Do people really think eating clean/healthy is too boring?

karrielynn80

i think ppl consider eating clean boring b/c they don't want to put forth the work to "investigate".

I look at it as a challenge to find new foods & recipes, but some see it as - "eat crap or eat chicken".

I see it as "eat homemade / healthy sweets when i want and eat as little processed food for actual meals as possible" - of course, there is the occassional slip up - but i don't guilt myself too much about it, b/c i work hard 80-90% of the time & those are my choices. If i start going the opposite direction i want (bf%, scale, inches, whatever) i buckle down & move ahead .

lisamarie2181

Meat, chicken (dark meat, baby!!), pork, fish, seafood, shellfish, eggs, bacon, full fat dairy products (from local grass-fed dairy). coconut oil, butter, olive oil, coconut milk (heck coconut anything). I can sit down and eat a 12oz steak smothered in salt/pepper and a sweet potato dripping with butter and cinnamon. I crisp up leftover salmon skin brushed with butter under the broiler. BACON OF THE SEA! I eat 85% dark chocolate for breakfast - amazing with a cup of strong black coffee w/ or w/o heavy cream. I eat frozen blueberries in coconut milk or heavy cream like a bowl of cereal. I buy local and buy from farmer's markets to ensure the highest nutrient content. (I eat veggies because some are probably better than none but I don't go out of my way to get them.)


The reason clean eating is "boring" is because fat is where the flavor is. And we're told that fat makes us fat (which isn't true) so we remove ALL FLAVOR from real food. Interesting that I eat about 65%-70% of my daily calories as fat and I'm maintaining -with very little actual structured exercise - 110lbs. And my energy levels are through the roof from when I wake up to when I relax for the night. Thank you Primal Blueprint.

I completely agree, I do not believe fat is the issue! I try to never buy things that are low fat or fat free, most of the time they add sugar to compensate for flavor and having PCOS, sugars are no no's for me!!! I try as use the healthiest fats I can. Like you said maybe that is why it is considered boring. I use oil when I cook, not alot but alittle. and spices are my new best friend

vkruithof I love the website skinnytaste.com. She has taken alot of recipes and made them healthier, for myself if there are some things in her recipes I don't normally eat, I just tweak them with an alternative that I do eat, and I have never made a bad recipe off her site! I know there are alot of sites out there, but I have been the most successful with her recipes, I highly suggest you take a look at the site and see what you think

one of my favorite recipes that I make is chili, I think of it more maybe tex mex? It is mostly full of veggies, i do make it with meat and without, usually use the 99% ground turkey, or if you have a Trader Joe's or some other groceries carry a lean sirloin that is 130 cals and 4.5 g fat. I put in onion, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrot (shredded), zucchini, and pretty much whatever other veggie you like! and the tomatoes of course! I also like making soups alot for this reason because you can just throw a whole bunch of veggies in and have an awesome nutrient dense meal

Sarauk2sf

This is making the assumption that is you do not eat 'clean', whatever that means, you are eating unhealthily. You can eat what may or may not be considered 'clean' and still eat healthily.

What I meant was that I have noticed going through some diaries, that there are quite a few the eat heavily processed on a daily basis, and I am not just talking lean cuisines, I am talking pizza hut (pizza places in general), fried prepacked foods from the grocery store, fast food, things of this matter. IMO, no I do not consider that a healthy diet when you are consuming these things on a daily basis, just because they are in your calories. And half the time they are not in the calories because they eat a very large meal at once and then barely eat anything the rest of the day because they are out of calories.

I am not speaking of people that eat healthy and have the occasional treats in between or minimally processed items in their days. I know for myself because I still have a ways to go, all those bad things are what got me here in the first place, so yes IMO option, if I am trying to lose weight and get healthy, they should not be a normal staple in my diet. Like I said before, if people do it and it works for them, that is great. But I am not just trying to lose weight, I am trying to be healthy, have my body full of nutrients and functioning properly and how it was meant to. Alot of processed easy packaged foods barely have any actual "food" in them. If you take a look at labels of some things, there is about 2 or 3 food ingredients and about 12 that you can't pronounce or have no idea what it is. These are the kind of things that I am not really sure how someone can argue that product is as nutritionally sound as a product made of whole ingredients that have nutrients. Lab created additives and fillers do not have nutrition.

