Do people really think eating clean/healthy is too boring?
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lisamarie2181
Posts: 560 Member
Hi All -
I have noticed a lot through the boards that people take clean and healthy eating as so hard to do because all you get to eat is plain chicken, boring veggies and the like. Is this a common misconception?
I eat as clean as I can, not saying I don't have the occasional slip up day and eat something I shouldn't, but those times seem to come more when I don't plan ahead and way over due for a meal and just want something NOW, not because I am craving it. But my diet is anything but boring!! I am not hungry, do not get cravings and have lots of energy. There are times when a can of soup or something of the prepacked equivalent will creep in a recipe, but usually only when it is my first time making it, and then i do my best to tweak the recipe to find something as an alternative to that prepacked food so I can add it to my weekly menu. But for the most part i eat meat, veggies, dairy, lightened up on the carbs and sugary fruits lately because I do have PCOS and my body doesn't handle all the carbs that well.
I have seen such amazing benefits from eating this way, from my skin, to my energy, and not feeling like my stomach is a bottomless pit. Once I eliminated processed food/convenience foods from my diet, my cravings went away.
I understand that people can lose weight either way, and if eating the processed foods works for them, more power to you! I don't find anything wrong with adding in alittle treat here and there, but not sure how good it is for you eating all processed on a daily basis, so much missing nutrients your body needs! But I do see a lot of posts where people comment that they can't do a clean diet because it is boring and they are eating the same things all the time, and I'm just curious if others find this way of eating the same, whether you eat clean or not. I in no way find my diet boring, I will admit I am a creature of habit and am ok eating the same things a few days in a row, but I do have quite a bit of variety. Also, do people struggle with this because they don't like to cook or don't know how?
Just trying to get an idea, I have never felt better eating this way, and I have come over many posts where people say they are not losing, or they don't feel good and when I look at their diaries I do see possibilities to why that is IMO.
So what do you all think? For all you clean eaters, do you find it hard to have variety and do you enjoy eating this way or do it because you know its healthy? And for ones who thinks it's too boring, do you find it is more that you can't give up the processed foods or more because you don't have the time to prep and cook all the time?
I have noticed a lot through the boards that people take clean and healthy eating as so hard to do because all you get to eat is plain chicken, boring veggies and the like. Is this a common misconception?
I eat as clean as I can, not saying I don't have the occasional slip up day and eat something I shouldn't, but those times seem to come more when I don't plan ahead and way over due for a meal and just want something NOW, not because I am craving it. But my diet is anything but boring!! I am not hungry, do not get cravings and have lots of energy. There are times when a can of soup or something of the prepacked equivalent will creep in a recipe, but usually only when it is my first time making it, and then i do my best to tweak the recipe to find something as an alternative to that prepacked food so I can add it to my weekly menu. But for the most part i eat meat, veggies, dairy, lightened up on the carbs and sugary fruits lately because I do have PCOS and my body doesn't handle all the carbs that well.
I have seen such amazing benefits from eating this way, from my skin, to my energy, and not feeling like my stomach is a bottomless pit. Once I eliminated processed food/convenience foods from my diet, my cravings went away.
I understand that people can lose weight either way, and if eating the processed foods works for them, more power to you! I don't find anything wrong with adding in alittle treat here and there, but not sure how good it is for you eating all processed on a daily basis, so much missing nutrients your body needs! But I do see a lot of posts where people comment that they can't do a clean diet because it is boring and they are eating the same things all the time, and I'm just curious if others find this way of eating the same, whether you eat clean or not. I in no way find my diet boring, I will admit I am a creature of habit and am ok eating the same things a few days in a row, but I do have quite a bit of variety. Also, do people struggle with this because they don't like to cook or don't know how?
Just trying to get an idea, I have never felt better eating this way, and I have come over many posts where people say they are not losing, or they don't feel good and when I look at their diaries I do see possibilities to why that is IMO.
So what do you all think? For all you clean eaters, do you find it hard to have variety and do you enjoy eating this way or do it because you know its healthy? And for ones who thinks it's too boring, do you find it is more that you can't give up the processed foods or more because you don't have the time to prep and cook all the time?
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Replies
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A lot of people are so concerned about salt that they think clean eating is boring. I Think that they allow their food to be too boring and that is why they just assume that it is all boring. I grill chicken but before I do so I will fillet it open a little bit and stuff it with jalapeno, cliantro, and some other salt free herbs and it is amazing. People have been programmed to put salt on everything and it becomes a way of taste, which is why a clean meal will taste "boring" to one that is made with salt/preservatives. I also have cut out everything frozen (with the exception of a lean cuisine when my day is absolutely insane) and my body has less bloat. People who live off of quick, processed food have more salt in their diet meaning more chance of blood pressure related issues and heart issues. Salt is only good for the body in smaller quantities (2500MG daily) which we can get plenty of from wholer foods. Every food has natural sodium in it already. Now when I taste something salted I can't eat it. It almost is overbearing. I don't miss it.
