Clean Eating...?!

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cmevans22
cmevans22 Posts: 30 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm fairly new to this but what exactly is "clean eating"...what are some staples of this diet...or lifestyle, rather. I'd like to know what foods I should start really integrating into my diet and what foods I should leave out. I regularly hit my calorie goal and exercise 3-4x a week so I think I'm fairly on track. Would just like to know more about clean eating.

Thanks! :)
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Replies

  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    It is my opinion that there is no such thing as 'clean eating' (unless you're into dumpster diving) as I have yet to find a food that I can't fit into my macronutritional goals.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Different people have different definitions. I try to ingest only foods where, if they have an ingredient list, it is items I recognize as actual food and not things like Polysorbate 60 or Yellow Dye No. 5. I try and eat mostly whole foods cooked from scratch but if I do eat prepackaged stuff (like flour tortillas, for instance, I won't bother making on my own) I make sure I buy the best quality I can with ingredients that belong in tortillas. I find Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to be indispensable for times I need to buy packaged foods.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    It means eating non-processed or minimally processed food. The idea of clean eating is to eat food that is as close to its natural state as possible. So, for example, Chicken McNuggets: markedly unclean. Boneless skinless chicken breasts: quite a bit cleaner, but go through plenty of procesing. Whole chicken: best option for most people. Chicken that you kill yourself, clean, cook and eat: ideal.

    This is more of a standard of living / personal preference moreso than a requirement for success. As long as you're hitting your nutritional goals, you will succeed; regardless of clean or "dirty" eating.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    As close to fresh food as you can get. Whole grains, Fresh meat and fish, Fresh or no salt frozen Veggies and fruit, lower fat milk and cheese, nuts, and beans. Anything processed is not clean.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
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    I wash all my veggies and fruits. Also if I drop something on the floor the 5 second rule does not apply because I have dogs.
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    five second rule?
  • fakeplastictree
    fakeplastictree Posts: 836 Member
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    My husband started to tell me last night how people who hunt rabbits clean them........ ugh... I really didn't want to know that one.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    It means eating non-processed or minimally processed food. The idea of clean eating is to eat food that is as close to its natural state as possible. So, for example, Chicken McNuggets: markedly unclean. Boneless skinless chicken breasts: quite a bit cleaner, but go through plenty of procesing. Whole chicken: best option for most people. Chicken that you kill yourself, clean, cook and eat: ideal.

    This is more of a standard of living / personal preference moreso than a requirement for success. As long as you're hitting your nutritional goals, you will succeed; regardless of clean or "dirty" eating.

    This.

    And very soon I'm going to be adding Sea Monkeys to the database. I have quite a farm and the population needs to be "cleansed" so to speak.
  • iwantniceabs
    iwantniceabs Posts: 357 Member
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    I recommend Tosca Rena's book on Clean Eating, and if you really want to feel amazing - Clean by Alejandro Junger is awesome. I am in my second week and love it. Those will help give you a basic idea of what people usually refer to as clean eating. Good luck!
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I wash all my veggies and fruits. Also if I drop something on the floor the 5 second rule does not apply because I have dogs.

    Hahahaha. So true. Most of the time it doesn't even reach the floor. I actually find it a pain when I am at my mother's house and I drop food on the floor. I'm like "crap, I have to pick that up"
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I recommend Tosca Rena's book on Clean Eating, and if you really want to feel amazing - Clean by Alejandro Junger is awesome. I am in my second week and love it. Those will help give you a basic idea of what people usually refer to as clean eating. Good luck!

    As someone who has regularly read the magazines, that is what I thought too, until I spent some time here. Everyone has a different idea of "clean eating", this is just an example of one of those. You will find quite a few don't agree with Tosca's diet as "clean eating".
    Ask someone who eats paleo what is clean and you will get a different answer.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
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    My husband started to tell me last night how people who hunt rabbits clean them........ ugh... I really didn't want to know that one.

    Have him explain 'no cut cleaning'. It's amazing.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Clean eating is when you make sure you wash your food with bleach to get rid off all the bad things in it. Works well with Cheese burgers and chilli fries.


    all kidding aside just means that you are eating healthy things such as fruits vegetables etc.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    five second rule?


    AWESOME! LOVE IT

    To me clean eating is foods with out preservatives and added antibiotics or hormones. As organic as possible or as I can afford. If I can not pronounce the ingredients on the label, I will not eat it.

    I can say that I have noticed a major difference in my quality of life when I eat this way. There have been a few occasions that I have said "what the hay" and eaten something like doritos, only to get a little nauseated after.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    five second rule?

    If you drop something on the floor you have 5 seconds to pick it up and eat it. Over 5, throw it out, or let the dog have it, even though it's bad for them in most cases).
  • big_drake
    big_drake Posts: 78
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    Different people have different definitions. I try to ingest only foods where, if they have an ingredient list, it is items I recognize as actual food and not things like Polysorbate 60 or Yellow Dye No. 5. I try and eat mostly whole foods cooked from scratch but if I do eat prepackaged stuff (like flour tortillas, for instance, I won't bother making on my own) I make sure I buy the best quality I can with ingredients that belong in tortillas. I find Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to be indispensable for times I need to buy packaged foods.

    I will not sit here and listen to you bash Yellow Dye No. 5. It is the yummiest of all the Yellow Dyes....:bigsmile:
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    five second rule?

    this.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Washing your veggies?
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    It means eating non-processed or minimally processed food. The idea of clean eating is to eat food that is as close to its natural state as possible. So, for example, Chicken McNuggets: markedly unclean. Boneless skinless chicken breasts: quite a bit cleaner, but go through plenty of procesing. Whole chicken: best option for most people. Chicken that you kill yourself, clean, cook and eat: ideal.

    This is more of a standard of living / personal preference moreso than a requirement for success. As long as you're hitting your nutritional goals, you will succeed; regardless of clean or "dirty" eating.

    Excellent answer. Succinct, balanced and informative.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    Different people have different definitions. I try to ingest only foods where, if they have an ingredient list, it is items I recognize as actual food and not things like Polysorbate 60 or Yellow Dye No. 5. I try and eat mostly whole foods cooked from scratch but if I do eat prepackaged stuff (like flour tortillas, for instance, I won't bother making on my own) I make sure I buy the best quality I can with ingredients that belong in tortillas. I find Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to be indispensable for times I need to buy packaged foods.

    I will not sit here and listen to you bash Yellow Dye No. 5. It is the yummiest of all the Yellow Dyes....:bigsmile:

    I prefer #69

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