What is clean eating?

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Replies

  • cmclear90
    cmclear90 Posts: 12
    No fast food, no pop or candy. Eating lots of fruits and veggies and not alot of carbs.
  • mshannond
    mshannond Posts: 60
    Clean eating In my option can be summer up by cut the CRAP
    C- caffeine and carbonated drinks
    R- refined sugar
    A- alcohol & artificial sweetners
    P- processed foods

    Eat real whole foods.
    Oatmeal, eggs, fruit, vegetables, meat etc. Eat wholegrain complex carbs and eschew overly processed foods.
    For bread for example, I eat sourdough, sprouted rye or quinoa & amaranth bread. The less ingredients the Better.
  • kxll01
    kxll01 Posts: 10 Member
    Clean eating In my option can be summer up by cut the CRAP
    C- caffeine and carbonated drinks
    R- refined sugar
    A- alcohol & artificial sweetners
    P- processed foods

    Eat real whole foods.
    Oatmeal, eggs, fruit, vegetables, meat etc. Eat wholegrain complex carbs and eschew overly processed foods.
    For bread for example, I eat sourdough, sprouted rye or quinoa & amaranth bread. The less ingredients the Better.

    After reading through all the posts, some good and some, useless...
    This seemed to sum it up for me. Just knowing what is in the food I am eating.
    Fresh fruit, greens, grains, minus the processed foods.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    "The term is dumb. Yes. Eating healthy is not. Perhaps we could talk about eating healthy?"

    Yes, this has been my consistent point. OP did not ask what we thought eating healthy was, she asked about our understanding of eating "clean."

    I don't think eating "clean" is just an irritating way to say eating healthy, though. To the extent it means anything at all, it's an assertion that it is better to eliminate than eat "unclean" food in moderation (depending on what it is moderation could end up meaning once every couple of months, and of course this doesn't apply to foods that you just don't care about much -- i never eat pop tarts, but it would be absurd to claim I've eliminated them). I think it can be healthy for an individual to choose to eliminate foods based on personal reasons, but to say that's the essence of a healthy diet, what we should focus on, seems backwards to me. We should focus on eating a balanced healthy diet with lots of nutrients, a variety of vegetables, adequate protein, etc. "Clean" eating, with the focus on individual foods being good or bad or the red herring of processing (lots of good for you foods are processed) seems to me to focus on the wrong things.

    Or, you know, just be a trendy marketing label for diet books and plans.
    Hmm. Not to me. "Clean" isn't about demonizing or eliminating to me. I don't eat pop tarts, I've not eliminated them, I don't even really think about them, unless someone mentions them on here. My diet isn't based on what I don't eat, but rather what I aim to eat. I would imagine, for many who've been doing it a long time, that's the case. But even if someone's plan IS based around what they don't eat, I don't get why that rumples people's panties so much. Why is what they eat any more an indictment of what others eat than IIFYM? When I see folks saying: I'm trying to cut back on sugar, or cut out the soda. The reply is invariably: I eat whatever I want nom nom nom. Followed by silly gifs and a dog pile.
  • Leana93412
    Leana93412 Posts: 162
    Hi pals I'm Kimberly & I'm working on becoming a healthier me!! I'm trying to make better food choices. What do you consider clean eating?

    Mmm. We'll unless you wash your food with soap...

    Hehe just kidding. No such thing as clean eating or dirty eating. But if you want to eat more HEALTHY, that would be fruit & veg, nuts & seeds, whole grains, lean meats, eggs, healthy fats (think avocado, fatty fish, olive oil ect.) and low fat dairy.

    You shouldn't deprive yourself of treats though. Whatever you consider a treat. Me, that's chocolate and dessert. For you it might be a burger and chips. But work in one or two a week.

    If you want to maintain your new weight, you need to set guidelines for life. Hence me telling you to work in some treats. I doubt you will be able to do this for life without ever having a single piece of cake ever again. :wink:
  • Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.
  • Barbellarella_
    Barbellarella_ Posts: 454 Member
    http://evidencemag.com/clean-eating/


    Your welcome. :cauliflowerforyou:
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
    A way to feel more superior than others by avoiding processed foods.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.
    Umm, no.
    Also read your previous posts and I say no to those too. How about that?
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Always follow the proper sanitation practices when preparing your food, such as cooking your meats to the proper temperature, washing all fruits and vegetables before consuming them, and using clean, non-stagnated water, free from parasites. Especially if you're in a third-world country.

    :laugh:

    I just run mine through the dishwasher and cook them at the same time using my "Heated Dry" cycle. "Clean Eating" and conserving natural resources at the same time.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?

    In comparison to calorie cost - yes

    But I don't have an issue with junk food or the term!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?

    In comparison to calorie cost - yes

    But I don't have an issue with junk food or the term!

    I am not too sure then that the first poster in this string would agree, unless they think that pasta is unhealthy.

    As I mentioned, I was trying to understand what the poster meant, and therefore understand what they thought was 'unhealthly' about 'junk', whatever their definition was, hence me quoting them originally and not asking a broad question to everyone (as everyone's definition is likely to be different).


