definition of "clean eating"
jolybac
Posts: 130 Member
I'm really curious how everyone joining this group defines "clean eating". I know if 100 people answer this, we'll probably get 101 different answers 
I've seen some comments that lead me to believe that I may be in the minority in how I define it.
My definition of clean eating is basically choosing foods that are good to my body. Foods fall on a spectrum rather into categories based on hard fast rules. The level of processing doesn't really come into play in making decisions, but most highly processed foods are naturally excluded based on other decisions. For example, avoiding flour & added sugars eliminates a fair amount of foods that come in a box/bag/jar/can. Fresh produce is always better than canned, but I have no issue using canned when I require the convenience (as long as it doesn't include unhealthy levels of sodium or additives that do not benefit me). I'm a big fan of Food for Life products (which I consider highly processed yet clean) - their cinnamon raisin bread is delicious! Top that with some highly processed peanuts & salt only peanut butter and I'm in heaven!
Personally, I don't think added sugars have any place in clean eating (sugar, honey, agave, etc).
Processing does come into play when I'm deciding on what form of a food I consume. I think quick oats are clean enough, but I'll choose oat groats over quick oats any day because they are better for me (and tastier!).
So, how do YOU define "clean eating"?
I've seen some comments that lead me to believe that I may be in the minority in how I define it.My definition of clean eating is basically choosing foods that are good to my body. Foods fall on a spectrum rather into categories based on hard fast rules. The level of processing doesn't really come into play in making decisions, but most highly processed foods are naturally excluded based on other decisions. For example, avoiding flour & added sugars eliminates a fair amount of foods that come in a box/bag/jar/can. Fresh produce is always better than canned, but I have no issue using canned when I require the convenience (as long as it doesn't include unhealthy levels of sodium or additives that do not benefit me). I'm a big fan of Food for Life products (which I consider highly processed yet clean) - their cinnamon raisin bread is delicious! Top that with some highly processed peanuts & salt only peanut butter and I'm in heaven!
Personally, I don't think added sugars have any place in clean eating (sugar, honey, agave, etc).
Processing does come into play when I'm deciding on what form of a food I consume. I think quick oats are clean enough, but I'll choose oat groats over quick oats any day because they are better for me (and tastier!).
So, how do YOU define "clean eating"?
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My definition is very similar. I have heard the thing of avoiding all GMO's, and I don't buy into it. Diabetics are saved every day by a GMO bacteria that is used to create insulin, and most people enjoy store bought bananas (I have never heard of anyone eating an actual wild banana). I have been told go for only organic which is the least regulated area of food out there. I know of an organic grower that instead of regular pesticides used an oil mixture from some herbs that if taken in the right quantity are always lethal (which really isn't that much for some of them), but it killed the bugs and was a natural pesticide. The problem with organic is that you need to be familiar with the farmer to figure out if it really is safe for you or meets your moral guidelines for how the Earth and livestock should be treated to create our food. So, what does it mean to me?
Choosing as close to natural as I can get. I do eat some processed stuff; I bought a thing of whipped peanut butter just today. My yogurt as it is light yogurt is processed, and I choose the light yogurt over the low-fat due to the amount of sugar packed into them. I have a garden in which I grow a couple of plants for food and making of aromatherapy items. I try to avoid canned goods, but some items I cannot find in any other form, usually beans, which can be hard to prep by hand as they may take an overnight soak to become soft enough to cook. I have to make compromises based on my budget as well. I know natural peanut butter (watching ingredient label for how that company defined the word natural) is better for me, but it is also an extra two dollars here. That difference on most items adds up too quickly for me with a budget of $4.57/day for food. Even my cat has to put up with my lack of resources. :laugh:
As was mentioned it's about making better choices to achieve as close to raw as possible, whenever possible. Not everyone lives in places where there are reasonably priced Farmers' Markets or natural food stores. Look at labels, look at the company's procedures for creating the product and history, if possible, and figure out what you can live with right now, what you aim to improve on in the future, and what is best overall for your life.0 -
Disclaimer: What is ideal and what I eat each day aren't necessarily one and the same yet. I am working towards the ideal
To me clean eating is eating the best and healthiest options from the food groups, in as natural of a state (before I cook it) as possible. I choose whole, natural foods and seek to eliminate or minimize refined foods. Processed foods are anything in a box, bag, can, or package, but unrefined foods can also be found in packaging. I am willing to buy packaged foods as long as they have few ingredients, and those ingredients are basically whole, natural foods.
I am fine with unrefined / natural sugars, such as honey and (real) maple syrup.0 -
To me clean eating is eating the best and healthiest options from the food groups, in as natural of a state (before I cook it) as possible. I choose whole, natural foods and seek to eliminate or minimize refined foods. Processed foods are anything in a box, bag, can, or package, but unrefined foods can also be found in packaging. I am willing to buy packaged foods as long as they have few ingredients, and those ingredients are basically whole, natural foods.
