What exactly is "Clean Eating"?
Replies
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I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
Does it mean for example, that if you're making a Pasta/Spaghetti Sauce, you make it using actual Tomatoes and not ones in the Can?
So No Canned or Packaged foods, right?
If so, that's not so easy or cheap to do! :noway:
Would love to see some Meal idea's.
clean eating may mean different things for different people. I find it is actually cheaper to eat clean than it is to eat dirty, but not everybody knows how to cook well enough to pull it off.
it generally means no packaged "foods," but packaged food is all right (by which I mean minimal processing, 1-3-ingredient packages."
I buy mixed nuts, for example. There are 5 different kinds of nuts in the container. That's still eating clean. A can of tomatoes, while not optimal, will suffice as clean eating, so long as they are just tomatoes and maybe some citric acid... preferably fresh, but that's not always possible, and honestly, fresh in the winter at the grocery is pretty rank and expensive.
you can look at my diary. we make nearly eveyrthing from scratch.
I've also got a grocery project going on right now at my blog, life.kerimarion.com0 -
I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
Does it mean for example, that if you're making a Pasta/Spaghetti Sauce, you make it using actual Tomatoes and not ones in the Can?
So No Canned or Packaged foods, right?
If so, that's not so easy or cheap to do! :noway:
Would love to see some Meal idea's.
As others have said, the term doesn't really mean anything.
But you certainly can try to make pasta sauce with fresh and whole tomatoes and see if that works for you. I sometimes do because I grow tomatoes and when they are plentiful I'm desperate to use them any way possible, and I make a lot of sauces that rely on chopped tomatoes and other veggies vs. a red sauce kind of thing, but for the latter I think it's much easier and just as tasty to use a good canned whole tomato. (The posts about buying just tomatoes are interesting, since I've never actually noticed canned tomatoes with other stuff, other than the obvious basil or garlic, etc., which I do prefer to add myself. Maybe it's just the kind of tomatoes I've always bought.) Back in the day I went through a phase (oddly enough when I was gaining weight) where I was really purist about food and wanted to rely on whole tomatoes rather than canned for everything, but I no longer see any purpose to that. (During the same period I was all about making pasta from scratch, but I rarely do that anymore, partly because I mostly have pasta for a quick meal, and while I can whip up a tasty and healthy sauce super fast, I can't make fresh pasta that fast and I see no problem with dried. I don't actually eat pasta that much lately, but not because I'm against it or anything.)
Beyond that, if you want to use mostly whole foods (most of my dinners and breakfasts are whole-food based, although I can't say that for lunch, since I buy it often, although from places I think have good quality food), you can choose meals that are less time-consuming than making fresh pasta and a red sauce from fresh tomatoes would be. I usually just have some sort of meat, some sort of vegetable or two, and a starch or fruit or both, depending on how large a meal I want. I have a huge number of meals I can make based on what's on hand in about 30 mins (maybe longer with cooking time, but not much) following this model.
Oh, and I'm not even a "clean" eater. I like to cook and eat a lot from whole foods and lots of vegetables and such, though.
If you want to look at my dinners, my diary is open, although I only list ingredients, so you have to figure out how they are put together.0 -
Like so many other people posted, different people have different definitions. For me, I think it means not eating pre-packaged or processed foods. While I don't necessarily stick to this, I use it as a guideline. It requires way more work and preparation. I don't stick with organic, because I find that the cost difference is far too drastic where I am. I generally try to stick with shopping the perimeter of the store. I buy lots in the produce section, the meat section, and the dairy section, which for me is clean eating.0
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@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
When did I say that I eat this way? I said I consider clean eating. Read! I like my junk food too.0 -
Hou didn't. I noticed that, too.@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
When did I say that I eat this way? I said I consider clean eating. Read! I like my junk food too.
If it were true that to be clean, a seasoning had to have only one ingredient...that would not speak well of Mrs. Dash.0 -
No one knows what "clean eating" is. Even the people who say they "eat clean" don't know what it is. It's all subjective.
