Can you "eat clean" if it's processed?

Processed is NOT eating clean - that's a total contradiction. Eating whole foods doesn't have to be expensive.

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/eating-clean-budget/

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/the_kitchen_table/story/post.aspx?id=249

http://www.livestrong.com/article/143929-how-eat-clean-budget/

Putting aside that "clean" is a term without a clear definition, the term "processing" is also not very useful without context.

-Peeling fruit can be called "processing" in a technical sense.

-Rolled oats have been processed, but the way oats are processed doesn't effect the nutrient density of the food.

-The effects of processing can be positive. Brown rice has more fiber than white, but certian micronutrients are more bioavailable in white rice.

-Whey protein powder is a highly processed foods, yet it's considered a staple of a healthy diet for many people, and has a protein bioavailability that surpasses any whole food.

Good whole food is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much cheaper than junk that it's not even funny.

So true! We shaved 20% off our food budget by eliminating processed, pre-packed foods from our grocery list.

All the meat at the store has been processed as well

You are so helpful and motivating. If you haven't added this guy yet, you're missing out and you should totally add him. He loves new friends. :flowerforyou:

Bulk foods that are cheap and not pre-packaged individual meals include rice (esp. from an Asian or bulk store), potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantains (treat like potatoes - but they can be yummier), big bags of frozen chicken breasts, eggs, and on and on in a similar vein... it doesn't take all that much cooking prowess, either. If you can nuke a pre-made dinner, you can nuke a potato and slap on condiments of your choice. If you can cook hamburger helper, you can simmer chicken breasts, make rice or poach eggs. Add spices as you feel more adventurous and want to experiment.

IMO its processed if it no longer looks like when it came off the plant or animal and is no longer easily recognisable. Drying or freezing doesn't make something processed, grinding it up into a fine powder and then cooking or removing nutritious elements like the germ or skin does. If there is only one or two ingredients that is a good start.

There are plenty of reasonably priced nutrient dense wholefoods or only slightly processed foods - for a start dried beans or lentils, canned oily fish with the bones still in, numerous frozen vegetables, longer life fresh vegetables like carrots, cabbage and onions, the more common dried fruits, canned tomatoes, whole oats. Many meats don't give as much 'bang for buck' as other forms of protein such as dairy, nuts and seeds, canned oily fish. Ground beef mince can be stretched with a ton of vegetables and pulses to make more meals than a pricey steak.

There are always things you can get cheap locally - I live in deprived area with a large south Asian population so can get rice, pulses, spice blends and frozen garlic (much cheaper than fresh!) in bulk at very reasonable prices but we don't have much of a variety of fresh produce in the stores compared to more affluent areas.

I'm trying to eat less processed food. My goal is to not eat things with more than 5-6 ingredients in them. This is kind of a happy medium for me. I know I would never be able to get my family to 100% eat clean, but I'm taking steps to make their food healthier. It's all about doing what works for you and you have to read a lot of labels. If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they have great healthy options for amazing prices. I avoided this store for years because I thought it was expensive but boy was I wrong!

Also, real food fills you up much more than the empty calories in processed food so you consume less, thereby saving money.

This is so true. When people hear that I shop at Trader Joes they think I spend a lot of money, when the reality is that the cost is no more than the average grocery store. I buy their chicken strips, bags of frozen veggies, potatoes, eggs, oatmeal packets, etc. All good food, and stuff you can throw in baggies by the serving to quickly grab for the day. Healthier and cheaper than frozen meals.

Once you switch to more whole foods, you will feel fuller with less calories

http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

Clean eating means NO processed food...but I have seen some claim to eat clean and even get preachy about it but their diaries will be full of protein shakes and bars. To me those are processed and therefore not "clean" so...

FYI: I do not claim to be a clean eater. I do eat some processed foods, but I keep it to a minimum.

Spray it with Windex.

Spray it with Windex.

Windex can get pricey, go with the generic brand glass cleaner.

I would say no. It's my rule of thumb to "eat stuff that goes bad". I used to think that healthy food was more expensive but I learned that I can hit the produce section and be way better off. Not only do I save some money now, the food lasts longer in my body so I'm not eating 2 package of Ramen every day. Plus it has totally brought out my creativity in the kitchen!

bump

Bump

I have an opinion on this:

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/822501-halp-my-sandwich-isn-t-clean