The rules of vegan clean eating

If you won't eat meat due to ethics, that's one thing. The cost and the taste IMO are another topic. But I know we aren't answering your question. I think most people will agree that the best protein sources are meat and fish and eggs.

I'd go for whole grains, tofu, beans, lentils, and nuts to name a few.

[

Also now two longterm studies showing vegetarians live longer than those who eat meat, which is another good reason.
One by Oxford University and another by Loma.

And there are no studies that show conflicting conclusions to this? Varied diets have to be best.

Could we just get back to saying what I can and can't have instead of discussing something that's off topic ?

How about you use this wonderful tool called google to find your answers? There is far more information there than most here could provide in a post.

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

^Brilliance.

Okay I want to start eating clean but I dont really know what I can and can't have

can i have rice? brown rice? what about pasta?
sugar? flour? and which types

but yeah so on, if anyone could tell me what is classed clean and unclean that would be great!

"Clean" eating would be different for everyone. But generally, you want to go for whole food (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fat), no processes food.

Aim for the least processed foods you can find. That's really what "clean eating" boils down to.

Here are some good options

-Brown rice (white rice when brown isn't available)
-Quinoa
-Lentils
-Peas & Split peas (split pea soup is amazing)
-Beans
-All other legumes
-Tons of raw fruits & tender leafy greens such as romaine, boston & red leaf to name a few

Avoid processed and packaged foods as best you can.
Plan meals ahead is always helpful. If you have a crock pot, they are great for making soups, stews and chilis. Saving lots of time as well.
Avoid oils and stick to avocados, nuts and seeds for fats. Best saving those for dinner time to aid with proper digestion and use of energy.
I know soy is a popular favorite among vegans but I personally don't believe it to be a health food. If you worried about protein(which you shouldn't as long as you are eating enough food) quinoa is an excellent source of a complete protein along with amaranth. There are debates that amaranth is actually better than quinoa. Both are an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates.

As for your sugar question. Not all sugar is counted as vegan(processed through animal bones) grocery stores like stop and shop, whole foods, co-ops & health food stores are carrying it. Amazon also carries it as well. Coconut sugar is a great one since it still carries the fiber and releases slower into the blood stream than regular sugar will. I sometimes add it to my smoothies in the morning. It is also great for baking along with date sugar.

Good luck!

@oldernotwiser that live strong link is brilliant! Thank you

Welcome. If you are going Vegan I would not get too hung up on eating clean. As some others have said, it's not always clearly defined. Stay away from prepared foods that are heavy on salt,sugar & fat and make your own meals from scratch.

If I were you I would be more focused on ensuring that your food choices are providing all the essential amino acids normally found in animal protein sources. This link should help you with that. I apologize in advance if you already know this.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyournutritionist/f/protein_combo.htm

There's some great advice on here Can I just say though that there are also a lot of people acting like massive tools.

The girl is an 'almost' vegan already, she's made her choice and it clearly says 'vegan' in the title so if you're here to argue about how much meat/egg/dairy you need to eat to be healthy and balanced I think it would be best if you just went to another post. Yes? Good.

I don't think I have a great amount to add that others haven't already mentioned but I'm a vegan and I'm trying to eat clean, I think my biggest issues are when I can't get something quickly and resort to something processed - to overcome this have soup already in your freezer that you can just defrost at a moments notice!

Other tips I think have helped me:

1. Quinoa makes great scone type cakes (mix with coconut flakes, maple syrup, raisins, almond flour etc to get a great sweet tooth cure)
2. Soy protein powder is a life saver in the mornings and after exercise.
3. Juicing is a great way to up your nutrient levels.
4. Sweet potatoes are king (and great in sweet potato and coconut milk soup!)

Hope it goes well! Veganism is definitely the way forward - just be careful not to call yourself vegan until you cut out the fish (98% plant based is a better description) because people are forever getting the wrong idea that vegans pick and choose when then want to be cruelty free!

Kat xx

I always have lots of beans on hand (dried and I do them in the crockpot: black, pinto, kidney, black eyed peas), lentils, peas (love crockpot pea soup with peas, potato, onion, carrot, paprika, and some mexican oregano.) Quinoa, brown rice, cashews, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, oatmeal.

For fast breakfast I usually do a piece of fruit, a toasted flax/chia organic bread piece with 1 tablespoon of PB and 1 tablespoon of Justin's chocolate almond butter.

I also love oatmeal with walnuts, flax, fruit (mango or apple) and cinnamon. Sometimes I do raisin and carrot (cooked first in a bit of coconut oil) and add to oatmeal/walnuts and it tastes like carrot cake oatmeal. LOL The fruit makes it sweet enough so you don't have to add any sugar.

I love mango salsa (mango, tomato, cilantro, poblano or jalapeno, bit of red hot chili pepper, sea salt, and onion) and I chuck that on a lot of stuff....a bowl of black beans, beans on an organic corn torilla, etc.

This kale salad I have a lot for lunch too and it's got 20 grams of protein: in a large pot put 1 tablespoon of PB, 1/2 tablespoon tamari, 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teas honey, 3 shakes cayenne, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon ginger (fresh grated or in a jar), 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (or tahini) and 1/4th cup water.....on med heat until well blended. Then I chuck in a head of washed (and dried) kale...about 3 cups and mix it all good in with the sauce and then add 1/4 cup of peanuts and mix well (don't cook too long or it will get wilty) and you can put it in the fridge or eat it warm (I eat it warm.) It's so yum!

Spinach salad I love too (no cooking) a plate full of organic baby spinach + 4 strawberries sliced up (good with mango, apple, blood oranges, or raspberries too) + walnuts and Braggs organic "bragberry" dressing (20 cal, no bad ingredients or sugar.) So good.

My fam loves udon for dinner too. I cook broccoli, mushrooms, and cashews in a bit of coconut oil with braggs liquid aminos and then the udon separately and then add coconut oil (1 tablespoon) and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, bit of unsweetened almond milk, small amount of red chili pepper (or flakes) and a bit of braggs liquid aminos and then add in the already steamed veggies and stir. Super fast, like under 15 minutes total.

After workouts I do a "caca-pot" smoothie: 3-4 tablespoons nutiva hemp powder, 2.5 tablespoons raw cacao powder, 1 banana, 10 almonds, 1 cup almond milk, and sometimes 1 tablespoon organic peanut butter (and a few ice cubes and blend.) It taste like chocolate.

I do have a piece of organic dark chocolate every night, I love the Alter Eco Blackout (85%.)

Pinterest is great for recipes too because you can type in what you have (+vegan) and it will pull up tons of them. Oh She Glows website has lots of good clean vegan recipes too.

Ooh, I forgot....pepitas I always have on hand too. Good for in your bag/car. Lots of iron/protein. Blackstrap molasses has calcium/iron/potassium too, just a tablespoon is 20%.

1/4 cup of nutritional yeast has over 100% dv of b12. Or you can take a tiny vitamin (or liquid form, I do a dropper one from the health food store.)

its unethical
dirty
expensive
and makes me want to vom
however if i really need to i'll sometimes have seafood when eating out as not a lot of places do vegan food

:noway: