Clean Eating difficulties...
northernbelle2
Posts: 38 Member
Hey everyone...
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
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Replies
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dont get me started on clean eating. sigh......
anyways, what matters is your calorie intake. that is what matters for weight loss. if dont already, learn to accurately weigh your food.
dont get prepackaged stuff or things loaded with preservatives. I cook all the time, dont consider myself a 'clean ' eater and everything i make is loaded with flavor. I had cheese tortellini with sausage, spinach, and tomatoes in a cream sauce tonight. Around 300 calories for a single serving.
maybe take a cooking class.... (not meaning to sound snarky, im serious- learn to cook and you wont need anything prepackaged)0 -
Clean is not a word I would use to describe food. For one it's too ambiguous; people's definition of the word vary widely. I have a (usually) clean house, I wash my dirty clothes so that they become clean, but food is food; it isn't "dirty" or "clean." Unless you picked it out of a garden and it had mud on it, maybe.
If you really want to eat in a way that minimizes processed foods then it behooves you to figure out how to cook that way. People can give you recipes but their tastes, and their definition of "clean", might be very different from your own. Start doing some searches on the internet by putting in the ingredients you have available. You should be able to find specific sites with recipes that meet your needs pretty quickly. You should be able to tell by the recipes if the items in it meet your criteria.0 -
You don't have to have the biggest budget to cook, and most of that premade stuff has a much higher cost per serving. There are tons of recipes on Pinterest for slow cookers, and those can be some of the most economical meals. And you control what goes in to them, so you can be sure you are eating "clean," according to your definition. I've seen lots of threads on budget eating on this site, and there is always someone posting about things like dry beans and lentils. If those are your thing, you can make soups to eat on for a week in one pot.
Also watch the sales at your local store and shop based on those. You can always stock up on things like meats on sale and freeze them.0 -
Well for flavor, experiment with different spices and find out what you like! And as far as comfort food goes, I am the queen at that!! Lol I do cauliflower mash liked mashed potatoes, cauliflower "mac" n cheese which is actually quite satisfying, Cauliflower "rice", cauliflower tots like tater tots, you can even do cauliflower pizza crust. You can do pretty much anything with cauliflower! You just have to get creative in the kitchen but clean eating really isn't too bad once you get the hang of it.0
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There's a clean eating group here who might have some ideas or be able to direct you to recipes. It sounds like you are getting stuck on creating flavors and using seasonings, and that's something that a lot of people learn and develop with practice.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133-clean-eating-group0 -
Right now I'm making BBQ turkey breast cutlets and mashed butternut squash (and I'm not skimping on the milk or butter). What works for me is to prepare foods similar to the way I have been, but just choose healthier options like lean meats and veggies0
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You can't beat fat when it comes to taste. Skip the notion of "clean", look for minimally processed foods instead. If you learn to cook, you can eat healthy, tasty food for cheap. Google recipes.0
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Thanks everyone for the tips! They have helped me look at what my version of clean is and given me some ideas of where to look and what to look into!
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Having too much to choose from (i.e. pinterest) can actually paralyze us.
http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en
If you pick up a few routines this can get easier. When I was hot in to meal planning, I would prepare a "roast" of something on Sunday, use the leftovers for stews, chilies, soups, or casseroles later in the week (slow cooker), and doubled up when I could so that I ended up with a freezer full of "TV dinners" for those days I was not in the mood to cook. A roast could be a whole chicken, beef, or a pork loin. I make a bean based dish at least once a month. A stir fry a couple times a month. And so on.
For vegetables I learned to buy fresh and buy often. I often plan a whole meal around the vegetable I pick up.
As for flavour, oh my. Garlic, onions, pepper and soy sauce are my bases. Cumin for the Mexican dishes, Oregano for the Italian, and curry, for, well, hot.0 -
I know what you mean, I am eating clean for a straight 30 days and omg it is expensive. I bought fish and mussels over the weekend with a ton of fruit and fruit bars for a snack..lara bars.0
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It really pays to learn to cook some basics, and those meals that can be doubled and frozen. One doesn't have to live off lara bars.
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I don't label myself as such, but most people would consider me to be a relatively "clean" eater...eating nutritious whole foods and preparing meals from such doesn't have to be expensive...and it doesn't have to be flavorless.0
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I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america0 -
ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
You should see my fridge, it's packed. Condiment queen here
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I don't buy into the notion of clean eating, but I mostly cook from whole foods, and eat lots of vegetables. I find that if you cook it well a basic dinner of meat and vegetables and maybe a starch is quite tasty and easy, so I wonder if the cooking is an issue. Or is your idea of "clean eating" just boneless, skinless chicken breast over and over, which can certainly get monotonous and is not my favorite meat option by a longshot (or unprocessed, if that's your thing).0
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As much as I am supposed to avoid spice, I would seriously miss my hot sauces and garlic. I just use less than before I was diagnosed with GERD.ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
Also, don't forget salt and pepper. You don't need much, but it makes a huge difference.