Did your food fall on the ground and now it's covered in dirt? No. Guess what, your eating clean, lol.0 -
Definitions vary, although all tend to revolve around a similar axis - that of eating food rich in micronutrients (vitamins/ minerals/ antioxidants/ etc).0
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I agree, I think it means different things to different people. to me, it would mean cutting-out M'n'M's, Snickers and Coke. I would focus more on tea, whole foods, veggies, lean meats, no bread or anything overly processed. but that's JMO. 0
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I use the term clean eating or whole foods to describe my way of eating and I don't really care if it is meaningless to somebody else since I am not eating for them. If you want to describe your way of eating as clean you get to make up the definetion that suits your own use. My way works for me, hopefully your way is working for you. that is all that really matters.0
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I agree with most people that the definition is all over the place. So many foods are made in factories now that the definition of the word 'unprocessed' is also all over the place. I eat meat which is butchered and trimmed in factories, and not just ground meat either. The canned tomato is a good example too, because it's processed and cooked in a factory, but a staple in most cupboards. Pasta, rice, the croutons for my salad, butter/margarine, oil, stock cubes, salad dressings, nori, cheese, yogurt, basically everything with a barcode has come from a factory. Fruits and produce are mass-harvested and then washed in factories, and the ugly or oddly shaped fruits are taken out and used in other things or destroyed. Apples are waxed to be shiny and appealing to shoppers. I might be the first human to actually come into contact with most of the food I buy, beyond a glance by the quality-control staff at the factory. And I feel like I eat pretty well.
The all-natural-ingredient stuff isn't hand-made by people in kitchens with aprons on either, it's made in factories too. It's wonderful because it is convenient, we don't have to preserve our own vegetables or churn our own butter, and it is a lot cheaper than fresh, especially during the long winter months. So I think it does annoy most of us when people use 'clean' as a label for their food, because it does seem a lot like it is a label people give to themselves, purely to make themselves feel like they eat 'better' than the rest of us.0 -
I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
Does it mean for example, that if you're making a Pasta/Spaghetti Sauce, you make it using actual Tomatoes and not ones in the Can?
So No Canned or Packaged foods, right?
If so, that's not so easy or cheap to do! :noway:
Would love to see some Meal idea's.
Thank you. This particular point is one of my bigger issues with the no-processed foods idea. Tomato sauce is better with canned tomatoes. It's also an example of why this type of reasoning is flawed. Healthy (and tasty) eating takes a bit more thought than "clean," as that concept is both over and under inclusive.0 -
Onefortyone
I don't eat any of the things you mention on a regular basis and I have never had any sense of superiority over those that eat different then I do. I have no reason to judge what or how others eat.
I eat the way I do because I like it and because I can. Certainly not to impress others or be judgmental.
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What exactly is "Clean Eating"?
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@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
No they don't. Herbs and spices have one ingredient. Seasonings are a mix of any number of herbs, spices, salt, etc. Cayenne is a spice, chili powder is a seasoning.0 -
care to elaborate on how pasta is junk food?The problem is, clean eating means different things to different people, but usually it means cutting out all junk food, including the pasta you mentioned. Essentially it is eating only whole foods. And suprisingly its not that expensive if you dont try and buy the organic foods, just stick to single ingredient foods and you should be on the right track.I agree, I think it means different things to different people. to me, it would mean cutting-out M'n'M's, Snickers and Coke. I would focus more on tea, whole foods, veggies, lean meats, no bread or anything overly processed. but that's JMO.
More evidence that the term is meaningless. While some might consider pasta or bread to be "unclean", others would see whole grain pasta and bread as perfectly acceptable. There is nothing about bread or pasta that is inherently bad for your health unless you have an allergy to it. Eating bread and pasta will not stop weight loss, and depending on how it's prepared, it can be minimally processed and only contain a few ingredients.
This discussion is as endless as it is meaningless. Eat what you like, that agrees with you, that helps you achieve your goals. No one can ever create a list of foods that is right for everyone and attempting to glorify or vilify individual foods as "clean or unclean" is asinine. We don't just eat individual foods, we eat a combination of several foods. That's why you must look at foods as they fit into your diet as a whole. There is no good/bad, clean/dirty, right/wrong when it comes to individual foods. Focus more on whether or not you total diet makes you feel good, keeps you healthy, and allows you to achieve your goals.0 -
Often the categories and acceptable processing levels have more to do with the individual's personal beliefs than any actual science.
I not only think that it is often the case, but it is ALWAYS the case.0 -
@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.0 -
As long as I catch it on the first bounce after hitting the floor I consider it clean.0
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I'm all in agreement that the term has different meanings to most. I'm a T2 diabetic so my idea of clean eating is pretty different from a non-T2. However, when I see someone write in a post that they are "eating clean" I get the concept of what they are trying to say and don't derail the topic.0
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@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.
Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.0 -
What exactly is "Clean Eating"?
This is beautiful!
Personally, I do what I want and try not to make people feel guilty about how they are eating. I just try to get my protein in, and I avoid preservatives when I can. Ah protein, need so much of you....yay for Fage and eggs! Easy protein there. As for the preservatives, it isn't that I think they are going to kill me, it's more that they make me really consider the food I am about to buy (like say Oreos) and is it worth my calories and money (no). Limited budget here!
Now my boyfriend on the other hand is weird. He gets all KINDS of upset over preservatives in his food (frozen pasta, cereal etc.) but drinks an EAS shake and eats a protein bar everyday for lunch and doesn't mind those preservatives. Go Figure!:ohwell:0 -
I never understood the clean eaters who take protein shakes and bars. Many bodybuilders are guilty of this. They eat no processed foods all day then drink a whey shake that is EXTREMELY processed but still consider it "clean" simply because they need to justify taking it.What exactly is "Clean Eating"?
This is beautiful!
Personally, I do what I want and try not to make people feel guilty about how they are eating. I just try to get my protein in, and I avoid preservatives when I can. Ah protein, need so much of you....yay for Fage and eggs! Easy protein there. As for the preservatives, it isn't that I think they are going to kill me, it's more that they make me really consider the food I am about to buy (like say Oreos) and is it worth my calories and money (no). Limited budget here!
Now my boyfriend on the other hand is weird. He gets all KINDS of upset over preservatives in his food (frozen pasta, cereal etc.) but drinks an EAS shake and eats a protein bar everyday for lunch and doesn't mind those preservatives. Go Figure!:ohwell:0 -
I don't know. I'm a mean cook and got plenty fat off foods that were homemade and constituted of single ingredients. It may be a marketing shill, but I would happily invest my time in a book that claimed steak and kidney pie was clean eating.0
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@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.
Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.
Nice idea but few people have the $ to build a specialized greenhouse that has different climate controlled sections that recreates the proper conditions to grow cinnamon trees, peppercorns, ginger plants, nutmeg trees (which also produce mace), cardamom plants, etc. Herbs and vegetables like peppers grow well in temperate climates like where I live but the only spices I can grow around here are dill seeds, poppy seeds, anise seeds, and mustard seeds.0 -
I prefer the term whole foods rather than clean foods. It makes sense to me to try to eat whole foods, but that doesn't mean you can't blend a bunch of whole foods into a recipe. And to me, it doesn't mean that you can't have a few healthy tortilla chips made from whole food ingredients. The one thing I'm debating with myself about though is if oil qualifies as a whole food.
The important thing is that YOU feel good about what you choose to put into your body. I think as people grow older, or if they face a serious health issue, they tend to pay more attention to the foods they choose. They raise the bar on what is healthy. It's great to share our ideas about what works for us, or read books about what works for others, but in the end, you have to find the level of whole, or the level of clean that is sustainable for you and makes YOU feel good about your choices. It's not necessary to try to "get on board" with anyone else's philosophy.0 -
@ OdesAngel -- I use seasoning...no dressing. Seasonings have one ingredient.
not necessarily true. Depends on whether you buy only whole seasonings and grind them yourself. A lot of seasonings actually contain fillers, and no they aren't listed on the label. Anything below a certain percentage does not have to be listed. So maybe you aren't eating as clean as you think.
Buy from a reputable company that grinds their spices and mixes their seasonings in small batches and you will not have any fillers.
Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.
Nice idea but few people have the $ to build a specialized greenhouse that has different climate controlled sections that recreates the proper conditions to grow cinnamon trees, peppercorns, ginger plants, nutmeg trees (which also produce mace), cardamom plants, etc. Herbs and vegetables like peppers grow well in temperate climates like where I live but the only spices I can grow around here are dill seeds, poppy seeds, anise seeds, and mustard seeds.
I can't grow saffron but that doesn't stop me from planting what I can in my patch of dirt. Cost to construct said patch of dirt = $00 -
I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
An argument on MFP.0 -
I've heard of clean eating but don't really know what it means exactly.
An argument on MFP.
^^^THIS
P.S Love your username. I'm a fan of both, but all in one... That's effing awesome.0 -
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That's it. I'm moving to live by you.Or just plant a pepper and herb garden and grow your own.
All that healthy food. And fresh spices.
You should start a business. "Dinner by Camo" - you'd rake it in.0
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