ambitious Kitchen.
Good luck to you.

those look really good. I don't know what polenta is. Is there a site or a book that just tells you how to do it. I want to start but I need the beginning class!

Zipp237

tennisdude2004 wrote: »

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

You'll first need to define what you mean by "eating cleaner".

There are so many different definitions, it's impossible to give advice until we know which definition you're using.

I'm pretty sure you have a good idea what the op means !!!

OP there are some decent groups on mfp you can look up, they will understand what you are looking for and can give some sensible advice.

Good luck on your healthier eating journey.

How do you look up the groups?

rankinsect

Ogeez wrote: »

What cookbooks and sites do you use? I want to eat cleaner but I don't know how or where to find out how. I can't cook and I don't like vegetables and all I want to eat is crap food and I want to know how. Everyone says do it and shop the perimeter but shop for what. How do you do it. Helllllp!

I guess I'll answer your question with a question:

Why do you want to eat "cleaner"? Is that because of a (mis)conception that clean eating is necessary to lose weight, or is it because you just want to improve your diet and other non-weight aspects of health?

Strictly in terms of weight loss, clean eating matters about as much as the color of your socks. There are many other very good health and nutrition reasons you may want to make dietary changes, and if that's your goal, there are many who can help you, but please start by defining your health and fitness goals. Eating "cleaner" and "better" are too vague to be goals. Once you define your goals clearly, people can recommend effective dietary changes.

Zipp237

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Ogeez wrote: »

I don't know that's what I need to know. How. What do I do? Just tell me anything on how you do it.

I don't do it - or at least I don't define foods as clean or unclean...they're just food.

I eat a well-balanced, wide variety of different foods. Meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even some treats.

I aim to stick to a certain number of calories each day.

I aim to eat at least a minimum amount of protein and fat.

That's really all the complicated you need to make it. If you follow those rules, everything tends to work itself out in the end...at least it did for me.

I don't do it either but I will. I have to know about polenta and quinoa and how to make them. I have to ride the short bus to clean school but I will

kk_inprogress

I just eat what I enjoy and eat less of it. No need to put foods into "clean" and "unclean" categories. If you'd like to broaden your menus, give me an idea of what you eat now and I can send you some ideas.

tennisdude2004

Ogeez wrote: »

tennisdude2004 wrote: »

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

You'll first need to define what you mean by "eating cleaner".

There are so many different definitions, it's impossible to give advice until we know which definition you're using.

I'm pretty sure you have a good idea what the op means !!!

OP there are some decent groups on mfp you can look up, they will understand what you are looking for and can give some sensible advice.

Good luck on your healthier eating journey.

How do you look up the groups?

On the toolbar above on your phone, press the magnifine glass icon. In the search bar type clean eating and it should bring up a few groups - then just have an explore.

ACanadian22

Please remember that you are in this for life. Eat what you want, but less. This is a journey that you don't want to restart

juggernaut1974

Ogeez wrote: »

juggernaut1974 wrote: »

Ogeez wrote: »

I don't know that's what I need to know. How. What do I do? Just tell me anything on how you do it.

I don't do it - or at least I don't define foods as clean or unclean...they're just food.

I eat a well-balanced, wide variety of different foods. Meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and even some treats.

I aim to stick to a certain number of calories each day.

I aim to eat at least a minimum amount of protein and fat.

That's really all the complicated you need to make it. If you follow those rules, everything tends to work itself out in the end...at least it did for me.

I don't do it either but I will. I have to know about polenta and quinoa and how to make them. I have to ride the short bus to clean school but I will

Polenta is a thick 'porridge' made out of corn meal, butter and water.

Quinoa is a just a grain ...you can prepare it a variety of ways. One of my favorites is to boil it in some chicken broth and then add some sauteed mushrooms and feta cheese at the end.

LaurenAOK

As others have said, eating clean is unnecessary for weight loss and I certainly don't do it. I don't have the time or willpower to make a big diet change right now. Maybe in the future, but right now I am happy with my health and weight loss while still eating "junk" food when I can.

That said, eating "clean" usually means eating mostly unprocessed foods that are rich in nutrients. Basically getting the most "bang" for your calorie "buck." Think fruits, veggies, lean (non-fatty) meats like chicken breast, whole grain carbs, etc. Just basic foods that are very close to how nature created them. Foods without a lot of added preservatives or sugars. Some people have different definitions, for example a lot of clean eaters eat dairy, but some say dairy is too processed.

To get started just shop for basic foods like that, you can also google for clean eating grocery lists and recipes. But again, do not feel pressured to eat like that if it doesn't suit your lifestyle.

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Kalikel

"Clean", to many people, has a specific definition. That definition is different for almost everyone who defines it, though. That's why people are asking you what you mean - for some it means this and for some it means that, etc.

