Clean Eating???

I also have a ton of questions about this? What exactly does "processed foods" consist of? EVERYTHING we eat is processed, unless we grow it in our own backyard...

So are we not supposed to have any dairy products because they've been pasteurized, thats a form of processing, right?
... I don't get this whole idea of "clean food"

I understand not eating pre-made foods and making everything from scratch so you know exactly what ingredients are in you food, but beyond that I don't get it at all!

I also have a ton of questions about this? What exactly does "processed foods" consist of? EVERYTHING we eat is processed, unless we grow it in our own backyard...

So are we not supposed to have any dairy products because they've been pasteurized, thats a form of processing, right?
... I don't get this whole idea of "clean food"

I understand not eating pre-made foods and making everything from scratch so you know exactly what ingredients are in you food, but beyond that I don't get it at all!

Thats okay! Its very different than most people's way of eating. The less chemicals and additives the better! Essentially "if it doesnt have a mother or comes out of the ground, dont eat it!" is the saying. Pasteurization is okay. People who do not eat things that have been pasteurized are essentially "raw" foodists. I know this is a crude description... i hope this helps! feel free to ask me more questions if needed

these are great questions!!! it depends on how extreme you want to be. You may want to check out Food INC. online for free. I have this posted on my profile page:

"Want to know what's in your processed food and big chicken breast?? Watch in awe.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyagLY1Nem8"

it's been a process for us but we are presently a processed food free home...98.9%. If I had a cow, I'd milk it ;o) We still buy whole milk. I can make cheese!!! ) learned how to make ketchup and mayo...haven't tried butter but heard it's fun to make, and I need to learn how to make mustard. Basically, if you eat it, you should be able to make it. I made fresh marshmallows(I made a corn syrup substitute from sugar) for the green bean casserole this year...along with caramelizing and frying the crispy stuff to top it with and mixed the cream soup from scratch. I recently learned how to make focaccia bread for panini's and just today made whole wheat sour dough bread from complete scratch!!! took 3 days to prepare, so rewarding!!!

You include a lot of RAW foods:
blanched nuts, seeds, dry beans, fruits & veggies, lean meats. Natural yogurt, learn how to make it! From plain natural yogurt comes: whey(the watery stuff) greek yogurt, sour cream, & cream cheese!!! Think about that!!

What to do for "quick" meals...it's going to take some preparation and planning but can be done!

breakfast or snacks:
homemade granola, bagels, pretzels and fresh fruits and veggies are great snacks! Along w/blanched nuts. The kind of nuts w/nothing on them! Usually in the baking section. Oh and 1 piece of dark chocolate!

You can get oat groats, the whole oat and make a yummy porridge...the original 1st cereal! Make it up ahead of time and it'll be good for several days..put them in 1/2-1 cup containers w/some natural yogurt and local raw honey!

coffee, almond milk(that i make), fruit, and porridge are my breakfast.

Lunch: marinade some boneless chicken and grill up 5-6 servings. Grill and store in the fridge or cut up into individual servings for on the go. Make up a big green salad w/red pepper, alfalfa and spinach. 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar(kirkland brand is the best and you don't need anything else with...the flavor is delish) have a big salad w/a serving of chicken...my diet calls for 7 oz of lean meat at lunch w/my salad

Dinner: A panini!!! 1-3 oz of lean meat again...I've been blending grilled salmon w/.5oz of fresh goat cheese to make a spread...adding 2 large green olives and spreading it on a 3.5 oz piece of homemade focaccia bread. Warm on the panini press...it's delish!

I'm trying to stay at 1200 calories...this is a diet I got from the endocrinologist and surprisingly, it's VERY balanced in nutrition across the board! If you'd really like the diet, pm me and I'll send it to you ) I dropped 6 pounds the first week!

But lots of water, 10 glasses a day! Clean eating is wonderful and natural! The way God intended it to be! Enjoy your wonderful adventure! It took me about 2 years to get where I am now actually less...

You do have the right idea about processed dairy. Oils are also processed. The general rule of thumb is that if you don't know how to pronounce the ingredients on the ingredient list of an item, it is likely processed.

Also, stay away from canned fruit/veggies, as they contain lots of sodium and preservatives. Eat mostly vegetables you get from the produce department, or from the frozen section.

I giggled at the part with the pronunciation, I'm in college for a biomedical engineering degree, so I know how to pronounce pretty much all of the compounds used in foods and food production =]

A good rule of thumb is to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, buy as little as you can from the center aisles. To keep me going all week, even super busy days, I cook one large meal usually on Sunday. Like a soup or a protein that I can then add just a salad or some steamed veggies to later in the week. If I am in a super hurry and don't have something prepared I'll make myself a big salad with some good cheese, nuts, and fruit. My favorite is a spinach salad with pecans, goat cheese, and either fresh pear or dried figs with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I'd be happy to share any other suggestions with you if you are interested.

Okay..I hear everyone talking about clean eating..can anyone post meal ideas for this...I want to start trying to get away from as much processed food as possible but I need ideas for when I'm in a rush and need to just grab something quick..IDEAS PLEASE ))))))))))))))

Pretty much anything from a box, can or jar is processed. Some clean foods are processed like yogurt and cheese, but clean eating is primarily foods in their original form. Beef, poultry, fish, veggies, fruits, grains, brown rice, stuff like that. Once you get started there will be millions of ways to prepare these foods and you'll never want another hamburger helper again.
:happy: :happy: :happy:

Check out http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/ for some good meal ideas,

Basically clean eating means if it didn't run, swim, fly or grow in the ground, don't eat it.
If it has more than 10 ingredients or ingredients you can't pronounce don't eat it
If it doesn't go off in a week or so - don't eat it!

It's about eating whole, unprocessed, foods as they were meant to be, without the added sugar and additions in so many foods now!

There are all kinds of variations of what is "clean" its about what fits for you. I try to eat organic with what I can afford, I'm vegetarian so processed meat isn't an issue but I am wary of tofu, breads etc - I have a few "trusted" brands. Spend time reading the back of labels - look out for any "additions" to the basic food you are eating.

Also try reading "the Clean Lean diet" by Josh Duigan - this was a great start for me!

With regards to milk I drink organic milk that is pasteurized personally - but i know many happy healthy ppl who are so "clean" they drink unpasteurized milk, yes - it's a bit scary :P After starting to "eat clean" the biggest switch for me was from Trim to whole milk in my coffee. I was freaked out but I have lost so much more weight eating good whole fats then in all the time I spent eating chemical/sugar laden foods that were "low fat"

Good luck x

I try to eat very clean most days...you can check out my diet if you want, it should be open.
chrisdavey also usually eats in a similar fashion.
take out the protein shakes and its pretty clean.

Its pretty boring, but i'm eating for a purpose. its just fuel for my body...

Eating clean can sound intimidating, especially if you overanalyze the non-processed foods definitions. In reality, if you read the books, they encourage trying to stear towards natural alternatives, when available. The quick bite meals are what you mainly mentioned and one of my biggest challenges as well; if I'm in a hurry or simply hungry now, then I'm going to eat what's easiest so make healthy snacks easy. Try to keep a small variety of breakfast bars, fruits, and nuts/trail mix handily available. Watch out for breakfast bars though as they can be decieving, Kashi is a great choice, in my opinion. If you pick up a breakfast bar look at the ingradients list; if theirs more than dozen ingredients all made up of gums and chemicals that you don't recognize, it's probably not a good choice. this is true about most foods, but breakfasts and snack bars can be especially decieving.