Am I a clean eater?
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BudandGriz68
Posts: 6
Hi. I want to join this group, but only if I qualify. I did eat clean once, and my health was greatly improved. I have a few "Clean Eating" magazines and a a recipe book by Tosca Reno. I am now, however, following the Simple Diet. It involves eating prepackagd foods of your choice, as well as 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. If I eat Kashi frozen meals and bars, does that count as clean eating? I plan on cooking again. This is just easier right now. Please let me know. I will leave the group, if this is a problem for others in the group.
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I think the purpose of this group is for people to learn and share ideas about clean eating....so I think you are fine
I have Kashi products in my diet and I consider it clean, I would also consider anything organic to be clean.0 -
I ;just joined because it sounds right, but what is considered a clean eater?0
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Research clean eating on the web. For me its basically whole foods, no preservatives, overly processed, no artificial sugars, dyes or flavors. All natural.....like my grandma would of ate when she was young.
I also take it a few steps more and avoid... BHT, BPA, msg, nitrates, hormones, antibiotics, I try to avoid pesticides by buying organic fruits and veggies or wash non organic produce very well. Im staying away from GMO's (genetically modified organisms) research it, they are in about 80% of our food supply.
There is so much more to add....but you guys get the point. Eating clean is different for everyone....just stick to whole foods and shop on the outer isles of the grocery store. If a product has more than 6 ingredients or you can't pronounce the ingredient its best to stay away.0 -
I took this from Gracious Pantry. This is what I personally consider clean. I follow method 3 and eat as little processed food as I can. When someone asks me what clean eating is I always answer with eating nothing processed and as whole and natural as possible.
THREE METHODS FOR EATING CLEAN
METHOD 1
There are many people simply looking to remove the chemicals from their diets and bodies, and therefore eat clean. Their focus is NOT on losing weight, but on general health.They avoid processed foods of all kinds, yet eat only when the need arises or three times per day.
METHOD 2
(I believe this is the most common/popular method at the moment)
Eat Lots Of Plants – Eat food that is straight from nature. (Some people say “as close to the way nature made it as possible”. But I think that leaves too much wiggle room – in my humble opinion) Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and you’ve pretty much got it covered. The idea is to stay away from anything that humans (food corporations) have altered in any way.
Include Meats - Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats and grind them yourself. You’d be surprised what’s in ground turkey meat! You can also select a few turkey breasts and ask that the butcher grind them for you. Many butchers are more than willing to accommodate.
Enjoy Grains - Eat grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down into “glue”. Stick to brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.(For a list of foods to stock your pantry with, check out this list.)
Read Labels I don’t know how many breads I’ve picked up at the store that say they are whole grain. But when I take a look at the ingredient list, white flour is the second ingredient after whole wheat flour!
Eat Fewer Ingredients. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. And be sure you recognize each and every ingredient. If you find a “mystery ingredient” such as “spices”, contact the company! Ask them what they consider to be spices. If it’s anything other than honest-to-goodness herbs and spices, avoid it! And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
Eat 5-6 small meals per day. This may seem like a lot at first. But remember, you are eating smaller portions. If you really have a hard time with this, prepare your regular three meals and a snack for the day, and divide lunch and dinner in half. You’ve instantly got 6 small meals!
METHOD 3
There is also another method of eating 3 regular meals and squeezing in 1 snack for a total of 4 meals. You eat every four hours instead of every 2-3. This concept is from Jillian Michaels and the theory behind it is that if you eat every 2-3 hours, your insulin stays continuously spiked and you end up with a higher chance of diabetes.
I have no idea if this is actually the case. I’m simply supplying information for you to consider. Do what feels right for you. The Gracious Pantry does not endorse one method over another.
IN CONCLUSION
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts.0 -
IN CONCLUSION
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts.
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thats how I started out, Ive been incorporating cleaner foods into my diet for a few years now.0 -
Thanks for the help. I will take some baby steps by starting to cook a little. I buy food for my husband to cook for himself, since his eating choices, schedule, etc., are different than mine. I saw a news story on TV about pink slime in ground beef. I don't buy all organic right now, but I did start buying natural or organic ground beef for him.0
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I bought groceries for the week, and I did not buy any frozen meals. I still plan on using prepared sphaghetti sauce and salad dressing. The next goal will be to try some recipes for those two things. Also, I am planning on subbing noodles for spaghetti squash. I am not a big fan of low carb diets, just looking for way to increase vegetable consumption.0
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I bought groceries for the week, and I did not buy any frozen meals. I still plan on using prepared sphaghetti sauce and salad dressing. The next goal will be to try some recipes for those two things. Also, I am planning on subbing noodles for spaghetti squash. I am not a big fan of low carb diets, just looking for way to increase vegetable consumption.
A couple of my favorite recipes for these two things.....
Sauce: Spicy Artichoke pasta sauce
in an iron skillet heat 1 tbs. of olive oil add crushed red pepper, and 4 cloves of garlic. let this cook for just a minute for the garlic to release all that yummy flavor into the oil. Then add about 4-6 chopped tomatoes let them cook down a bit, then add marinated artichoke hearts (you can either buy these in a jar, or marinate your own in olive oil and lemon juice). let that simmer for a few minutes, and serve over homemade pasta, or whole wheat pasta. YUM YUM YUM!!!!
Salad dressing: Homemade Goddess dressing
2 tbls of tahini (sesame butter)
the juice of one large lemon
1 tsp. of olive oil
a pinch of salt
add water to desired consistancy
Stir it up and enjoy!!!
I like to put a bit of crushed garlic in mine also sometimes.0 -
If you are interested in clean eating at all then I think you qualify
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