I honestly think that it comes down to people having the view that it is completely about nutrients and the quality of food you put in your body opposed to being able to eat whatever you want and be in your calories. Because I have PCOS, I have never been able to do those things, eat whatever I want and still lose. This is what brought me to research and discover more about the nutrients and how lacking our bodies are of them. This is why I choose to live this lifestyle and though I am not perfect, I do have slip up days where I go alittle haywire, but they are way fewer and far between then when I ate processed foods.

Whatever you choose to be believe, do what is best for you. I was just curious to see the reasoning why people don't like or choose to eat or not to eat clean (and by that I mean No processed or minimal). It seems like cooking and not cooking plays a large factor in not doing clean (or lets call it whole food eating) because living this way does mean you have to plan, prep and cook all the time.

Its all about context, which I suppose was my point. I will give you and example. Ice-cream. It is packaged/process, what have you - but it provides quite a few nutrients. Another example is milk. It is processed - is that clean?. I suppose the issue I have with the whole clean/processed debate is that there is no actual definition and that it is a logical fallacy that you have to 'eat clean' to be healthy, depending on that definition of clean.

lisamarie2181

Its all about context, which I suppose was my point. I will give you and example. Ice-cream. It is packaged/process, what have you - but it provides quite a few nutrients. Another example is milk. It is processed - is that clean?. I suppose the issue I have with the whole clean/processed debate is that there is no actual definition and that it is a logical fallacy that you have to 'eat clean' to be healthy, depending on that definition of clean.
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I agree, it is hard for some to understand the difference, especially if they are not label readers. I just tend to look at it this way. If you look at two ice cream containers at the store, you have one that has an ingredient list about a mile long, and then you have one that is three ingredients - milk, sugar, and say cream. I would definitely think the latter is going to be a better option. For me I don't do sweets really because I am sensitive to sugar, but to me ice cream is a treat, not something I would consume everyday, especially with the amount of weight I want to lose. My down fall is the bad greasy food lol

And I am sorry for using the word "clean", I know it means so many different things depending on who you are asking, but I really just meant like whole foods, not prepackaged stuff with fillers and preservatives. And in eating whole foods, there are alot of different levels, some people eat completely that way, not one convenient thing in their diet. I am still a work in progress, and at times when I don't have another option, do eat something I normally wouldn't because it is either that or don't eat. I just feel like when you are eating fast food and bad convenience foods all the time, you really aren't learning about foods, maybe you are just trying to lose weight. Like I said, I understand the need for the treats every now and again but I think for the most part, people that eat a whole food diet will find alternatives that are better then others out there.

In regards to the milk, I have never really drank milk. Milk is pasteurized (which I understand why) but in that process it kills alot of nutrients and they have to be added back in ala "fortified". Again, in this case I believe your views on things are going to play a factor. some will say milk is completely fine, others will say milk isn't good for you at all. I think it just depends on how your views are with certain things. I try to live a pretty holistic lifestyle, so my views may be vastly different than many, but I'm not knocking them at all. You live your life how you choose to and if you struggle with losing weight and finding something you can live with, then yes I encourage you to do what you need to for it to work for you.

And I know alot of people do believe that it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in your calories, but that is not true for everyone. When you have any sort of medical condition, what you actually put in your body does matter. I can't eat alot of convenience foods and bad foods even if they are in my calories, I will gain. For me eating too many carbs and sugars will completely stall my weight loss. I ate very carb heavy last week, but within my calories, and the scale didn't budge. I lowered the carbs and the scale is going down now. Everyone is different, and not everyone can just stay within calories and be successful. I have found much success with this and it has eliminated alot of my symptoms of PCOS. That is why I love it so much. I don't think you are wrong for adding in some processed things, we are just different people with different points of view, absolutely nothing wrong with that! Doesn't mean our ultimate journeys are different, we all want to be fit and happy and live a good life. Just because my viewpoint on the food side may be different doesn't mean I would support anyone any less. Everyone knows how hard it is to lose weight and I give props to EVERYONE on this site that is making a difference and changing their lives for the better.

