Eating Clean Rookie

apilant
apilant Posts: 87 Member
in Food and Nutrition
In my effort to "clean up" my diet in hopes of one day actually seeing the abs I can feel forming under my belly....I need to hit up the grocery store after work. I've done really well at eating clean today (except for the iced coffee...somethings just can't be quit cold turkey), but I need some favorites/staples from those of you who follow this lifestyle. Help me with recipes or at least with starting my grocery list! Your responses are much appreciated in helping me finally shed these last few pounds/inches!

Replies

  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, buy lots of fruits and veggies, leans proteins and whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, barley etc. going into the aisles is most likely gonna end you up buying processed food. I do use some canned tomatoes and sometimes veggies, also frozen just because sometimes the fresh produce is not good quality. Do you like to cook or have any foods that u don't like?
  • dcyr009
    dcyr009 Posts: 93
    I eat the GOMBS diet by Dr. Furman.
    G=Dark Greens
    O=Onions
    M=Mushrooms
    B=Berries
    S=Seeds - Like flax seed.

    I also eat chicken breast, fish, and tomatoes.
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Some of the basics are sticking with the outside aisles in the grocery store,

    and in general, items with one ingredient (milk, eggs, chicken, carrots etc) are the healthiest.

    Pre-made anything is usually crummy for you.

    The nicer a package/item looks usually the worse it is for you (higher calories)

    Those are just easiest to remember.

    They usually work.
  • mollyanne01
    mollyanne01 Posts: 34 Member
    I use recipes off of www.thegraciouspantry.com frequently. Most have been very good and pretty easy! Good luck!
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    so do you want bodybuilding/body fat clean...or save the earth clean?

    2 different threads (for the most part).
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    What does clean eating have to do with abs? A calorie deficit gets you abs. Not a specific type of diet.

    Also, "clean eating" is a useless, undefined term. No two people have the same definition as to what is clean or not. Just eat sensible food, and hit your nutrition goals. Stop worrying about labels and diets.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    Bit by bit I am just eliminating processed foods. I try to eat low fat proteins eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I am taking the attitude lately that if I cannot pronounce the ingredient, I am not going to eat it!
  • downinaggieland98
    downinaggieland98 Posts: 224 Member
    I found this list:

    http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/stocking-a-clean-eating-pantry/

    I pretty much follow this, but I have given up anything processed (except sprouted grain breads), and all artificial sweeteners. I recommend watching the ingredients for anything fat free. You'd be surprised at all the weird chemicals added to them! You may want to go with the regular version, or the reduced (not fat free) version...

    Good luck! I hope you have great results like my husband and I have. :)
  • Ruthiexlch1997
    Ruthiexlch1997 Posts: 4
    If you have not wathced hungry girl it is a good show that helps you make really health low calorie dish, dessert, drinks.... I have tried several reciepes and go to the store for what she uses and then I get rid of the bad stuff in my cabinets
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    make sure you get some of this

    2012-08-18_17-18-07_88.jpg
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Bit by bit I am just eliminating processed foods. I try to eat low fat proteins eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I am taking the attitude lately that if I cannot pronounce the ingredient, I am not going to eat it!
    Can you pronounce allium cepa? How about brassica olerecea? Ipomea batatas? They are all vegetables. Going by whether you can pronounce something or not is silly, as everything has common names and scientific names, and scientific names tend to end up on labels.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    I don't see any reason why iced coffee can't be part or a clean diet! I traded in my french vanilla coffemate for half and half at the beginning of the year and I consider my coffee clean!

    Focus on lots of fresh produce and whole grains. Stock up on beans (either dry or low salt varieties), lean meats, canned tomatoes, etc.

    Rather than just going to the store, I suggest planning a few clean meals and snacks that revolve around ingredients that are in season. Then, shop for the ingredients you'll need. This way you'll buy the right amount of stuff so your produce doesn't go bad before you get to it. When I go without a list, I end up getting lots of random delicious stuff but rarely get exactly what I need to make complete, balanced meals.

    Here are a few delicious recipes that I consider clean:
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pork-chops-alla-pizzaiola-recipe/index.html
    I use Italian Seasoning mix in lieu of the Herbs de Provence because I already have it on hand and I use boneless pork chops.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roman-style-chicken-recipe/index.html
    I skip the prosciutto and capers and substitute Italian Seasoning for the fresh thyme and oregano because those aren't in my budget.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    Shop the perimeter of the store. Produce, meats, dairy, grains. Stay away from packaged junk. I make iced coffee with almond milk or skim milk and stevia. I don't see anything wrong with that. :)
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
    Bit by bit I am just eliminating processed foods. I try to eat low fat proteins eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I am taking the attitude lately that if I cannot pronounce the ingredient, I am not going to eat it!
    Can you pronounce allium cepa? How about brassica olerecea? Ipomea batatas? They are all vegetables. Going by whether you can pronounce something or not is silly, as everything has common names and scientific names, and scientific names tend to end up on labels.

