Clean Eaters. Your experience.

neanderthin

I thought i was eating clean before, but then took it up a notch and really decided to eat clean, and ive never felt better or with more energy.

Protein selections:
Lean beef, eggs, seafood, chicken

Carb selections:
No salt canned diced tomato, sweet potato plain, kashi go lean high protein cereal, oatmeal, spinach, any green veg, almond milk, ezekiel bread

Fats:
Peanut butter, some cheese, oils

I dumped the protein powder 2 yrs ago and feel better. I like eating quantity so eating cleaner allows for more volume of food. Oh and, i get 30-50g fiber in this diet, what a joy that experience is!

Wow, with all that processed food and hormone injected meat and chicken and almond milk, wtf is that anyway.........bread and kashi, now there's a good marketing campaign.......funny the definitions of clean can vary, right, but glad you find this an improvement from your previous diet. :bigsmile:

lemurcat12

The bottom line for most basic theories on clean eating is that if all the ingredients are natural (meaning it can be found in nature - it came from an animal, plant, fungi, etc.) then it's natural. Doesn't matter if you hand made it or bought it, or put a label on it. It's ALL about the ingredients - labels and handmaking vs. buying are again just quick guides; most things you'd buy in a grocery store that have labels won't be clean, so it's a handy tool for those learning or who just need to do it quickly.
So for your examples, steak, herbs, spices, etc. are all natural - they are made entirely from plants and animals. Some of the higher/stricter end of clean might look for only organic, grass fed, pesticide and hormone free, etc. in their meat and produce, but for the basics of clean eating it's really just about whether or not your ingredients are natural. I don't care if there's 50 ingredients; if they're all natural, it's clean.

Thanks for giving your definition, but I feel like I've heard about 10 definitions at this point, and not yet one that explains to me why this term--which I find grating and self-righteous--exists. Why not just say you try to eat whole foods or some such? In particular many seem to want to use "clean" to mean healthy in a broader sense.

In a lot of ways I personally eat in a way that could be defined as clean (but not by those who would mean by it eliminating meat or restaurant food or wheat or all sugar or frozen foods or anything in a package, such as smoked salmon or sardines, etc.). But I don't feel compelled to call the food that diverges from my usual "dirty" or to create some purity thing around food, which is what I think this really comes down to. Plus, in reading these arguments, sure there are those who explain that fast food or packaged foods fit in their life on a more routine basis, but it seems more like most on one side are saying it's an occasional thing, they are concerned with eating nutrient dense foods, but don't think it's healthy to eliminate foods and demonize them vs. others mostly saying they try to set a particular way but don't all the time and often really didn't in the past. So if you look at how people actually eat and not the labels they like, it seems to me the differences are overstated.

For what it's worth, I don't eat most packaged food because I don't like it. I prefer my own cooking. I also prefer small local restaurants, supposedly authentic ethnic joints, and the kinds of restaurants that like to tell you the farms they buy from to fast food. It's cause I'm into food, probably. And yet these were all true when I was managing to get 100 lbs overweight, so labeling my preferences "clean" and patting myself on the head would be pretty stupid.

ninerbuff

"Clean eating" for keto: fats and lean meats
Not considered "clean" to a vegetarian.

"Clean eating" for a vegetarian": lots of whole fruits and vegetables.
Not considered "clean" to anti sugar opponents. Yes even fruit sugar.

We could go on and on, but as mentioned, where someone thinks they eat "clean" someone else will opine that they aren't because they disagree with their diet.

I say **** it. Just eat nutrient dense food, meet YOUR daily macros and micros, stay within calorie range and if there's room left over eat whatever the **** you want to fulfill it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tennisdude2004

"Clean eating" for keto: fats and lean meats
Not considered "clean" to a vegetarian.

"Clean eating" for a vegetarian": lots of whole fruits and vegetables.
Not considered "clean" to anti sugar opponents. Yes even fruit sugar.

We could go on and on, but as mentioned, where someone thinks they eat "clean" someone else will opine that they aren't because they disagree with their diet.

I say **** it. Just eat nutrient dense food, meet YOUR daily macros and micros, stay within calorie range and if there's room left over eat whatever the **** you want to fulfill it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Why worry about it!