You mean "healthy", right? You want to eat healthy and not "crap food." Yay that. Nobody and I mean NOBODY had a worse "crap food" diet than I did. I could cook, but generally didn't. Olive Garden, Longhorn, Friday's, McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King. When I did cook, it was never anything healthy, but I did know how to make a pan sauce and things like that.

"The Visual Food Encyclopedia" and "The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients" list all the common whole foods you'd find in a typical Publix, Kroger, Giant Eagle, Raphs, whatever...and they list more. Get one and read about ingredients. Pretty pictures, too.

To learn to cook, the best book out there is still "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." It isn't the most popular. The most popular would be Bittman's "How To Cook Everything." Martha's is better. A good book about cooking is Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here For The Food 2.0." There are many, many others that are good. I am a little partial to Julia Child because she was on TV when I was growing up and I learned a lot out of her "The Way To Cook," but I think that the Martha Stewart book is best for absolute beginners and Alton Brown's is fantastic for everyone.

I highly recommend Alton Brown's "Good Eats" which reruns on the Cooking Channel and is available on amazon (and maybe Netflix). If you want to learn to cook, he is your man!!! Can't stress that enough. Many shows are not the healthiest,but he did a lot of shows on single veggies. Watch Alton Brown and you'll learn to cook. You'll also be entertained.

You're going to have to figure a lot of this out for yourself, though. Visit the produce section. Look at the foods.

I, too, thought it didn't like veggies, but that's because I never bothered to learn how to prepare them and had only eaten maybe six different ones in my life. Pick a veggie - any veggie - and find a recipe in a book or online, jot down the ingredients, buy them and make it. See how you like it. Unless you absolutely hate a veggie, keep making it new ways and you'll find one you like. You know how there are 100 things to do with corn and how you like some more than others? ALL the veggies are like that.

Use the google. Look up polenta, quinoa, tofu, tempeh, etc. If you want a healthy diet, you're going to have to do the work. It's worth doing!! By ours going to have to learn about new foods. You have to learn how to cook. At some point, you'll want to learn about nutrition and all those lovely vitamins and minerals you need that are in those fruits and veggies. You're going to try recipes you don't love and you're going to screw it up yourself once in a while, but most of it will be edible. It isn't easy (trust me, I know!), but the results are worth the work.

I think it's great that you're on your journey toward a healthier diet and healthier you. Good luck!

azulvioleta6

Obviously "clean" is a pretty nebulous concept...but we know what you mean: healthier, more natural foods with less processing and greater nutritional content. It's not really about dieting or weight loss--it's an issue of long-term health and environmental sustainability. Of course many people can eat crap and lose weigh, but that really isn't the issue here.

Googling is a good place to start for learning new cooking techniques. Pinterest might even be a more useful tool. I would also recommend cooking classes and asking friends to help you with some basic cooking techniques.

Here are good instructions for quinoa. thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-quinoa-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-63344

ALWAYS rinse the quinoa first by putting it in a fine sieve and running it under cold water. You can buy a strainer at the dollar store that will work--the cheap kind with plastic rims work just fine.

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There are lots of complex and tricky ways that you can make polenta that I wouldn't necessarily recommend to someone who is a beginner in the kitchen. A better plan might be to buy some corn grits. I like a brand called Kanza Corn. There are easy instructions on the package that only require a pan with a lid plus salt and water. It turns out very well and is really tasty.

I'm not sure what to recommend to someone who doesn't like vegetables. Have you ever thought about growing your own garden? I find that I am motivated to eat more veggies when I have grown them myself. Another good plan might be to browse farmers' markets and talk to people about what they like and how they cook it. Ethnic grocery stores and markets can also be a fun way to explore new foods and new approaches to eating.

azulvioleta6

These books might be a tiny bit overwhelming to someone who doesn't know how to cook, but I find this author VERY inspiring when it comes to cooking with veggies. His recipes aren't terribly difficult, but they involve a lot of chopping and prep and are probably easier if you have a well-stocked kitchen with lots of Middle Eastern ingredients. A library of any size will carry titles by Ottolenghi and many of his recipes are available online too.

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For more information on why food choices matter--socially, environmentally, politically and in terms of health--Michael Pollan's books are a good place to start. He has recently written a couple of books on cooking, but I've not had a chance to read them yet, so I don't know how helpful they would be in your situation. These are good reads though:

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Kalikel

I will add "The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." If I knew how to post cool pics, I would, but I don't. That's my favorite veggie book, hands down.

"Oh, She Glows" has a website and a book.

"Supernatural Cooking" isn't bad.

For baking with whole grains, I like the King Arthur book best. I think it's called "Whole Grain Baking."

