"Clean" Food?

jenbusick
jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
I see a lot of people say things like "I only eat clean foods now" or "I eat 80% clean foods now."

I'd love to see some discussion of what "clean" foods means, and what's considered "processed" or "prepackaged." I wonder about this a lot when I cook. Frex, today for lunch I made chili -- I made it with organic beef and no-salt-added tomato sauce, but also with McCormick chili seasoning and Tabasco Chipotle sauce. Is that "clean" or "processed"? I'm sure compared to a can of Hormel it's GREAT. But if I want to call it "clean," do I have to use... spices that come in jars but aren't premixed instead of premixed spices? Fresh tomatoes for my sauce instead of canned tomato sauce? I make my own pizza sauce, again with no-salt-added tomato sauce, and I blend my own spices for that -- but they still come in jars from the grocery store. I'm not eating DiGiorno, but I do use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese out of a bag. Too processed? Counts as prepackaged? I dunno.

How clean do you have to be to say you eat 'clean' food? How "clean" is "clean" enough?

Replies

  • Dom80
    Dom80 Posts: 146 Member
    when I refer to clean eating that is fresh produce and fresh meat/poultry. The idea is to get as far away from processed/prepackaged food as possible. Of course we dont live in the June Cleaver era so its not totally possible.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    processed carbs are all those nasty things you find down the isles of the grocery stores. Try to stick to outside edges, fruits, veggies, meat, dairy. of course, spices will be needed. I do buy some frozen veggies too. But no box mixed things, no boxes of crackers, or goodies, junk food type things. I buy jar pizza sauce (not for pizza but to cook with) that only has 4 carbs per 1/4 cup. I don't eat bread or pasta, so no worries there for me.
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    I'm guessing the line in the sand is going to vary from person to person.

    Using your examples, I would typically make my own tomato sauce with a can of no-salt diced tomatoes, onions, garlic & chilli. I usually go for making mexican seasoning because I don't like the sodium levels in packaged seasoning (it's just a mix of spices like cumin, paprika and chilli). However, I don't have time or the inclination to cook black beans from scratch, so I'd usually buy a can of cooked black beans and rinse them really well.

    I use pre-shredded mozzarella, too :)

    For me, 'clean' is as clean as I can manage without having to spend hours and hours getting there. It's miles better than I used to eat, at any rate.
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    So, Chips Ahoy Bad, Homemade chocolate chip cookies good? Oh yes, very very good!

    (asked and answered, sorry, couldn't resist ;-)
  • anchorruud
    anchorruud Posts: 3 Member
    Canned tomatoes and canned tomoto sauce is not a clean food. And its also bad for you because the acid of the tomato is known to strip parts of the "tin" can and leak into its sauce or juice. I heard tomotoes in glass is better- however anything that can sit on a shelf unrefridgerated- i believe is technically NOT a clean food, but someone would have to confirm that. So yes a food processor and some tomatoes would be the "clean" eating way. You can buy a great recipe book by Tosca Reno she is the clean eating guru.
    I believe a good rule of thumb with clean eating is thinking of a "whole" food type of diet. And sticking to items that are only found on the perimeter of your grocery store and not in the aisles (only exceptions would be for pasta and rice and select frozen veggies). Making things from scratch is how i usually how i refer to it, however i am not going to try to make any type of flour from scratch. I am not sure about the spices, but if there is a preservative or a process to make it, its not clean eating.
  • HungryTuna
    HungryTuna Posts: 141
    Hi there! So here's my two-cents on "clean" foods... To me, clean foods means "minimally processed whole foods."

    If you get pre-packaged foods, read the ingredient labels. They should be short and sweet, and contain ingredients you can actually pronounce. Rule of thumb: If it looks like it was made in a lab, don't buy it. The more it sounds like real food, the better off you are!

    That said, your chili sounds perfect! Spices generally, are not worrisome... sure, they're "processed" through means of being ground, but they're still "whole" ingredients. Your mention of "Hormel chili" is a prime example of a processed food. I think you're definitely on the right track. Sometimes, buying prepackaged is necessary... unless you make your own pastas, cheeses, etc.