If you eat clean - eat to your definition.

If you don't eat clean - what does it matter what other people call it?

I personally don't use the term clean eating, but I am happy for others to and don't feel the need to question their reasoning for calling it clean or not.

In fact the only time I would ask someone to quantify what clean eating means to them, is if I've invited them around for dinner!

darkangel45422

The bottom line for most basic theories on clean eating is that if all the ingredients are natural (meaning it can be found in nature - it came from an animal, plant, fungi, etc.) then it's natural. Doesn't matter if you hand made it or bought it, or put a label on it. It's ALL about the ingredients - labels and handmaking vs. buying are again just quick guides; most things you'd buy in a grocery store that have labels won't be clean, so it's a handy tool for those learning or who just need to do it quickly.
So for your examples, steak, herbs, spices, etc. are all natural - they are made entirely from plants and animals. Some of the higher/stricter end of clean might look for only organic, grass fed, pesticide and hormone free, etc. in their meat and produce, but for the basics of clean eating it's really just about whether or not your ingredients are natural. I don't care if there's 50 ingredients; if they're all natural, it's clean.

Thanks for giving your definition, but I feel like I've heard about 10 definitions at this point, and not yet one that explains to me why this term--which I find grating and self-righteous--exists. Why not just say you try to eat whole foods or some such? In particular many seem to want to use "clean" to mean healthy in a broader sense.

In a lot of ways I personally eat in a way that could be defined as clean (but not by those who would mean by it eliminating meat or restaurant food or wheat or all sugar or frozen foods or anything in a package, such as smoked salmon or sardines, etc.). But I don't feel compelled to call the food that diverges from my usual "dirty" or to create some purity thing around food, which is what I think this really comes down to. Plus, in reading these arguments, sure there are those who explain that fast food or packaged foods fit in their life on a more routine basis, but it seems more like most on one side are saying it's an occasional thing, they are concerned with eating nutrient dense foods, but don't think it's healthy to eliminate foods and demonize them vs. others mostly saying they try to set a particular way but don't all the time and often really didn't in the past. So if you look at how people actually eat and not the labels they like, it seems to me the differences are overstated.

For what it's worth, I don't eat most packaged food because I don't like it. I prefer my own cooking. I also prefer small local restaurants, supposedly authentic ethnic joints, and the kinds of restaurants that like to tell you the farms they buy from to fast food. It's cause I'm into food, probably. And yet these were all true when I was managing to get 100 lbs overweight, so labeling my preferences "clean" and patting myself on the head would be pretty stupid.

Well I can't speak to why the term exists - I didn't create it, but since it seems to generally describe my thoughts on food (though as has been said there are of course different ways to go about clean eating) I'll use it because it's faster than describing what I do (less processed food, focus more on natural nutrient dense food, etc. etc. etc.). That's what labels are for really; instead of having to be longwinded every time you try to describe how you think about food or go about eating, you can use a single word or phrase and people will get the general idea. Same with vegetarian - there are dozens of different ways to be vegetarian, but if you say you're veggie, people at least get the general idea.

Personally I don't find the term clean eating self-righteous or grating at all. In fact the only people I've seen describe food that doesn't fit most clean eating plans as dirty are those who are against clean eating. Similarly, the only ones I've seen BE self-righteous in their views (religiously fanatical, to use ideas that have popped up in this thread) are those who are against clean eating. That's not to say some clean eaters AREN'T obnoxious, self-righteous and highly annoying - I'm sure some are. Just like some non-clean eaters are obnoxious, self-righteous and highly annoying. It's more of a people thing than a clean eater or non-clean eater thing.

Again, I personally don't use clean eating as a way to pat myself on the head, or be ignorant of the other factors that contribute to my health or weight, or anything like that. I use it as a way of easily explaining to others the basic gist of how I think about and approach food - I'm trying to be as healthy as I realistically can for myself, and for me that means more natural food, less processed / highly added to food. I do think the differences between clean eaters and those who don't call themselves clean eaters but who try to eat generally healthy are very few - in fact I'd say a lot of people who've bashed clean eating could themselves be called clean eating, just as you said you could probably be called a clean eater. Which is why I don't quite understand why some have issues with the term - if all it means is trying to eat as healthy as you can (for your own circumstances), and in this case defining healthy more in terms of how natural the food is vs. being processed / man-made, etc. then what's to dislike? Sure, you could call it healthy - healthy however has even more definitions than clean. It could be solely counting calories and eating nothing but processed foods; to someone that will be healthy eating. So to me, clean eating is a form of healthy eating, just slightly more defined than saying clean. Whole foods works too, as does natural, etc. Why is natural or whole foods any better of a label than clean eating though?

To me (and again I didn't invent the term nor know how it came about) clean was used because the main focus isn't necessarily on the whole natural foods but on avoiding the unnatural chemicals, additives, etc. Does that mean originally they were thinking of those chemicals as dirty? Maybe. I personally don't have an issue calling pesticides, hormones, food colouring additives, etc. dirty, but I don't see the foods they're in as dirty, if that makes any sense lol. We (or at least I) aren't trying to avoid the unhealthier foods, we're just trying to avoid certain ingredients in them that we view as harmful or potentially harmful to our health.

If your only issue with clean eating is the name, then is it really worth fighting about? If you have an issue with self-righteousness, purists, demonizing food, etc. then go after the people who actually do that. So far I haven't seen many (or any off the top of my head) clean eaters doing any of that; most are happy for people to do whatever works for them, indulge in treats when it suits them, and don't bash others for eating something that isn't perfectly clean and healthy. So it's hard to label that way of eating as those things when the members generally don't do that.

Confuzzled4ever

I dumped the protein powder and felt better.
Turns out I'm intolerant to it. I didn't choose to cut out other foods I'm not intolerant to, however .

I chose to cut out food that were not helping me reach my goal as well a those i'm intolerant too. I'm trying to not use protein powder as much as I used too. I can get a lot of protein without it, but the prep work is huge . I know there will be days when i'm just lazy and use it.


I agree with darkangel4542 and tennisdude above. I don't say i eat clean anywhere else but on here, because it's easier to say that then it is to describe my diet to someone in detail.

BlueBombers

Platform_Heels

cinamon are both 'uncessary' 'man made' chemicals

Cinnamon is not a "man made" chemical.

lemurcat12

I didn't create it, but since it seems to generally describe my thoughts on food (though as has been said there are of course different ways to go about clean eating) I'll use it because it's faster than describing what I do (less processed food, focus more on natural nutrient dense food, etc. etc. etc.). That's what labels are for really; instead of having to be longwinded every time you try to describe how you think about food or go about eating, you can use a single word or phrase and people will get the general idea.

Hmm. I don't agree because it seems to me that at this point saying "I eat clean" doesn't really describe how you eat (if you wanted to do that), because people still would have no real idea what you mean by it. I mean, even for those who aren't using it to mean "consistent with my paleo diet" or the like, you still see a wide variety between something like what you do vs. one of the not more than 5 ingredients things vs. organic only, etc. To think of a context where it might be useful, if I asked a dinner guest (in advance) if he had any special dietary needs and he said "I'm a vegetarian," I could work with that or perhaps ask a clarifying question ("that means eggs and dairy are okay then?"). If he said "I eat clean," frankly I don't know what to do with that.

Mostly, and maybe this is just me, it feels like too many people these days need to follow some special diet with a name, as if that made them special, and that seems weird. Why? I mean, I get having allergies and sensitivities, I get being vegetarian or vegan (it's usually an ethical thing, there are specific foods you will want to avoid and a lot of people will want to make sure they have an option for such people), I get keeping kosher, etc., but saying "I eat clean" doesn't seem to have any purpose but to suggest that other people who don't so identify do not, that they eat in some inferior fashion. It's inherent in the name--the definition of the foods they eat as clean and others as not.

For whatever reason I don't get this from just saying "oh, I try to eat in a healthy fashion" or "I like to focus on getting lots of nutrients" or "I eat whole foods" or whatever, since it (a) doesn't imply that your way is the only correct way (there are lots of different ways to eat healthy, it's not so focused on individual food items being good or bad); and (b) doesn't fall into this need to label every particular way to eat with a special name.

