What is clean eating?

You do you and let others do as they feel is best for their own body.

You will not be able to find a post on MFP where I criticized someone's personal dietary choices (other than saying that they should probably include more vegetables or protein when asked about that topic). Nor have I ever criticized someone else's choice to eliminate foods. Instead, I've said repeatedly that that can be a valid choice for individuals. If asked whether they should I may have said it wasn't necessary for health or to lose weight, but even there I'm sure I would have said it was going to be an individual thing.

Thus, I'm confident when I say it's not me, but the "clean" eaters, who are making assertions about one way of eating being superior. I'm just objecting to the silly notion that eating yogurt and frozen vegetables makes you less healthy or an "unclean" eater. Telling someone who is trying to figure out how to eat a nutritious diet that they MUST eat clean and that people who don't are unhealthy is IMO bad advice.

Telling someone who is trying to figure out how to eat a nutritious diet that they MUST eat clean and that people who don't are unhealthy is IMO bad advice.

^^^This

You do you and let others do as they feel is best for their own body.

You will not be able to find a post on MFP where I criticized someone's personal dietary choices (other than saying that they should probably include more vegetables or protein when asked about that topic). Nor have I ever criticized someone else's choice to eliminate foods. Instead, I've said repeatedly that that can be a valid choice for individuals. If asked whether they should I may have said it wasn't necessary for health or to lose weight, but even there I'm sure I would have said it was going to be an individual thing.

Thus, I'm confident when I say it's not me, but the "clean" eaters, who are making assertions about one way of eating being superior. I'm just objecting to the silly notion that eating yogurt and frozen vegetables makes you less healthy or an "unclean" eater. Telling someone who is trying to figure out how to eat a nutritious diet that they MUST eat clean and that people who don't are unhealthy is IMO bad advice.

No one here, on this thread, is telling anyone to eat clean. No one but you mentioned yogurt. The OP asked what clean eating is which is the only reason why some clean eaters are responding. I cannot speak for others here but I certainly do not tell anyone how to eat, what to eat or anything else with respect to 'their diet' other than make their own choices and not let other members badger them into opening their diaries. Accusing all clean eaters of making perceived assertions is nothing more than a red herring in the discussion of clean eating. If you perceive that someone feels superior due to their dietary choice, the perception is yours not necessarily what that person actually feels. I doubt anyone feels anything about how anyone else eats so why should you?

It's a marketing term that ignites debate and sells diet books, nothing more...

Just to reiterate...

Out of curiosity: if the OP said "what is healthy eating" how would folks respond?

To quote myself from a couple of posts ago:

Rather than go on about processing or eating "clean," or the horrors of letting some pre-packaged yogurt pass your lips, why not suggest that people eat a good variety of vegetables and fruits, get adequate protein and fiber (which may mean whole grains), focus on foods that will tend to be more filling and rich in micro-nutrients, etc. And then if they have room left eat some less nutrient dense foods if that's what they desire, in moderation (which this basically by definition is).

Perfect. Works for me.

Me too!

"Well. we mostly agree that eating a diet rich in plant-based and whole grain foods is good, and I also happen to think that meat and dairy are just fine. (Personally, I think grains, even whole grains, tend to be somewhat overrated, and they certainly are processed under any reasonable definition, but I don't think they are bad for you at all, except that they aren't particularly nutrient-dense. This all supports my argument.) "

Sure. And I agree with you about whole grains. From what (very minimal) reading I've done, historically, there seems to be at least a vague correlation between the advent of mass agriculture (of grains) and the near-advent of certain health issues/diseases.




"Hmm. Perhaps you haven't seen the many, many posts in this thread alone claiming that processed=unhealthy. As I've been saying, that's false. "

My personal opinion is that "processed = less healthy". Or, more precisely, "the more processed = the less healthy". Considering the more *added* (I know some kind soul has deconstructed a banana or some such above) and unidentifiable ingredients, the more "processed".

"that there are a lot of good, health and nutrition-based reasons to include specific processed foods in one's diet."

Such as?

"The difference, if any, has to do with the specific ingredients, so if there is a specific processed ingredient you think is unsafe at any speed (poor old sucrose, perhaps), then why not identify that, rather than claiming it's about "processing."

Because it's laborious. There's tons of them. A little Googling will bring you to many studies evidencing the health benefits of plant-based diets. So I've decided to logically extrapolate my viewpoint from there. Why is the onus on me to evidence why these added ingredients are 'unsafe' (something I, nor as far as I can see, anyone in this thread has said); why isn't the onus on you to evidence what's good/'safe' about them?


"Rather than go on about processing or eating "clean," or the horrors of letting some pre-packaged yogurt pass your lips, why not suggest that people eat a good variety of vegetables and fruits, get adequate protein and fiber (which may mean whole grains), focus on foods that will tend to be more filling and rich in micro-nutrients, etc. And then if they have room left eat some less nutrient dense foods if that's what they desire, in moderation (which this basically by definition is)."

