Wanting to start eating clean....help!

redversustheblue

Hi all, I'm looking for advice regarding clean eating. I have been stuck at this weight for several months now and have really been struggling lately. I know that I do not eat the best foods, and often eat a lot of processed items. I'm a college student, so sometimes it is really hard to make meals at the end of a long day. However, I think that I am using this as an excuse to be lazy and not eat the best things, so I want to try and start changing that.

One major thing I know is a setback to me, is that I just don't understand clean eating. What counts as being "clean" and what's too processed? What will I be "allowed" to eat? For instance, for dinner tonight, I made bacon and eggs with a half of a tortilla. I know the tortilla would be processed, but what about the bacon?

Also, how easy it is to quickly make meals? I don't have a great amount of time to cook, so dinners that cook quickly or freeze well are best for me. Any advice or ideas on this? How costly is it?

Finally, do you guys have any books/references that helped you to get started on clean eating? Any Cookbooks that are available that are helpful?

This will be a huge journey for me to take, so I'm definitely looking for some advice/support. I know I probably won't be able to go 100% clean, especially in the beginning, but baby steps, right?

_stephanie0

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/uploaded_files/downloads/ecd_grocery_list.pdf

:flowerforyou:

02tods

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kellyo15

To me, clean eating just means eating a minimal amount of processed and/or junky foods. Here's some ideas for you, I got a few meal plans and grocery lists from www.cleaneating.com and I love the foods they suggest! Everything is very yummy, even for a picky eater like myself, with lots of variety so you don't get sick of eating the same things all the time! Best of luck

mgobluetx12

First thing I would recommend is to log all your food each day. Either you're skipping meals or you're not logging them. Both are bad if you're trying to lose weight.

To start out, just cut out fast food, candy and junk food almost entirely. Once a week is okay if you fit it into your calories, but no more than that. Eat plain greek yogurt with fresh fruit instead of the sugary stuff.

Eat lean protein, chicken, fish, turkey and whole grains with low fat dairy products and healthy fats like nuts and avocados.

Trash the processed foods like corn dogs, and eat mostly whole foods, not things out of a package or a box.

redversustheblue

Yeah, I know I've been very bad lately. I've had a really hard week, so I've been doing the best I can. Definitely trying to get myself back on track now. What kind of fruits would you suggest with plain greek yogurt?

photojunkie28

Your attitude is fantastic first of all! Props to you on knowing you should change your food choices and giving it the ol' college try to learn how lol.

Check out this book by Tosca Reno "The Eat Clean Diet". There are a couple different versions , but they all explain pretty well about eating clean and pairing of protein, healthy fat and complex carbs for every meal. Portions and even what your better options are to choose if you must eat out. There are also some starter very delicious recipes in the back of it. Lots of things will come along with time as you learn through experience and what works for you but this book was eye opening and reccommended to me by my fitness instructor.

Eating clean does tend to cost a little bit more, but really if you plan and don't get lazy it doesnt have to be. Check out local farmers markets or the smaller scale meat shops for fresh produce. If you have a crock pot and a freezer there are a million options available for no fuss make ahead meals that don't cost a lot and are great for you. Google them.

Feel free to friend me if you like. I'm not 100% clean, but I do pretty good if I do say so myself. Your going to feel great and look great JUST from changing your foods if you give it your all. Welcome to healthy living

redversustheblue

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/uploaded_files/downloads/ecd_grocery_list.pdf

:flowerforyou:

Awesome link, thanks!

lmkotch

Processed foods will have a lot of ingredients listed that you can't pronounce. Foods that are clean will generally include just a few ingredients and you'll usually recognize all of them.

I'm in college too and struggle with the same issues regarding time and money. I try to set aside one evening to prepare a nutritious meal that I can have nearly all week: chicken & veggies, or a stir fry. These hold up well during the week. Then I'll just supplement the remainder meals with sandwiches or salads for lunch, eggs and veggie sausage for breakfast. I find snacks to be difficult because I'm on campus all day, so it's difficult to find snacks that I can throw in my bag and eat 6 hours later. I've found that hummus holds up pretty well, couple with baby carrots--it's delicious. I will also do an almond/raisin mix of my own making: 15 almonds with 2 TB raisins. For some reason, that combo is fantastic. Also, if I need a breakfast on the go, I'll grab a Lara Bar. There are only a few ingredients in there, so I feel decent about eating it (the only drawback being it's not high in protein and a bit too much sugar for my liking, but it works in a pinch).

Oh--also, I recently discovered Pop Chips. Those are really good, and relatively clean.

For clean eating recipes, I would definitely recommend the magazine Clean Eating. There are some great tips and information in there. It's kind of spendy, but I'm sure your local library probably carries it.

Hope that helps!

mgobluetx12

I like the Fage 0% greek yogurt (0 fat and 18g protein) with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries...anything at all that sounds yummy to you. Greek yogurt with fruit already added is usually 18-22g of carbs, most of which is sugar. It's an easy way to eat a clean breakfast or snack.

Good luck, I know you can do this!!

B3Streeter

I love muffin-topless.com. She has a grocery list, recipes, and lots of motivation!

snrose

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/uploaded_files/downloads/ecd_grocery_list.pdf

:flowerforyou:

thanks!

lgw2012

I am new to eating clean and so far I've noticed a huge difference in my energy level. Tosca Reno Eating Clean books, eating clean magazine and a website I recently found that finds ways to make fave foods clean and it also has alot of info regarding eating clean is thegraciouspantry.com. Hope this helps.

PayneAS

EmilyOfTheSun

Here are some books.
https://www.eatcleandiet.com/shop.aspx

Add my friend, SuperAmie ....she's really good with clean eating. Also add Jawheb . Both those chicks are inspirations to me, I love looking at their diaries! Good luck

jenbusick

This site has a lot of good information, including some weeklong challenges to get you eating cleaner (One week you give up sodas and the like; the next week you give up something else that's bad for you --so, you do it in stages):

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

NavyKnightAh13

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donna_glasgow

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linz1125

My favorite site is thegraciouspantry.com. I think there are so many clean eating resources out there. Just try to stick to food in its most natural state, and if you must eat processed foods, just make smarter choices. Try whole-wheat tortillas instead of white flour tortillas, whole grain bread, and foods without added sugar/fake sugar(like high-fructose corn syrup).

For me it was a slow progression to eating clean - just started with more veggies and phased out sugars. I love clean eating!

melcowenfitness

I just started an Eat Clean Challenge on Facebook. It's a group of women encouraging and supporting one another through various challenges. This particular challenge is focused on eating clean - what it means, how to do it, and be successful!

You're more than welcome to join us! You can ask to join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Determined.Group/

Mel

fishgutzy

I ignore the damn food pyramid. It is wrong for a huge chunk of the population. But the gubmint just finds it easier to force a single solution for any perceived problem. The food pyramid of just one example. It is not mere coincidence that obesity began to rise after this POS was introduced.
Clean is what ever works for you. Home made meatloaf is better than store bought. Homemade anything is better than prepackaged.
I make pancakes and waffles for my kids from scratch. Take only a couple minutes longer than from a mix and it doesn't have the junk in them.

redversustheblue

Thanks, there's so many good sites that have been listed. Excited to check them all out!