    The key is to look for minimal ingredients when shopping packaged foods. ;-) This can differ based on what you're buying, because sometimes I love to buy pre-made curries to have on hand for my lazy nights when I want to throw something easy together. In that case, the ingredient list can be quite long! But they're all ingredients of foods (and herbs & spices) I recognize.

    Hope this helps!
  • HungryTuna
    HungryTuna Posts: 141
    @anchorruud - You and I share the same thoughts on this! I didn't see your response until after I posted mine! I definitely avoid the middle aisles of my grocery too. I usually find everything I need from the produce and natural living sections. *high five!*
  • Dom80
    Dom80 Posts: 146 Member
    Let me add to my previous note. I dont always eat "clean". I do a strict clean diet when I am having medical problems. I have a bladder disease that when it acts up clean eating is the only treatment. Clean eating takes more time and sometimes more money. My dietician calls it "the no grocery aisle" diet.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    Canned tomatoes and canned tomoto sauce is not a clean food. And its also bad for you because the acid of the tomato is known to strip parts of the "tin" can and leak into its sauce or juice. I heard tomotoes in glass is better- however anything that can sit on a shelf unrefridgerated- i believe is technically NOT a clean food, but someone would have to confirm that. So yes a food processor and some tomatoes would be the "clean" eating way. You can buy a great recipe book by Tosca Reno she is the clean eating guru.

    Canned foods (think home canned) are still "clean" and processed. Canning is pretty much taking a veggie/fruit or whatever and cooking it at high heat to seal the container. Once it has been processed properly, it is safe to store at room temperature for a few months or a year.

    Homemade canned foods of course are super clean. But minimally processed canned or frozen items aren't bad either. Generally foods like canned tomatoes and beans are pretty good as far as clean eating goes. Looked for lined BPA-free cans for your tomatoes or class or the cardboard pack. Frozen produce is the best as far as clean eating goes. They rarely contain anything more than the actual produce item.

    My philosophy is more like, eat about 90% foods with minimal processing and pronounceable ingredients. And when eating out stick to places that abide by similar rules. It works well when I am near home, still haven't figured out how to get it done when I travel.
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
    @anchorruud - You and I share the same thoughts on this! I didn't see your response until after I posted mine! I definitely avoid the middle aisles of my grocery too. I usually find everything I need from the produce and natural living sections. *high five!*

    +1!! :glasses:
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    For me, 'clean' is as clean as I can manage without having to spend hours and hours getting there. It's miles better than I used to eat, at any rate.

    This is how I operate, really. I just wondered what other folks consider "overprocessed" and why.
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    Hi there! So here's my two-cents on "clean" foods... To me, clean foods means "minimally processed whole foods."

    If you get pre-packaged foods, read the ingredient labels. They should be short and sweet, and contain ingredients you can actually pronounce. Rule of thumb: If it looks like it was made in a lab, don't buy it. The more it sounds like real food, the better off you are!

    So Breyer's Ice Cream can be "clean" by this definition (if only it could also be low-calorie, alas!).

    This is close to what I try to do. The ingredient label should mostly be stuff I could pick up in the produce aisle if I chose to.

    Of course, there are some processed foods that are just so blamed useful in certain recipes! I would hate to have to go TOO clean and give up Velveeta and cream of chicken soup altogether! ;-)
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
    I'm too tired to comment on your post as a whole (haha sorry), but have you tried using fresh mozzarella (the kind packed in water) instead of the pre-shredded stuff for your homemade pizza? I couldn't believe the difference when I switched.
  • jenbusick
    jenbusick Posts: 528 Member
    I'm too tired to comment on your post as a whole (haha sorry), but have you tried using fresh mozzarella (the kind packed in water) instead of the pre-shredded stuff for your homemade pizza? I couldn't believe the difference when I switched.

    I have thought about that, and about making my own soft cheeses, but I haven't actually taken the plunge yet :-)
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