I'm not suggesting anyone do anything. I'm neither informed nor arrogant enough. Too many people in this thread seem to conflate having an opinion with "preaching". I can understand peoples' distaste for the term "clean", but I can't see the question "what is healthy eating?" sparking a less fractious debate..


And just to reiterate. I don't eat 'clean' in any way. As my diary (when I bother to fill it in) displays.

OP asked the question then disappeared from the conversation. Seven pages later and still no sight of OP so I say...congratulations OP on a well played troll :drinker:

Like many OPs, if this was my thread, I'd be gone too.

OP asked the question then disappeared from the conversation. Seven pages later and still no sight of OP so I say...congratulations OP on a well played troll :drinker:

Like many OPs, if this was my thread, I'd be gone too.

I would agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that seemingly every day a new clean eating thread pops up. At this point, anyone can just do a search for clean eating and get plenty of info.

And virtually every other topic.

OP asked the question then disappeared from the conversation. Seven pages later and still no sight of OP so I say...congratulations OP on a well played troll :drinker:

Like many OPs, if this was my thread, I'd be gone too.

I would agree with you if it wasn't for the fact that seemingly every day a new clean eating thread pops up. At this point, anyone can just do a search for clean eating and get plenty of info.

And virtually every other topic.

How true...

Out of curiosity: if the OP said "what is healthy eating" how would folks respond?

To quote myself from a couple of posts ago:

Rather than go on about processing or eating "clean," or the horrors of letting some pre-packaged yogurt pass your lips, why not suggest that people eat a good variety of vegetables and fruits, get adequate protein and fiber (which may mean whole grains), focus on foods that will tend to be more filling and rich in micro-nutrients, etc. And then if they have room left eat some less nutrient dense foods if that's what they desire, in moderation (which this basically by definition is).

Perfect. Works for me.

Me too!

Me three!

Me: "that there are a lot of good, health and nutrition-based reasons to include specific processed foods in one's diet."

You: Such as?

Some of the main processed foods* I personally eat are yogurt (lately mostly Fage 0% plain, but all kinds), cottage cheese, and smoked salmon. Also frozen fish, canned sardines, and protein powder, as well as (on occasion) boxed egg whites (I cannot stand tossing perfectly good yolks but sometimes want a little more protein or volume without the calories/fat from an additional egg). As you can see, there's a theme here, which is protein, especially lower fat protein. If I cut this stuff out of my diet it would be harder for me to meet my protein goal, and a lot of foods I use to make sure meals like breakfast are satiating or to add some high quality calories to dinner if I'm low on calories (which happens not infrequently because of exercise and I typically add fruit or dairy, depending on my day so far). Beyond this, it's a good way to get more fish in my diet, and I think fish is good for me.

Another health-based reason to include processed foods is the one I mentioned earlier--frozen vegetables out of season. I admit I tend to buy non-frozen all year round, just because they are more appealing to me, but this is not actually sensible on either a cost or health basis. The processed item, off season, is likely the better choice. Also, it is really fair to call the non-frozen unprocessed if they are carted in from far away, as they have to be where I live during much of the year (and same with some items, like bananas or avocados, any time of the year).

Some other such items are, arguably, canned tomatoes and baby carrots. If someone is much more likely to include these foods in their diet in the more convenient form and the processing doesn't actually hurt them (there's probably more sodium in canned tomatoes--I haven't really checked), then there are health reasons to include these products. Another that would fit in here would be whole-grain-based products--breads, whole grain flour, steel cut oats, other forms of oatmeal, quinoa, rice, dried beans, pasta, so on. These are all inherently processed and some people think they aren't all that necessary, but there are certainly arguments that they are good for you, especially by providing lots of fiber in many cases, and little reason to think they should be eliminated from the diet (IMO, of course). Plus, at a certain point people NEED adequate calories, and your staple carbs tend to serve that purpose. (That we have such a surplus of food these days and less activity is probably why they also tend to be foods that often get overeaten.)

Finally, coffee. One can debate the health benefits, but I think it's good for my mental health. ;-)

*For the record, I also eat other "processed" foods that I'd put in my non-nutrient dense, fine in moderation/when you have room in your diet after everything else category, most prominently ice cream and fancy cheese. And I eat at restaurants not infrequently--in fact, if I wanted to identify where I get into trouble with excess calories or unbalanced days, it's far less likely to be packaged stuff in supermarkets and more likely to be meals out. Sometimes these meals are "unclean," I suppose, but it's just as possible to consume LOTS of calories at a fancy-shmancy fresh from local farms kind of restaurant, that would probably pass the clean muster so long as we don't ban butter, and similarly at a small local ethnic place of some sort, which also might not use the kinds of ingredients that I think the "clean" people are focused on. But who knows, the term means nothing.