    ETA: it's not the term I have an issue with necessarily - we all use it in one way or another - it's the broad blanket statement being applied to it.
  • My view is that clean eating is eating food that is as close to nature as possible. Get the most unprocessed, natural state food possible. Lean cuts of meat, lots of fruits and veggies.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?

    In comparison to calorie cost - yes

    But I don't have an issue with junk food or the term!

    I am not too sure then that the first poster in this string would agree, unless they think that pasta is unhealthy.

    As I mentioned, I was trying to understand what the poster meant, and therefore understand what they thought was 'unhealthly' about 'junk', whatever their definition was, hence me quoting them originally and not asking a broad question to everyone (as everyone's definition is likely to be different).


    ETA: it's not the term I have an issue with necessarily - we all use it in one way or another - it's the broad blanket statement being applied to it.

    I'm sorry but I must have missed the bit where the op says junk food is unhealthy!

    Edit: I have only skimmed the 4 pages, but maybe missed it!
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Foods that come from the ground
    No processed foods
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?

    In comparison to calorie cost - yes

    But I don't have an issue with junk food or the term!

    I am not too sure then that the first poster in this string would agree, unless they think that pasta is unhealthy.

    As I mentioned, I was trying to understand what the poster meant, and therefore understand what they thought was 'unhealthly' about 'junk', whatever their definition was, hence me quoting them originally and not asking a broad question to everyone (as everyone's definition is likely to be different).


    ETA: it's not the term I have an issue with necessarily - we all use it in one way or another - it's the broad blanket statement being applied to it.

    I'm sorry but I must have missed the bit where the op says junk food is unhealthy!

    Edit: I have only skimmed the 4 pages, but maybe missed it!

    Not the op - the poster who I initially asked the question of (the one I quoted)....see top - last sentence.
  • Mariachicat
    Mariachicat Posts: 311 Member
    Eating mostly foods with not a lot of processing or chemicals.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Clean eating is avoiding foods which have chemicals and harmful substances. Many people are starting to go on organic or naturals, organic has no chemicals and they are not using pesticides in growing some fruits and vegetables. Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    Please point me to a credible study that shows processed foods (as in all processed foods as your statement is a blanket one) is unhealthy.

    Also, what do you define as junk? What harmful substances?

    Also, everything has chemicals.

    One definition of junk food is:

    Pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value:

    Another definition:

    A popular term for any food which is low in essential nutrients and high in everything else—in particular calories and sodium. Junk foods are often highly salted—e.g., potato chips/crisps, pretzels—high in refined carbohydrates (empty calories)—e.g., candy, soft drinks—and high in saturated fats—e.g., cake, chocolates

    I was asking the poster what they thought it was in reference to their blanket statement of 'unhealthy'.

    Using the definition you gave low nutritional value =/= unhealthy (in the context of individual foods, not overall diet). I would argue however with the fact that refined carbs = 'empty calories'. Is pasta 'junk' food for example?

    Yep and rice!

    That's not to say I wouldn't eat them, but only if I'd covered my micro's and protein and felt I had some calories to spare!

    Pasta and rice - nice food but in my book not bad not good just neutral!

    So your definition of junk is something that has relatively low micronutrient content?

    In comparison to calorie cost - yes

    But I don't have an issue with junk food or the term!

    I am not too sure then that the first poster in this string would agree, unless they think that pasta is unhealthy.

    As I mentioned, I was trying to understand what the poster meant, and therefore understand what they thought was 'unhealthly' about 'junk', whatever their definition was, hence me quoting them originally and not asking a broad question to everyone (as everyone's definition is likely to be different).


    ETA: it's not the term I have an issue with necessarily - we all use it in one way or another - it's the broad blanket statement being applied to it.

    I'm sorry but I must have missed the bit where the op says junk food is unhealthy!

    Edit: I have only skimmed the 4 pages, but maybe missed it!

    Not the op - the poster who I initially asked the question of (the one I quoted)....see top - last sentence.
    Okay my bad!

    I'm not in the junk food is unhealthy camp.

    My view is junk food is sometimes and mainly neutral neither unhealthy or that beneficial to health either!

    It tastes nice and when you've covered your bases else where then they should be enjoyed!

    I personal think they get a bad rap because people find it easy to over do there calories on them because they can calorie dense and very moorish.

    As an addition I would lump most gluten free substitute products as junk!
  • rossraskolnikov
    rossraskolnikov Posts: 29 Member
    A way to feel more superior than others by avoiding processed foods.

    Funny. Having been on this site a few weeks, the snarky comments from the 'non-clean' eaters seem to outweigh the 'clean' lot by approximately a thousand to one. Maybe it's more a case of you feeling inferior?


    I'd like to add, I don't eat 'clean' in any way, though am trying to transition to more 'healthful' eating.



    To answer the OP. In very simple terms, it's about eating more whole foods and keeping processed to a minimum. If something comes in a tin or a packet, a good way to get a feel for how 'processed' it is is by checking its ingredients. The more ingredients, usually the more processed. Especially if you don't recognise 90% of them.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Eating mostly foods with not a lot of processing or chemicals.

    No chemicals. No food for you.

