Clean eating, please explain

Ok I'll bite just because i had a friend talk to me about this just 5 minutes ago.

i think some people define clean eating as food that hasnt been cooked in any oil, so no fried foods but baked, roasted, steamed and YUCK boiled is OK). food that has been processed as little as possible (ie brown rice instead of white rice). fresh fruit and veggies instead of canned or frozen..

at least that's how she was defining it.

Ok I'll bite just because i had a friend talk to me about this just 5 minutes ago.

i think some people define clean eating as food that hasnt been cooked in any oil, so no fried foods but baked, roasted, steamed and YUCK boiled is OK). food that has been processed as little as possible (ie brown rice instead of white rice). fresh fruit and veggies instead of canned or frozen..

at least that's how she was defining it.

Ah, now see this interests me! Did she state why boiled is ok, but not frozen? To my mind boiling strips veggies of their nutrient content more, & fresh fruit/veg loses a lot during the storage, transport, to market stage. whereas frozen its picked then prepped so retains it much better. I'm not saying I'm right! Its just my personal opinion & I'm intrigued why the "clean definition" dismisses this?

i dunno. all i know is that she can never stick with it because it's ridiculous (sorry that's just IMO) but the fact that she can never stick with it just proves my opinion might be on the right track:

- how the heck does someone who works a full time job have time to keep their fridge and cupboards stacked with fresh foods with no preservatives?
- she doesnt believe in non stick cookware because of the health issues which means you have to cook in oil or bake/roast/boil everything which leads us back to the time issue if you work a fulltime job
- oil and fat makes things taste good, yeah you can add seasonings but the oil and fat help keeps things from drying up when you cook them.

i'll be honest i do get a kick out of hearing her sitcom style antics when she does decide to do it because it inevitably ends with : i fell into a bucket of fried chicken and had to eat my way out in order to breathe.

i'll be honest i do get a kick out of hearing her sitcom style antics when she does decide to do it because it inevitably ends with : i fell into a bucket of fried chicken and had to eat my way out in order to breathe.

Okay - question time - can somebody please explain what is wrong with frozen vegetables?

I eat frozen veggies all the time and I do eat a fair quantity of veges. Processing is minimal - they are chopped up and frozen. Have a look at a packet of frozen vegetables - ingredients are whatever vegetable it is - no preservatives.

If anything frozen vegetables, because they have been picked and frozen very quickly, would retain more of their vitamin content than vegetables that have been picked and transported to be packed, then taken to a distributor, then taken to your local shop (this can take a week or more). And then the vegetables can sit around in the shop for a while - so who knows how long it's been since they've been out of the ground (and sadly this applies to organic produce too).

I can fully understand why someone wouldn't eat canned vegetables - they're usually gross and tasteless - but what is the problem with frozen?

Okay - question time - can somebody please explain what is wrong with frozen vegetables?

I eat frozen veggies all the time and I do eat a fair quantity of veges. Processing is minimal - they are chopped up and frozen. Have a look at a packet of frozen vegetables - ingredients are whatever vegetable it is - no preservatives.

If anything frozen vegetables, because they have been picked and frozen very quickly, would retain more of their vitamin content than vegetables that have been picked and transported to be packed, then taken to a distributor, then taken to your local shop (this can take a week or more). And then the vegetables can sit around in the shop for a while - so who knows how long it's been since they've been out of the ground (and sadly this applies to organic produce too).

I can fully understand why someone wouldn't eat canned vegetables - they're usually gross and tasteless* - but what is the problem with frozen?

*Edited to excluded canned tomatoes which are just necessary.

because cavemen did not have freezers and they could not freeze food, hence, anything frozen is bad for you….

@Flaxmilk - sorry, not sure how to do that quotey thing - but is there a reason you dont use frozen celery in cooking?

I buy it by the bunch (but have no way to use that much before it goes bad on my lonesome - as i also hate the flavour! ... It is great in base recipies and stocks though) and finely dice it and freeze it in ice cube trays with water poured over the top. When you want to use it, just pop the whole icecube in the dish you are cooking, the water will evaporate off & the celery has (predominantly) kept its dexterity and not turned to mush too.

It also works with other highly liquid veg, like capsicum, onion & is great for herbs too

Completely ignore this if you don't use frozen celery for reasons other than its dexterity changing under normal freezing practices

Always wash your food before you use it to ensure it is clean!