    Oh Good Grief, I think you are reading a little to much into my words..Picky Much?
  • lizchristine
    lizchristine Posts: 42 Member
    I think a good step to eating cleanr is to make sure you are cooking at home as opposed to eating out and relying on convenience foods. Try a new recipe. I also love my rice steamer -- it has a basket so you can cook rice, veggies, and shrimp all at once!
  • Glowbee
    Glowbee Posts: 68 Member
    A lot of what people have mentioned here are great! Thanks for the Gracious Pantry blog!

    Here is another: http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/ -Good for married couples that are committed to eating clean together.

    I second the "shop the perimeter of the grocery store" idea. VERY important!

    I'd like to add a few things, too:

    -Chicken breast & Jenny-O ground turkey extra lean
    -Quinoa is your best friend
    -Ezekiel breads and english muffins (in the frozen section)
    -Choose whole fruits and vegetables
    -Low fat% dairy anything, but for milk I love cooking and eating with Silk Almond milk (no sugar)
    -sweet potatoes
    -avocados, yum!

    I've been cooking for two this way for 10 weeks, along with 5 days of weight training and cardio, and I feel amazing.. I'm not hungry, and I'm always so pleased with my choices. I never have tummy troubles, and have good energy.

    Best of luck! Hope some of this was helpful!
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    Bit by bit I am just eliminating processed foods. I try to eat low fat proteins eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I am taking the attitude lately that if I cannot pronounce the ingredient, I am not going to eat it!
    Can you pronounce allium cepa? How about brassica olerecea? Ipomea batatas? They are all vegetables. Going by whether you can pronounce something or not is silly, as everything has common names and scientific names, and scientific names tend to end up on labels.


    Oh Good Grief, I think you are reading a little to much into my words..Picky Much?

    I knew exactly what you meant lol
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Shop the perimeter of the store. Produce, meats, dairy, grains. Stay away from packaged junk. I make iced coffee with almond milk or skim milk and stevia. I don't see anything wrong with that. :)
    Almond milk and stevia are both heavily processed. I'd qualify those as "packaged junk."
  • apilant
    apilant Posts: 87 Member
    Thank you so much for everyone's helpful input and ideas! My mom in law has lost 125+ lbs using Tosca Reno's Eat-clean diet (I thought I better specify that for tiger's comment;-)) I avoided the aisles at all costs while I was at the store and picked up some very yummy ingredients to make a few recipes for the gracious pantry site as suggested! Can't wait to start feeling (and looking) better with this new lifestyle!
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    Good luck and keep us updated on how its going!
  • ErinRibbens
    ErinRibbens Posts: 370 Member
    This family is pretty hard-core but it explains things well and all the recipes I've tried are very good!

    http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/
  • fit1976
    fit1976 Posts: 4 Member
    check out the book "Eating for Life" by Bill Phillips. It will cost about $10 off of Ebay or $35 in B&N if you want it sooner. It has a lot of great, easy recipes. It works hand in hand with the "Body for Life" book of his if you are exercising also. The 1st 70 pages explain a lot about the importance of when to eat during the day and what combinations of food to eat and why. The rest of the book is recipes and includes a shopping list to take with you to the grocery store. This book follows the "Body for Life Challenge" on EAS.com and that site has a lot of the information and recipes from the book. Good luck with it.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I used to eat ALL ORGANIC. I was squarely in the Orthorexia category as most who eat 100% a certain way are.

    I was at my heaviest weight ever when I was all organic, zero processed food, even though I ran and lifted weights and worked out like a mad woman. --> http://www.venusindex.com/ten-thousand-ways-that-wont-work/

    I have a renewed sense of freedom letting it go. I still eat mostly "clean" whatever that means. Is it the same as "all organic"?

    The bottom line is that losing fat is all about calories, even if some calories are "unclean"

    Building muscle is all about exercise.
  • Daisy80
    Daisy80 Posts: 755 Member
    Shop the perimeter of the store. Produce, meats, dairy, grains. Stay away from packaged junk. I make iced coffee with almond milk or skim milk and stevia. I don't see anything wrong with that. :)
    Almond milk and stevia are both heavily processed. I'd qualify those as "packaged junk."

    You can actually buy pure stevia which is just the same as ground herbs and is not "heavily processed"!
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    Some of the basics are sticking with the outside aisles in the grocery store,

    and in general, items with one ingredient (milk, eggs, chicken, carrots etc) are the healthiest.

    Pre-made anything is usually crummy for you.

    The nicer a package/item looks usually the worse it is for you (higher calories)

    Those are just easiest to remember.

    They usually work.

    ^^^ pretty much. Try to buy food in its most natural state possible. "REAL" food I call it lol
  • zarfot
    zarfot Posts: 1
    These are great tips I really need to eat more healthy as well.

    I eat out entirely too much; even though I work out enough calories to cover the fast food or whatever bad food, I guess it's still a bad idea in the long run to eat so much bad stuff... or does the "doesn't matter as long as calories burned is more than calories consumed" statement hold true?
  • ErnestinesMom
    ErnestinesMom Posts: 161
    :flowerforyou:

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