Another all-purpose (but not necessarily healthy) cookbook for beginners is "Kitchen Confidence." This isn't like the Martha Stewart book, where every little thing is explained, but it does have recipes for beginners and some tips. If you work your way through it, you'll make some very good stuff and learn a lot. And you'll really be cooking. The recipes in there are really very good. I've been giving it as a gift to many young people.

Buy the best pots and pans you can afford. Tramontina is the best of the cheaper ones. Get some cast iron in the mix! Lodge has great cast iron. Lodge also has Dutch ovens that are, IMO, as good as the Le Creuset. I have both and see no real difference except for color (Le Creuset has prettier colors.). The lodge is like 80% cheaper.

I hope this helps.

azulvioleta6

Kalikel wrote: »

I will add "The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone." If I knew how to post cool pics, I would, but I don't. That's my favorite veggie book, hands down.

"Oh, She Glows" has a website and a book.

"Supernatural Cooking" isn't bad.

For baking with whole grains, I like the King Arthur book best. I think it's called "Whole Grain Baking."

Another all-purpose (but not necessarily healthy) cookbook for beginners is "Kitchen Confidence." This isn't like the Martha Stewart book, where every little thing is explained, but it does have recipes for beginners and some tips. If you work your way through it, you'll make some very good stuff and learn a lot. And you'll really be cooking. The recipes in there are really very good. I've been giving it as a gift to many young people.

Buy the best pots and pans you can afford. Tramontina is the best of the cheaper ones. Get some cast iron in the mix! Lodge has great cast iron. Lodge also has Dutch ovens that are, IMO, as good as the Le Creuset. I have both and see no real difference except for color (Le Creuset has prettier colors.). The lodge is like 80% cheaper.

I hope this helps.

Love my Tramontina and my Lodge oven with the lid that doubles as a second (shallow) frying pan. I lust after Le Creuset, but do not currently own any.

I agree, this is another must-have cookbook.

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azulvioleta6

shell1005 wrote: »

I think it is great that people are sharing cookbooks....however with the internet and all, I don't know many people who run out and buy cookbooks anymore.

People who cook seriously?

I don't buy many cookbooks any more, but there are a few classics that are worth the investment...or at least worth perusing in the library or at a bookstore.

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Kalikel

OP did ask for cookbook recommendations.

Some of us like our cookbooks.

You cannot find all the recipes online, either. You might find a recipe, but you may not find THE recipe you want.

The websites are nice to share, too. The OP did ask for those, too! But there is no reason to not recommend cookbooks to a person who has asked for cookbook recommendations.

Kalikel

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

These books might be a tiny bit overwhelming to someone who doesn't know how to cook, but I find this author VERY inspiring when it comes to cooking with veggies. His recipes aren't terribly difficult, but they involve a lot of chopping and prep and are probably easier if you have a well-stocked kitchen with lots of Middle Eastern ingredients. A library of any size will carry titles by Ottolenghi and many of his recipes are available online too.

For more information on why food choices matter--socially, environmentally, politically and in terms of health--Michael Pollan's books are a good place to start. He has recently written a couple of books on cooking, but I've not had a chance to read them yet, so I don't know how helpful they would be in your situation. These are good reads though:

Do you have "Plenty More"? Do you have "Plenty"?

I have Plenty, but none of the subsequent releases. Do you like the follow-ups as much as the original?

I am so pleased that I tried Israeli Za'atar. It's up there with thyme as my two favorite spices.

WinoGelato

OP I'm with others that I don't identify myself as a clean eater, I prefer to focus on adding nutrient dense foods to my diet, but don't restrict myself from eating other things simply because it doesn't fit an arbitrary label.

What prompted you to ask this question? You seem very eager to start which is great, but just curious what your overall goals are so people can offer you more specific advice.

As far as cooking goes, I generally think most cookbooks and websites have "clean" recipes if the definition of that is cooking things from scratch. Pinterest probably has entire boards dedicated to these type of recipes and might be a good place for you to start.

RodaRose

Ogeez wrote: »

T

Kellie82much wrote: »

My definition of clean eating is eating 'as close to the earth as possible' which for me means unprocessed. You can find many great recipes by simply googling 'clean eating recipes'.
I follow a couple of bloggers and I pick and chose recipes from their blogs. One is Hummusapien and the other is Ambitious Kitchen.
Good luck to you.

those look really good. I don't know what polenta is. Is there a site or a book that just tells you how to do it. I want to start but I need the beginning class!

Polenta is made from ground corn. It ends up being somewhat close to grits.
Subscribe to some simple cooking YouTube channels. Anyone who is cooking food is probably doing what you call "clean."
Also look in groups for "happy herbivores" so that you can have two or three vegetarian meals each week as those probably count as "clean."