What exactly is "Clean Eating"?

SunofaBeach14

I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
Does it mean for example, that if you're making a Pasta/Spaghetti Sauce, you make it using actual Tomatoes and not ones in the Can?
So No Canned or Packaged foods, right?
If so, that's not so easy or cheap to do! :noway:
Would love to see some Meal idea's.

Thank you. This particular point is one of my bigger issues with the no-processed foods idea. Tomato sauce is better with canned tomatoes. It's also an example of why this type of reasoning is flawed. Healthy (and tasty) eating takes a bit more thought than "clean," as that concept is both over and under inclusive.

Camo_xxx

Onefortyone

I don't eat any of the things you mention on a regular basis and I have never had any sense of superiority over those that eat different then I do. I have no reason to judge what or how others eat.

I eat the way I do because I like it and because I can. Certainly not to impress others or be judgmental.


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Railr0aderTony

What exactly is "Clean Eating"?

earlnabby

@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.

No they don't. Herbs and spices have one ingredient. Seasonings are a mix of any number of herbs, spices, salt, etc. Cayenne is a spice, chili powder is a seasoning.

vismal

The problem is, clean eating means different things to different people, but usually it means cutting out all junk food, including the pasta you mentioned. Essentially it is eating only whole foods. And suprisingly its not that expensive if you dont try and buy the organic foods, just stick to single ingredient foods and you should be on the right track.

care to elaborate on how pasta is junk food?

I agree, I think it means different things to different people. to me, it would mean cutting-out M'n'M's, Snickers and Coke. I would focus more on tea, whole foods, veggies, lean meats, no bread or anything overly processed. but that's JMO.

More evidence that the term is meaningless. While some might consider pasta or bread to be "unclean", others would see whole grain pasta and bread as perfectly acceptable. There is nothing about bread or pasta that is inherently bad for your health unless you have an allergy to it. Eating bread and pasta will not stop weight loss, and depending on how it's prepared, it can be minimally processed and only contain a few ingredients.

This discussion is as endless as it is meaningless. Eat what you like, that agrees with you, that helps you achieve your goals. No one can ever create a list of foods that is right for everyone and attempting to glorify or vilify individual foods as "clean or unclean" is asinine. We don't just eat individual foods, we eat a combination of several foods. That's why you must look at foods as they fit into your diet as a whole. There is no good/bad, clean/dirty, right/wrong when it comes to individual foods. Focus more on whether or not you total diet makes you feel good, keeps you healthy, and allows you to achieve your goals.

northbanu

Often the categories and acceptable processing levels have more to do with the individual's personal beliefs than any actual science.

I not only think that it is often the case, but it is ALWAYS the case.

earlnabby

@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.

not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.

Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.

970Mikaela1

As long as I catch it on the first bounce after hitting the floor I consider it clean.

Peloton73

I'm all in agreement that the term has different meanings to most. I'm a T2 diabetic so my idea of clean eating is pretty different from a non-T2. However, when I see someone write in a post that they are "eating clean" I get the concept of what they are trying to say and don't derail the topic.

Camo_xxx

@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.

not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.

Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.

Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.

Josalinn

What exactly is "Clean Eating"?

This is beautiful!

Personally, I do what I want and try not to make people feel guilty about how they are eating. I just try to get my protein in, and I avoid preservatives when I can. Ah protein, need so much of you....yay for Fage and eggs! Easy protein there. As for the preservatives, it isn't that I think they are going to kill me, it's more that they make me really consider the food I am about to buy (like say Oreos) and is it worth my calories and money (no). Limited budget here!

Now my boyfriend on the other hand is weird. He gets all KINDS of upset over preservatives in his food (frozen pasta, cereal etc.) but drinks an EAS shake and eats a protein bar everyday for lunch and doesn't mind those preservatives. Go Figure!:ohwell:

vismal

What exactly is "Clean Eating"?

This is beautiful!

Personally, I do what I want and try not to make people feel guilty about how they are eating. I just try to get my protein in, and I avoid preservatives when I can. Ah protein, need so much of you....yay for Fage and eggs! Easy protein there. As for the preservatives, it isn't that I think they are going to kill me, it's more that they make me really consider the food I am about to buy (like say Oreos) and is it worth my calories and money (no). Limited budget here!

Now my boyfriend on the other hand is weird. He gets all KINDS of upset over preservatives in his food (frozen pasta, cereal etc.) but drinks an EAS shake and eats a protein bar everyday for lunch and doesn't mind those preservatives. Go Figure!:ohwell:

I never understood the clean eaters who take protein shakes and bars. Many bodybuilders are guilty of this. They eat no processed foods all day then drink a whey shake that is EXTREMELY processed but still consider it "clean" simply because they need to justify taking it.

Elsie_Brownraisin

I don't know. I'm a mean cook and got plenty fat off foods that were homemade and constituted of single ingredients. It may be a marketing shill, but I would happily invest my time in a book that claimed steak and kidney pie was clean eating.

earlnabby

@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.

not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.

Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.

Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.

Nice idea but few people have the $ to build a specialized greenhouse that has different climate controlled sections that recreates the proper conditions to grow cinnamon trees, peppercorns, ginger plants, nutmeg trees (which also produce mace), cardamom plants, etc. Herbs and vegetables like peppers grow well in temperate climates like where I live but the only spices I can grow around here are dill seeds, poppy seeds, anise seeds, and mustard seeds.

CynthiasChoice

I prefer the term whole foods rather than clean foods. It makes sense to me to try to eat whole foods, but that doesn't mean you can't blend a bunch of whole foods into a recipe. And to me, it doesn't mean that you can't have a few healthy tortilla chips made from whole food ingredients. The one thing I'm debating with myself about though is if oil qualifies as a whole food.

The important thing is that YOU feel good about what you choose to put into your body. I think as people grow older, or if they face a serious health issue, they tend to pay more attention to the foods they choose. They raise the bar on what is healthy. It's great to share our ideas about what works for us, or read books about what works for others, but in the end, you have to find the level of whole, or the level of clean that is sustainable for you and makes YOU feel good about your choices. It's not necessary to try to "get on board" with anyone else's philosophy.

Camo_xxx

@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.

not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.

Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.

Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.

Nice idea but few people have the $ to build a specialized greenhouse that has different climate controlled sections that recreates the proper conditions to grow cinnamon trees, peppercorns, ginger plants, nutmeg trees (which also produce mace), cardamom plants, etc. Herbs and vegetables like peppers grow well in temperate climates like where I live but the only spices I can grow around here are dill seeds, poppy seeds, anise seeds, and mustard seeds.

I can't grow saffron but that doesn't stop me from planting what I can in my patch of dirt. Cost to construct said patch of dirt = $0

elephant2mouse

I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.

An argument on MFP.

northbanu

I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.

An argument on MFP.

^^^THIS

P.S Love your username. I'm a fan of both, but all in one... That's effing awesome.

AZKristi

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/

Kalikel

Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.

That's it. I'm moving to live by you.

All that healthy food. And fresh spices.

You should start a business. "Dinner by Camo" - you'd rake it in.