Sarauk2sf

Its all about context, which I suppose was my point. I will give you and example. Ice-cream. It is packaged/process, what have you - but it provides quite a few nutrients. Another example is milk. It is processed - is that clean?. I suppose the issue I have with the whole clean/processed debate is that there is no actual definition and that it is a logical fallacy that you have to 'eat clean' to be healthy, depending on that definition of clean.

I agree, it is hard for some to understand the difference, especially if they are not label readers. I just tend to look at it this way. If you look at two ice cream containers at the store, you have one that has an ingredient list about a mile long, and then you have one that is three ingredients - milk, sugar, and say cream. I would definitely think the latter is going to be a better option. For me I don't do sweets really because I am sensitive to sugar, but to me ice cream is a treat, not something I would consume everyday, especially with the amount of weight I want to lose. My down fall is the bad greasy food lol

And I am sorry for using the word "clean", I know it means so many different things depending on who you are asking, but I really just meant like whole foods, not prepackaged stuff with fillers and preservatives. And in eating whole foods, there are alot of different levels, some people eat completely that way, not one convenient thing in their diet. I am still a work in progress, and at times when I don't have another option, do eat something I normally wouldn't because it is either that or don't eat. I just feel like when you are eating fast food and bad convenience foods all the time, you really aren't learning about foods, maybe you are just trying to lose weight. Like I said, I understand the need for the treats every now and again but I think for the most part, people that eat a whole food diet will find alternatives that are better then others out there.

In regards to the milk, I have never really drank milk. Milk is pasteurized (which I understand why) but in that process it kills alot of nutrients and they have to be added back in ala "fortified". Again, in this case I believe your views on things are going to play a factor. some will say milk is completely fine, others will say milk isn't good for you at all. I think it just depends on how your views are with certain things. I try to live a pretty holistic lifestyle, so my views may be vastly different than many, but I'm not knocking them at all. You live your life how you choose to and if you struggle with losing weight and finding something you can live with, then yes I encourage you to do what you need to for it to work for you.

And I know alot of people do believe that it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in your calories, but that is not true for everyone. When you have any sort of medical condition, what you actually put in your body does matter. I can't eat alot of convenience foods and bad foods even if they are in my calories, I will gain. For me eating too many carbs and sugars will completely stall my weight loss. I ate very carb heavy last week, but within my calories, and the scale didn't budge. I lowered the carbs and the scale is going down now. Everyone is different, and not everyone can just stay within calories and be successful. I have found much success with this and it has eliminated alot of my symptoms of PCOS. That is why I love it so much. I don't think you are wrong for adding in some processed things, we are just different people with different points of view, absolutely nothing wrong with that! Doesn't mean our ultimate journeys are different, we all want to be fit and happy and live a good life. Just because my viewpoint on the food side may be different doesn't mean I would support anyone any less. Everyone knows how hard it is to lose weight and I give props to EVERYONE on this site that is making a difference and changing their lives for the better.

Thank you for the explanation - usually differences often depend in definitional points rather than any fundamental concept. I do not have any food sensitivies so to me, it really is a IIFYM with a balanced diet thrown in to ensure I get all the micronutrients. I look at my diary, make sure I have my fruits and veggies, a good mix of fats and I hit my protein target - after that, all bets are off!

Just to pick up on one thing though - pasteurization does not kill the nutrients

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/product-specificinformation/milksafety/ucm122062.htm

Edited to fix quotes (I hope)

Acg67

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

lisamarie2181

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

IMO, this is not the same as having a boxed convenient food on shelf that has a list of 20 ingredients that you can't name. To me this Processed food and those are not the same. At least in my opinion. You can go as far as saying when you cook food it is being processed. I am not that extreme lol The benefits of certain oils outweigh it's "processing". I think most people know what processed convenient foods I speak of, but you are right, it is considered processed.

girlinahat

Herbs and spices

It's amazing what some fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano will do to a meal.

And clean to me means I created it. I create a tomato sauce for pasta by roasting tomatoes in a dish, with a dash of olive oil rosemary thyme and garlic. Then roast for an hour,mash and voila. Sauce.

My problem is food tastes so good I love to eat it all!!!

bcattoes

I crisp up leftover salmon skin brushed with butter under the broiler. BACON OF THE SEA!

My husband thinks I'm crazy because I fry the salmon skin and eat it. It's so yummy. Though I don't put butter on mine.

The reason clean eating is "boring" is because fat is where the flavor is.