Personally I don't find the term clean eating self-righteous or grating at all. In fact the only people I've seen describe food that doesn't fit most clean eating plans as dirty are those who are against clean eating.

But it's implicit in the name. If some foods are "clean" those that are not are by necessity "unclean." If you follow a special diet of "clean eaters," the implied claim is that those who do not eat unclean. If I say I try to eat healthy, that doesn't imply anything about other people, although I imagine there are plenty of people who would say they don't worry about the health benefits of their food (I know some), whereas the same people would probably be weirded out by the notion that their food was unclean.

Sure, who cares? I don't much. If people I know offline tell me they are eating clean I might ignore it or ask questions about the specifics and pump up my favorite farmer's market or vegetable preparations, depending on my mood (while internally disapproving of the need to use a culty name for normal eating). But it's just amazed me since starting to read here at how common the need to label one's eating or subscribe to a specific type of diet is, and I don't get it. I also don't think it's all that useful for newcomers to be told that they have to eat clean to have success, vs. them figuring out over time that they may be more satiated if they shift their diets around (assuming they aren't eating lots of nutrient dense foods already). This is especially so since even when we get away from "clean eating" and talk about healthy diets overall, people have different ideas about what such ideas should contain, and it's going to be individual to some degree.

Similarly, the only ones I've seen BE self-righteous in their views (religiously fanatical, to use ideas that have popped up in this thread) are those who are against clean eating.

I haven't noticed people being against what you actually do, vs. perhaps the claim that processed food is inherently bad for everyone or is inconsistent with a goal of fat loss. Like I keep saying, it seems to me that most of the moderate people describe their own diets in ways that would be defined as clean eating by those who like that term. Not all, but this idea that there's some kind of opposition to people not eating fast food 2 out of 3 meals seems odd. Maybe I haven't read those threads.

I'm trying to be as healthy as I realistically can for myself, and for me that means more natural food, less processed / highly added to food. I do think the differences between clean eaters and those who don't call themselves clean eaters but who try to eat generally healthy are very few - in fact I'd say a lot of people who've bashed clean eating could themselves be called clean eating, just as you said you could probably be called a clean eater. Which is why I don't quite understand why some have issues with the term - if all it means is trying to eat as healthy as you can (for your own circumstances), and in this case defining healthy more in terms of how natural the food is vs. being processed / man-made, etc. then what's to dislike?

I agree with most of this and we probably have similar ideas about how we want to eat. As for my reaction to the label I hope I've explained that some above (if we weren't specifically talking about the topic I wouldn't care). But I guess I see labels here as kind of unnecessary and divisive, and in this case without the added benefit of being descriptive. Moreover, to go back to your own analogy of vegetarians, if someone is vegetarian, that means they don't eat meat. Never. If they do, they violated their diet. So claiming to be a clean eater, to me, vs. just trying to eat healthy (as you define it) or mostly whole foods or whatever does sound like certain foods are being eliminated, demonized, not that one is focusing on an overall balance of foods.

ddino

We try to eat "clean"... though it's probably not as clean as some.. maybe 80/20.

Our goal is to try and reduce the amount of man-made additives in the food we eat. We are also pescetarians (?? We eat fish/seafood but not other meat). We want to eat food as close to how it came out of the ground (or off the tree or out of the ocean) as possible.

I buy very little pre-packaged food. When I do, it's usually in the form of snacks for the kids (cause it's just too stinkin' hard to get a 2 year old to consistently eat like a little adult). So we eat mainly self-prepared meals that I make out of the fruits, vegetables, and spices we buy.

Some things that I always buy that are "processed": pasta, tuna fish, the previously mentioned kid snacks, occasional soda (Diet Coke), cheese, milk... all this stuff that would be a major PITA for me to make it home made, really. But I do try to be conscious of the ingredients in these items and get the ones with the least amount of crap in them. Except for the soda, there's no changing the crap in that.

Since eating this way, I feel better, more clear-headed, less lethargic. Could it all be psychosomatic? Absolutely. But I'm also losing weight eating healthier like I am, so I'm going to stick with it.