Salt is also a reason why you will feel hungry later. Think of chinese food. You eat it, an hour later you feel hungry. Your body can't process much from it, Which would make sense why your cravings have gone away with wholer foods. Your body is too busy processing good quality food rather than burning through calories with not much content in it.
As for boring? I just find different ways to incorporate more tastes. I marinate chicken in home made salsa, add herbs like oregano and garlic to meat before I pat it out for burgers. I also can use pepper, and some other spices to juice up my taste buds without adding any of that devil table salt.0 -
bump
Anyone else?
Thanks for the response friend, I like your way of thinking
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I love eating healthily and making my own meals from scratch, and not using packet sauces, convenience foods etc. This is the way I was brought up. My parents never once ordered take-away when I lived at home.
I need energy to look after 2 young children, and I want them to grow up with an idea about what is good for them. When they were being weaned, I always made the purées and things for them myself, they didn't ever have jarred baby food.
I don't think healthy food is boring or tasteless either. When I make chicken i cook it in a bit of white wine vinegar with some garlic and thyme and it's lovely. I add things like garlic and chill, oregano, basil etc to a lot of meals I make.
I'm not perfect by any means and do have the occasional bit of chocolate, but I believe in eating healthily for long term, and you have to have a balanced diet with a bit of sugar, fat etc.
I do sometimes have soup bought from the supermarket, but not tinned. My husband works shifts and I sometimes need something easier to have for lunch/dinner as preparing food can be difficult with a 3 year old and 1 year old running around. Today for example we had tuna fishcakes, carrots, broccoli, potatoes and peas.
I think a lot of people don't know how to cook, and don't seem to realise that you can make so many things without needing a packet mix.0 -
I think you ladies are spot on.... and raising your children to eat that way is the best gift you can give them!
Kudos!0 -
Anything but boring!!!0
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It sure doesn't have to be boring. A lot of sauces and dips and marinades are loaded with crap, but spices are not! My spice rack keeps things interesting! Making a simple rub turns plain chicken into a superstar dinner!
The most processed thing that I let into my kitchen is something like canned tomatoes (which you can do darn near anything with!). On busy days (every day) a slow cooker is my best friend!0 -
Maybe not boring, but it's intimidating at first for sure - I didn't have a clue what you could eat, and don't have the money to buy books or the time to collect the advice. It's really not impossible to get healthy while still having some processed foods, as long as you're mindful. Eating without as many processed foods has been way less boring, I think, because I can be more creative in the kitchen with flavors (I have so many herbs now) and I love grilling. That, and so many 'clean eating' pages suggest eating six times a day, which is unrealistic if you have a job where you can't eat all day at your workstation, where it's hard to preserve fresh foods.
People just get the idea in their head that you have to perfectly adhere to a specific set of guidelines. For bodybuilding and maximizing performance in athletics, I guess that's probably true, but for the rest of us, it's okay to once in a while have something processed, if you keep it in control.0 -
bump
Anyone else?
Thanks for the response friend, I like your way of thinking
Not boring at all, and I take in less than 2000 mg of salt a day. I also eat Paleo, and I love the food I eat. Sure, is ice cream with hot fudge awesome? Of course it is. But just because I don't eat that doesn't mean that what I do eat is boring.
Plus, I won't give up tequila... at least not completely... and that's Paleo approved anyway. :drinker:0 -
I eat clean like 80% of the time and yeah, I do think it's boring sometimes but I can't argue with the results I've had. I'm a busy SAHM so I don't really make fancy meals but what I do cook is fresh and healthy. All I know is when I ate "exciting things", my body fat was through the roof. Just my .02 cents.0
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not at all boring. Its how I was raised. My mother never bought processed foods. We always ate fresh fruits and veggies and during the summer months we canned fruit so that in the winter time we would have something in the house to eat. Our basement was always stacked with preserves, canned fruits and veggies and freezer was stuffed with containers of home made tomato sauce. Mom hardly ever added salt to foods. While I don't canned fruits and veggies I do cook clean the same way I was raised. I have a large selection of both dried herbs and fresh in my house and growing in my garden.
