Clean eating...where to start?

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  • jldunn713
    jldunn713 Posts: 41 Member
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    Don't be worried. It is not complicated. Shop mostly in the produce department and not so much in the middle aisles of the store. Stay away from things like pop tarts, chips, candy (0bvious) But also "diet" items that have health claims on the label and weird ingredients that aren't real food. Grab fresh fruit or nuts when you want a snack. Build meals with vegetables and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, or barley. Whole wheat items like bread and pasta are still processed so be sparing with those. Although sprouted bread is a decent option.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    *Snip*
    Eating clean means different things to different people, so you might want to start with what your ideal eating plan might look like. Over time, and by that I mean a year and a half or so, I've gone from a fast food lover who hardly cooked at home, to someone that eats organically most of the time and cooks ALL the time. Here's my definition of eating clean:

    I would recommend not doing this overnight. You want to just target one or two things at a time and eliminate them from your eating plan. It took me 4 tries over 6 months or so to finally quit drinking soda. But I did that until I was good at it and then moved on.

    This 100%

    Making huge changes and drastically cutting everything "bad" out all at once, for me personally, was just not doable. For the most part I eat salads, sandwiches, eggs, cheese and canned vegetables for the simple reason that I live alone and I don't want to cook a whole meal just for me.

    One of my favorite things, that your man should enjoy and hardly even notice a difference, is make your favorite fast food meals at home.

    Tacos are my favorite but I substitute turkey meat for ground beef and you can't even taste the difference with the taco seasoning. I just steer clear of cheese and sour cream to cut back on calories, load with lettuce and salsa.

    Fajitas. Anything cooked with fresh chicken breast is going to be great. Load up with peppers and onions.

    Burgers. These I still can't quite do with the turkey meat but I buy the leanest ground meat I can. Mix in a bit of salsa for a nice juicy flair and do up on the grill or Foreman, something that they won't be sitting in their own fat while cooking. Great for summer time cooking.

    Salads with fruit. There's nothing better during the hot summer time then a cool crisp salad with yummy strawberries or mandarin oranges. There are hundreds of great recipes for these kinds of salads and light dressings to compliment them perfectly.

    Decadent Desserts. Restaurants make some delicious desserts but cooking them at home with fresh ingredients and portion control will help cut down on calories while satisfying your sweet tooth.

    I use these concepts everyday, watch my calories and still enjoy great food because I know what is going into my meals. I think that is the biggest first step one can take in taking control of their diet. Knowing what they are eating. Hope this helps!
  • strongnotskinny121
    strongnotskinny121 Posts: 329 Member
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    Im interested in clean eating but i do not know where to begin! Does anybody out there have any resources or suggestions to help me begin this journey?

    Also, I was wondering if its 100% clean or do some people "cheat" at it? I think at first I am going to have to "cheat" a little before i get the hang of it all.

    Any help is appreciated thank you!

    Read Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" I also read Paleo diet, but that was a bit too far for me to still be able to eat meals with my hubby. I just incorporate as many unprocessed food as possible.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
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    Another website with some excellent clean eating recipes is the Gracious Pantry : www.thegraciouspantry.com.
  • sbrandt1
    sbrandt1 Posts: 9
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    bump
  • pursuitoffitness
    pursuitoffitness Posts: 45
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    Okay well I'm just gonna say my personal experience and a few others....
    Starting off clean eating can be EXTREMELY difficult!! If you are used to eating cookies, chips, soda, etc... It can be real pain in the *kitten* when you have to pick the apple and milk over the cookies and soda. I only ate like crap before. You have to realize that clean eating isn't a diet... It's a lifestyle. Start substituting your foods. Slowly cut out the unhealthy ones. It took me two months to quit soda and I haven't had it in five months coming up this Sunday. MFP will really help you keep track of your net calories so that's no biggie. Remember that this new lifestyle takes time! I still binge and I've been working at this since October. I would say for a month have a day that is your cheat day. Then the next month only have a cheat meal. Then cut those out. Make everything a smooth transition. Going cold turkey on junk will most likely result in horrible binges. Good luck to you and add me if you like :)
  • MinglewoodBlues
    MinglewoodBlues Posts: 24
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    Bump.
  • th83
    th83 Posts: 3
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    i love that site! I've found a lot of helpful things there. I really like www.livestrong.com also. I've been spending more time at the health food/organic grocery stores and its like foreign territory to me! I recently discovered the health benefits of chia seeds, hemp seeds and bought some coconut manna. Its fun experimenting with this new stuff! I've noticed I really don't miss the junk food.

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