I am fine with unrefined / natural sugars, such as honey and (real) maple syrup.
Totally this for me as well. I have a lot of health issues and it's not always possible for me to eat things in their natural state. My doc (part of the reason I decided to create the group, told me one of the conditions can worsen with processed foods. SO, I thought that this would help :-)0 -
Disclaimer: What is ideal and what I eat each day aren't necessarily one and the same yet. I am working towards the ideal
To me clean eating is eating the best and healthiest options from the food groups, in as natural of a state (before I cook it) as possible. I choose whole, natural foods and seek to eliminate or minimize refined foods. Processed foods are anything in a box, bag, can, or package, but unrefined foods can also be found in packaging. I am willing to buy packaged foods as long as they have few ingredients, and those ingredients are basically whole, natural foods.
I am fine with unrefined / natural sugars, such as honey and (real) maple syrup.
Basically the above is how I see it. Avoiding flowers and sugars aren't something I do but refined flowers, white sugar over processed food yes I try to stay away from that. I make my own breads and I buy my flowers (wheat, rye and so on) from a local co-op so it is organic and as little processing as possible. My family chooses not to eat the way I do so there are some processed food in my pantry. I totally agree with the buying of some packaged food I have found no salt added blue tortilla chip that have four basic ingredient and I love to eat them with homemade salsa or humus as an occasional treat. I too use honey or maple syrup for sweeteners but I have some recipes that I do use unrefined sugar in (not a pretty and white but it works).
I feel clean eating is knowing what your putting in your body. I am getting to the point now if I can't pronounce it and identify it then it shouldn't go in my body (kind of like avoiding what might be a poison berry or mushroom in the wild). I don't always follow this rule but as I see more and more people struggle with their weight, health issues and so on that I better play an active role in my own health; ultimately that means what I put into my body, exercise, proper rest and keeping my emotional well being in the positive zone is how I take care of myself.0 -
Disclaimer: What is ideal and what I eat each day aren't necessarily one and the same yet. I am working towards the ideal
You are definitely not alone!
Love everyone's input so far! I don't think this topic would have gone nearly as well in the main forums.
I just want to clarify what I said earlier about added sugars having no place in clean eating (even unrefined). I mean they have no place in MY diet because they just aren't good to my body. It seems to cause a lot of inflammation for me. I feel much better when I avoid them. When I get sick though, first thing I grab is some echinacea tea & raw honey!
I used to use agave in place of sugar but switched when I watched "Sugar: The Bitter Truth". It's quite long (1.5 hrs) but well worth the time to watch it.0 -
I agree on the discussion above! No idea how to make a quote like others have done. But clean eating to me means eating food in as close to its natural state as I can handle. No added chemicals, just the goodness of the food and nothing else. I am really trying to focus on local and fresh foods in my diet. I am blessed to live in an area that has a lot of fresh and amazing produce available in farmers markets and my co-op, so I am trying to eat as simple and fresh as possible. I definitely don't think "clean" has to be "local", but I like the idea if possible because it's a clean way to eat in more ways that one. Not only are you eating simply, but you are having less of an impact on the environment. Michael Pollan had the right idea (If you've read The Omnivore's Dilemma). Here's a quote from him that I love:
'Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the land. Imagine if we could eat every meal knowing these few simple things: What it is we’re eating. Where it came from. How it found its way to our table. And what it really cost. If that was the reality, then every meal would have the potential to be a perfect meal. We would not need to go hunting for our connection to our food and the web of life that produces it. We would no longer need any reminding that we eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and that what we’re eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world. I don’t want to have to forage every meal. Most people don’t want to learn to garden or hunt. But we can change the way we make and get our food so that it becomes food again—something that feeds our bodies and our souls. Imagine it: Every meal would connect us to the joy of living and the wonder of nature. Every meal would be like saying grace.'0 -
(at the bottom of each post is a link that says Quote)I agree on the discussion above! No idea how to make a quote like others have done.
I'm with you Jeanners, and I like the Michael Pollan quote you included as well!
So far in my clean eating it has been making *better* choices and noticing how food makes me feel. If I go on auto pilot and make breakfast or lunch, I automatically seem to grab a carb and a protein. Clean eating for me has meant being more mindful of giving my body nutrition and not just sustenance. Also, I think the way we spend our money might be one of the biggest ways we can make a difference every day in the food industry. I think of every dollar I spend (or don't spend) at a chain grocery store like a vote, a message to the store about what is important to me.
I guess my definition or my aim is eating food in its natural form, as close to its original source as possible, as often as possible, and supplementing that natural food with lightly processed items that make the food more approachable to me. It also means preparing my own food as much as possible and making meals that are *enjoyed*.0