Love my slow cooker! You can put all of your veggies in there and your meat with herbs and have a wonderful tasty meal. I put everything in the cooker in the morning and when my DH gets home from work or kids get home from school its all ready for them. Just scoop it out and eat.0 -
Since I've tried to eat cleaner I've found that I eat a lot more variety than I used to, I experiment a lot when cooking now, sometimes it's hit or miss.0
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I feel like my diet is more exciting since I started eating clean! I branched out and discovered so many different veggies, herbs, and grains. And since different veggies are in season at different time, I'm always creating new meals. Clean eating is not boring!0
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I think eating healthy is fun, the problem is how to get it from the store to my plate. especially when everything is so pricey0
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I have tried this but found it was hard to stick to. For the most part I think I eat clean? I eat lean proteins, eggs, fruits veggies whole grains,greek yogurts. But my down falls are veggie burgers, protien bars or fiber bars . I have tried making my own but they never seem to come out right. Also, Im not really sure what foods are allowed? As I do like the occasional frozen yogurt at night or a skinny cow ice cream.And I do love wine! Would love some more info on this .0
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It is actually a goal of mine to start eating as clean as possible. My problem is I really don't cook. My hubby won't eat 'good for you' foods so when I prep meals it is just for me. Like a previous poster mentioned, it's kind of intimidating. I'm not really sure how to start and what the best resources are. Any reccomendations (books, recipies, tips, where to start?) for someone just starting who isn't much of a cook??
Also, is red wine considered clean? ;O) And what about dining out? Can a resturaunt salad or grilled chicken or fish be considered clean?0 -
Wow, thanks guys for all the responses! It is nice to hear so many people that believe the same things I do, I do see alot of people's diaries that are just days and days filled with fast food and processed junk, and like I said, if it works for them then great, but I know for myself that would never work, nor would I want it to! I love the fact that I don't crave that kind of stuff, I haven't had fast food in months, and really doesn't bother me at all anymore! And most importantly, I am losing the weight the right way, I am getting rid of pounds but I am putting so much nutrition into my body and making me healthy. I started all of this because I hope to have kids in the near future and I want to make sure I am completely there myself so I can bring them up the right way too
KathyWhy and karen8873 because you are starting out, keep it simple. Stay away from prepackaged foods! Try to keep most of your food to veggies, fruit, lean proteins, dairy and WHOLE grains and beans and legumes. Like a previous poster said he uses canned tomatoes, I do too, I try and buy the no salt added, but when it comes to needing crushed tomatoes and the like, it is a long process to do that manually and alot of people just don't have the time. If it would make you feel better you can buy alot of canned veggies organic or even try frozen. When you do frozen veggies, not the green giant ones with butter sauce or such, plain veggies in the bag. Also, karen8873, you can find alot of really good recipes for veggie burgers, most store bought ones are just stuffed with fillers, and if you make them yourself they could be so healthy and full of nutrients. My suggestion for vegetarian dishes and considering you are new to delving into the kitchen, try youtube. I have found it very helpful with vegetarian dishes because I didn't ever cook them so it was nice to see exactly what everything should look like. I also the LOVE the site skinnytaste.com!! They have a ranch dressing there that is 1/4cup for 50 calories and it is really good!! You make it from scratch and you don't have to worry about the added junk they put into most store bought ones and its low cal and fat, how can you go wrong? lol I have loved every recipe I have tried, I do tweak little things sometimes, like I have been trying to watch my red meat consumption, so if she calls for beef i will try to switch it out for turkey or chicken and see how it comes out and it is usually fantastic! And IMO when it comes to restaurants, plan ahead. grilled chicken salad could be a good options, it is pretty much all veggies and chicken, and the worst thing would probably be the dressing. But you would be safe eating grilled chicken breast, steak, fish, I would just stay away from obviously high cal and fat dishes. You can't be perfect all the time and it is very hard when you go out to eat to know exactly how something was prepared.Most restaurants have nutrition info up online, just do your best to stay within your cals and pick what's healthiest.
I am not to sure what everyone's true definition of clean is, but to me it means no processed crap food. I make all my dishes from scratch from fresh ingredients, sometimes frozen or canned if needed, but try and do my best not to use anything prepackaged. All the spice blends I use are my own, I make my own taco seasoning, rubs, etc. store bought ones usually have msg and other bad things. I try to buy the best quality meats I can, sometimes organic, try to buy grass fed, but sometimes money is an issue and you have to what you have to, so don't fret about those things if your in a pinch with money.
Some people think you are depriving yourself by eating this way but it is not true. What people who eat processed food all the time don't realize is that you DON'T crave those things when you eat this way. I no longer crave pizza or fast food, and if I want pizza, I make it myself with whole wheat dough from scratch and load it with veggies and some protein. Want a dessert? there are plenty of options that are made with whole ingredients and within moderation can be easily added to your diet. Like I said I have seen people's diaries where they are eating fast food throughout the day, and when you eat that stuff, your body craves it, so you continue to eat it. When your body is getting most all nutrients from the food you consume, it starts to crave the nutrients, hence eating more of the healthy stuff. It won't happen in a day, but I saw a difference within a week of starting. and now if I fall off and eat something I shouldn't, the next day i am already craving the junk, but if i get back on track and eat clean, it is gone that day and i am back on track.