    Banana-Chemical-Compounds-011416084470.jpg
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    A way to feel more superior than others by avoiding processed foods.
    Projection
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    Following the 5 second rule for dropped donuts?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    "The term is dumb. Yes. Eating healthy is not. Perhaps we could talk about eating healthy?"

    Yes, this has been my consistent point. OP did not ask what we thought eating healthy was, she asked about our understanding of eating "clean."

    I don't think eating "clean" is just an irritating way to say eating healthy, though. To the extent it means anything at all, it's an assertion that it is better to eliminate than eat "unclean" food in moderation (depending on what it is moderation could end up meaning once every couple of months, and of course this doesn't apply to foods that you just don't care about much -- i never eat pop tarts, but it would be absurd to claim I've eliminated them). I think it can be healthy for an individual to choose to eliminate foods based on personal reasons, but to say that's the essence of a healthy diet, what we should focus on, seems backwards to me. We should focus on eating a balanced healthy diet with lots of nutrients, a variety of vegetables, adequate protein, etc. "Clean" eating, with the focus on individual foods being good or bad or the red herring of processing (lots of good for you foods are processed) seems to me to focus on the wrong things.

    Or, you know, just be a trendy marketing label for diet books and plans.
    Hmm. Not to me. "Clean" isn't about demonizing or eliminating to me.

    Well, you also agreed that the term was dumb, so maybe you aren't really the person I'm talking about. (I've always thought you seemed pretty sensible.) My question is why use a stupid term that focuses on eliminating foods rather than actually talking about healthy eating, something that many people who aren't interested in "clean eating" or find the term pointless and unhelpful also are interested in.

    But it seems so often that really getting into what's healthy isn't interesting to people--they just want to adopt a silly label or focus on giving up items (often items that most of us don't think about or have any reason to give up, since we don't eat them).
    My diet isn't based on what I don't eat, but rather what I aim to eat. I would imagine, for many who've been doing it a long time, that's the case. But even if someone's plan IS based around what they don't eat, I don't get why that rumples people's panties so much. Why is what they eat any more an indictment of what others eat than IIFYM? When I see folks saying: I'm trying to cut back on sugar, or cut out the soda. The reply is invariably: I eat whatever I want nom nom nom. Followed by silly gifs and a dog pile.

    Well, I don't make fun of people cutting back on things for their own personal reasons or even cutting it out. I don't cut out foods (I just don't eat them if they don't happen to fit my goals), but I can understand why people might, and I certainly have cut back on things. (I don't see how that's not perfectly consistent with IIFYM, but I'm not promoting IIFYM anyway.)

    What bothers me about the "clean" thing is that I think it tends to equate healthy eating with cutting things out and needlessly labels groups and segregates the conversation. The excitement about "clean eating" plans and cookbooks and groups and so on bother me in the same way that any pre-set diet plan seems pointless and silly to me, plus it seems to suggest that non-"clean" cookbooks exist, as if normal cooking involves packaged cookie dough or whatever. Normal cooking IS cooking with whole foods and this is NOT some new special thing invented by the marketing types who created the "clean" eating label. My mother cooked that way, I've always cooked that way, I'm sure my grandmother and great grandmother did, and yet no one ever pretended it was some super special way of cooking. It was just cooking. (Okay, my mother used lots of canned veggies and I wouldn't, although I might well use frozen at times, but this idea that you are in a special group deserving of a label because you actually buy food that needs to be prepared is SO bizarre to me, and yet that seems to be part of the premise of a lot of the "clean" folks around here.)

    Also, why assume that you only can have useful discussions about nutrition with those who have given up processed food or whatever thing it happens to be, and assert that non clean eaters are just about eating pop tarts or corn dogs or the like 24/7--which most certainly is something I've seen often here from the biggest "clean" eater proponents.

    Also, I just find it so ironic that people who get all excited about eating "clean" often don't seem to realize that their diets contain just as many non-"clean" foods as most of the people they are arguing with, under their own definitions. And then when they get into "oh, well, I define what's clean to me," the question becomes then why use the silly label and thus define all the foods that you rather arbitrarily decide not to eat as "unclean." I don't call foods I don't like or don't eat "unclean" or "not clean," that seems to me self-evidently obnoxious and unnecessary.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Processed food and junk foods are also unhealthy.

    You'd need to define "junk" foods before making that claim.

    So why is my Fage 0% unhealthy?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    My view is that clean eating is eating food that is as close to nature as possible. Get the most unprocessed, natural state food possible. Lean cuts of meat, lots of fruits and veggies.

    Why are lean cuts of meat less processed than fattier cuts of meat? In at least some cases the opposite is true. I tend to buy my meat from a local farm, and as a result I eat more fat than I likely would if I just picked out meat based on how low the calories are (because of lower fat content) from my grocery.

    I also am in favor of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, but there is nothing particularly "clean" about that. I have a CSA share and like local and seasonable when possible (for personal reasons), but I would find it LESS healthy to stick to that--although the alternative requires processing or the like (carting produce around the world)--when where I live has a lengthy period when you really can't get fresh locally grown fruits and veggies.

    Plus I like bananas and coffee.