Everyone has their one versions or definitions of it. For me it is focusing on more real foods, lean proteins, fruits veggies, complex carbs. I avoid alot of boxed items or canned good.

Many of my staples, quick oats,lean turkey,fish such as orange roughy tilapia shrimp scallops tuna. skinless boneless chicken. eggs lean beef
Green veggies, broccoli, beans peppers spaghetti squash, carrots celery lettuce. sweet potatoes, regular potatoes mushroom tomato spinach
Almonds natural peanut butter
Greek low fat yogurt, cottage cheese
brown rice white rice couscous quinoa
black beans other beans
berries, apples bananas

Finding a good balance, not saying to never eat a boxed item or go ou tto dinner! It really takes time to develop changed eating habits, - 3yrs and counting here

your staples look a lot like mine.

Mine too, which is why I could never claim to eat "clean."

Although one reason I am always finding the balance between fat and protein a challenge is that I prefer my chicken less processed! (Roasted skin-on, bone-in, in a perfect world.) Again, given that I buy my meat (other than fish and some other exceptions) from a local farm, the connection that seems to be commonly drawn between "healthier" or "leaner" cuts of meat and a lack of processing seems strange to me. Presumably less processing with meat would just mean a wider variety of cuts (and types of meat, like organ meat) over all, as you'd try to use the whole animal and not focus on cuts from which fat has been removed.

Not saying this is a superior way to eat, of course, but just questioning the focus on "processing" or term "clean." Or perhaps, at this point, beating a dead horse. (Is that processing?)

Good morning. I'm Barbara and I live in South Texas. I'm diabetic and I need to eat healthier too. I Google my pyramid and the American diabetes association to see what they suggest. I tried Weight Watchers for several years and if you do it right it works great. I have to change the way I eat and cook. Alot of people say that eating clean means no processed foods. With our schedules and everything being fast paced that can be hard to do. Alot of ladies I know do alot of cooking on weekends and freeze their food.

Just eat mostly whole foods and throw in some processed stuff that you enjoy and you will be fine. Say 85/15 whole vs favorites.

Hi pals I'm Kimberly & I'm working on becoming a healthier me!! I'm trying to make better food choices. What do you consider clean eating?

The definition of clean eating is vague and largely depends on who you ask. To a Paleo person that would mean anything that humans from the paleolithic era would have had access to, so nothing processed. I think this is silly for Modern Day humans. humans from the paleolithic period had to hunt and gather for their food and didn't have 3 balanced square meals per day, they ate what ever they could find. They were also a lot more active and had to hunt / gather for their food, going to the local whole foods isn't exactly going to simulate that.

My definition of clean food is food that doesn't have dirt or filth on it. I eat all foods, processed, from McDonald's, whole foods, giant or what ever. Nothing I put in my body is dirty.

People seem to think that "clean" eating (which ever definition of it they prefer) will help you lose weight and be healthier. If you track your calories and watch your MACROS you will be just fine, and you don't have to eat like a caveman to do it.

Whether you think Paleo is silly is a moot point. If someone wants to eat Paleo, they do not need to justify their choice to anyone. The same applies to eating clean, eating dirty or eating upside down! Many have reported that eating clean helps them lose weight. The reason being, whole foods tend to be lower in calories than processed foods. That means you can eat more food for fewer calories so you feel full longer. They are also lower in sugar so there isn't the sugar crash or cravings, both of which can make you eat more than you intended. In short, eating clean does make it easier to create and maintain the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.

yes- but it doesn't need a name. you don't have to call it a thing. That's what irks me- it's not eating clean- ti's just eating to maximize your calories and taking advantage of lower calorie- but filling food.

I fill my diet with chick and veggies- and eggs and bacon- but eat a snickers mini- or a milky way mini daily at work- I have random cakes- and processed food too- when I go out I tend to stick with meats and veggies- minimal sauces- why- because it's the most bang for my buck.

But I'm not a clean eater. I'm not an anything eater- I just eat in a way that meets my goals and makes me happy. There is no accidental cutting out of food- I don't cut out food- I just don't eat food I don't like- and or- it's just too da*n calorically expensive. But not because it's inheriently "bad".

There is a difference in eating to meet your goals verses saying I'm eating "Clean" and pure... vs dirty and vile food. One is just eating- the other is placing human emotion and ascribing guilt toward food- it's just silly.

Because you're right- you don't need to justify your food choices- but along with that means- you don't need to give it a name either. Just eat what you like, how you like and if you aren't meeting your goals then you know it's time to change. If you're still meeting your goals-then press on Luis and Clark- press on.

I like the way you put this. I've tried explaining this to people when they ask my questions. How did you lose weight and get fit? Is usually followed by some complicated over thinking comments like, "I bet you cut out all the foods you like and only ate this or that or clean nasty food." Nope not at all.