Does clean eating mean no/low fat?? I know there are a lot of definitions for it, but I didn't think it meant no or low fat.

bcattoes

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

Why are frozen fruits & veg considered processed? Because most are blanched first? But then would that mean that all cooked fruits & veg are processed?

Terms that have no real definition drive me crazy!

LuckyLeprechaun

In regards to the milk, I have never really drank milk. Milk is pasteurized (which I understand why) but in that process it kills alot of nutrients and they have to be added back in ala "fortified".

false.

They heat it up, then rapidly cool it. Nothing is added or removed. Only the nasty bugs like e.coli and listeria are killed in the process, it does not change the nutritional value in any way.

Acg67

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

Why are frozen fruits & veg considered processed? Because most are blanched first? But then would that mean that all cooked fruits & veg are processed?

Terms that have no real definition drive me crazy!

They are frozen and packaged, how is that not processed? Do you find bags of frozen veggies laying around in a field?

LuckyLeprechaun

they eat a very large meal at once and then barely eat anything the rest of the day because they are out of calories.

So what?

Meal timing is irrelevant. If you wanna spend 'em all in one place, you can.

ToughTulip

I don't understand clean eating to be honest.

Chicken, fish, and tuna - why aren't pork and beef considered clean?
Why is salt the devil?
Why is something processed the complete enemy?
Why only dark chocolate?
Why little to no bread, pasta, or grains?
Added sugar?

I just don't get it! I think that it if it has nutrients then it can benefit you in some way
I am all for an 80/20 outlook. Flexible dieting seems to work best for me

LuckyLeprechaun

Sgt., some people feel better about their diet if they follow restrictive rules. It does not matter if the rules are arbitrary, or illogical, or not founded in facts or science. It's the restrictiveness that satisfies, and the ability to be smug and superior towards others who don't subscribe to the same level of strictness.

Rae6503

I don't think it's boring. I just think it's more time consuming and I'm busy. Do you know how long it takes to make spaghetti sauce from scratch?

bcattoes

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

Why are frozen fruits & veg considered processed? Because most are blanched first? But then would that mean that all cooked fruits & veg are processed?

Terms that have no real definition drive me crazy!

They are frozen and packaged, how is that not processed? Do you find bags of frozen veggies laying around in a field?

Well, no. But I don't find a bag of fresh carrots laying around in a field either.

So, if I grow the carrot in my garden, pick it, wash it, blanch it and freeze it, would I shun it if I wanted to eat clean? Or is it only processing if someone else does it for me.

sarahbrown1015

Thanks for your post! I started trying to eat clean about a year ago. It gets cleaner as I go and no I do not find it boring. Despite the fact the I was eating clean and working out I was not losing any weight. Two weeks ago I found out I have PCOS! I'm reading an awesome book The PCOS Diet about how my body works and carb distribution. I have lost about 8 pounds already and have only had to tweak things a little bit. My energy is already improved as well. I had never even heard of PCOS. Any good cookbook recommendations? Thanks!

deb3129

Sgt., some people feel better about their diet if they follow restrictive rules. It does not matter if the rules are arbitrary, or illogical, or not founded in facts or science. It's the restrictiveness that satisfies, and the ability to be smug and superior towards others who don't subscribe to the same level of strictness.

Some people just want ot eat the best thing they possibly can. That is what happened for me. I have been obese for a long time, and I am now over 40 years old and know that I was a ticking time bomb. I started doing a lot of research into what I SHOULD be doing, and I started doing it. Not criticizing anyone else, but this way of life has made me feel fantastic, and made tangible differences in my health in 7 months

Acg67

Frozen fruits and vegges, protein powder, cooking oils, butter etc are all processed...

Why are frozen fruits & veg considered processed? Because most are blanched first? But then would that mean that all cooked fruits & veg are processed?

Terms that have no real definition drive me crazy!

They are frozen and packaged, how is that not processed? Do you find bags of frozen veggies laying around in a field?

Well, no. But I don't find a bag of fresh carrots laying around in a field either.

So, if I grow the carrot in my garden, pick it, wash it, blanch it and freeze it, would I shun it if I wanted to eat clean? Or is it only processing if someone else does it for me.

Sounds clean to me. Personally I find it silly to label one's eating clean or individual foods clean etc.