I hope this helps you ladies, if you have anymore questions or want some ideas, friend me and i will happy to help 0 -
Hi All -
I have noticed a lot through the boards that people take clean and healthy eating as so hard to do because all you get to eat is plain chicken, boring veggies and the like. Is this a common misconception?
I eat as clean as I can, not saying I don't have the occasional slip up day and eat something I shouldn't, but those times seem to come more when I don't plan ahead and way over due for a meal and just want something NOW, not because I am craving it. But my diet is anything but boring!! I am not hungry, do not get cravings and have lots of energy. There are times when a can of soup or something of the prepacked equivalent will creep in a recipe, but usually only when it is my first time making it, and then i do my best to tweak the recipe to find something as an alternative to that prepacked food so I can add it to my weekly menu. But for the most part i eat meat, veggies, dairy, lightened up on the carbs and sugary fruits lately because I do have PCOS and my body doesn't handle all the carbs that well.
I have seen such amazing benefits from eating this way, from my skin, to my energy, and not feeling like my stomach is a bottomless pit. Once I eliminated processed food/convenience foods from my diet, my cravings went away.
I understand that people can lose weight either way, and if eating the processed foods works for them, more power to you! I don't find anything wrong with adding in alittle treat here and there, but not sure how good it is for you eating all processed on a daily basis, so much missing nutrients your body needs! But I do see a lot of posts where people comment that they can't do a clean diet because it is boring and they are eating the same things all the time, and I'm just curious if others find this way of eating the same, whether you eat clean or not. I in no way find my diet boring, I will admit I am a creature of habit and am ok eating the same things a few days in a row, but I do have quite a bit of variety. Also, do people struggle with this because they don't like to cook or don't know how?
Just trying to get an idea, I have never felt better eating this way, and I have come over many posts where people say they are not losing, or they don't feel good and when I look at their diaries I do see possibilities to why that is IMO.
So what do you all think? For all you clean eaters, do you find it hard to have variety and do you enjoy eating this way or do it because you know its healthy? And for ones who thinks it's too boring, do you find it is more that you can't give up the processed foods or more because you don't have the time to prep and cook all the time?
I think that different people have different ideas of healthy foods. To me, if it contains nutrients, then it's healthy. If I get enough nutrients and stay under my calorie goal, then I've eaten healthy. The idea of "clean eating" is a misnomer to begin with. I do my best to eat healthy. (And I try to make sure that my food doesn't fall on the floor.)0 -
Salt is also a reason why you will feel hungry later. Think of chinese food. You eat it, an hour later you feel hungry. Your body can't process much from it, Which would make sense why your cravings have gone away with wholer foods. Your body is too busy processing good quality food rather than burning through calories with not much content in it.
I hear this too often. Where are these people getting their Chinese food? When I get Chinese, I get quite full and I'm NOT hungry an hour later because I eat plenty. But also, I go to one that doesn't put MSG in their food. Maybe it *is* the salt? I don't know, but I have NEVER had this happen and I eat Chinese food quite a bit.0 -
I try to eat clean but I don't always have a lot of time. I like to marinade meats and put them in the freezer so that all I have to do is defrost them and grill or bake or crockpot. And I make my own marinades with low sodium items (if I use soy sauce it's low sodium). And I eat pork, chicken and turkey with spices. Not boring.
I do need to eat more veggies but I do like the frozen ones because they are convenient!!0 -
I think people are just so used to eating the same junk most people have been eating for a long time, that they assume anything that is not fried or sugared must taste awfule. I used to be on board with them. I grew up eating fried stuff, cookies, etc. There are so many veggies and stuff I had never even tried. But as I got older, I found myself liking veggies more and more, though i still ate a lot of the really bad stuff. Then, about 7 months ago, I saw Forks Over Knives and some other food documenteries, and that combined with some other things that were going on in my life convinced me to completely overhaul the way I ate. I have given up any animal products, oil, processed foods, caffeine, anything with added sugar, etc. Once I did that, all of the cravings for the bad stuff went away. I feel better than I have ever felt, and I have lost over 80 pounds without too much effort really. At first I just stuck with the same old veggies and stuff that I had always eaten, but lately I have tried new things I never would have before, like turnips and brussel sprouts. My coworkers feel bad for me, because they think I am eating a bunch of boring, tasteless stuff. But the truth is, my food is FANTASTIC and I am way happier with it than I was the JUNK I was eating. My acid reflux has disappeared, as has all symptoms of IBS, which I had for many many years. Sorry, I did not mean to get off track, I am just passionate about healthy eating.
but, I think the bottom line is, people have just grown accustomed to the way of eating that is considered 'normal', and they tend to scorn what they do not try or understand. If people would give clean eating a real shot, I think most of them would LOVE it!0
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