And I'm really not sure what "clean eating" means. It has too many definitions from too many people.
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northernbelle2 wrote: »Hey everyone...
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
What is clean eating to you? Although I hate the term, by most definitions I have seen, I eat mostly "clean" and for sure my food is not expensive or boring and it has taste. What is your definition of clean that requires expensive ingredients and does not include comfort food? If you post a list of what you are trying to avoid, it might be easier to help with recipes nd cooking tips.0 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »dont get me started on clean eating. sigh......
anyways, what matters is your calorie intake. that is what matters for weight loss. if dont already, learn to accurately weigh your food.
Why do you assume the OP is looking to lose weight?0 -
northernbelle2 wrote: »Hey everyone...
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
OP what are your criteria for "clean eating"? This term has a wide range of definitions and interpretations and I think it's because it is such a vague, subjective term, that people like you are frustrated and confused and not sure how to be successful.
I think most people's definition of "clean eating" describes using primarily whole foods, and I think if you pick up any cookbook in your kitchen you'd have plenty of options that are considered "clean" depending on your own individual interpretation. You don't have to look for recipes that are explicitly labelled "clean".
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queenliz99 wrote: »ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
You should see my fridge, it's packed. Condiment queen here
My husband calls me that!0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
You should see my fridge, it's packed. Condiment queen here
At least 5 different mustards (none of which are cheap yellow mustard), ketchup, Worchestershire, hoisin, horseradish, horsey sauce, wing sauce, soy sauce etc, etc fill up my cupboard and refrigerator door. None of these are "clean" because they all are processed. ALL of them will make my food very tasty when added in combination with lean meats, veggies, starches, and other herbs, spices, and seasonings. I need my herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments. I could survive on only black pepper if I needed to, but I don't need to so I go for flavors.
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queenliz99 wrote: »ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
You should see my fridge, it's packed. Condiment queen here
At least 5 different mustards (none of which are cheap yellow mustard), ketchup, Worchestershire, hoisin, horseradish, horsey sauce, wing sauce, soy sauce etc, etc fill up my cupboard and refrigerator door. None of these are "clean" because they all are processed. ALL of them will make my food very tasty when added in combination with lean meats, veggies, starches, and other herbs, spices, and seasonings. I need my herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments. I could survive on only black pepper if I needed to, but I don't need to so I go for flavors.
Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?0 -
crystalewhite wrote: »queenliz99 wrote: »ldrosophila wrote: »I think it's pretty much a site wide problem, and I see it on many food diaries. Lack of condiments. I know I know youre all saying but I cant eat condiments because I don't eat salt, gluten, sugar, GMO, or whatever restriction is floating around there. However, we can all spice up our diets with condiments the French, Indians, Japanese, and Mexicans all knew it. Condiments are the spice of life, so don't fear that jar of mustard or pass up that sprinkle of lemon pepper, or kabash the sourkraut. Love your condiments, love your spices, love your salts, and love your infused oils, love your vinegars.
This message brought to you by the bring back condiments of america
You should see my fridge, it's packed. Condiment queen here
At least 5 different mustards (none of which are cheap yellow mustard), ketchup, Worchestershire, hoisin, horseradish, horsey sauce, wing sauce, soy sauce etc, etc fill up my cupboard and refrigerator door. None of these are "clean" because they all are processed. ALL of them will make my food very tasty when added in combination with lean meats, veggies, starches, and other herbs, spices, and seasonings. I need my herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments. I could survive on only black pepper if I needed to, but I don't need to so I go for flavors.
Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?
Sorry. My dijon is a local brand (but just as good). I occasionally go to the Mustard Museum in Madison and stock up from their store. I am a full fledged student of Poupon-U ( http://mustardmuseum.com/poupon-u/about-poupon-u/ )
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I'm not sure what you mean by "clean eating" but like a lot of other posters have said, add some different touches to your food to spice it up! I eat a lot of boneless, skinless chicken breast but I like to have it different ways. That might not work with your definition of "clean", but it pretty tasty and keeps food interesting. And seriously, I'm the kind of person who really wants to enjoy every bite of what I'm eating. I don't want dull, boring food that only serves to fuel my body...I want to enjoy it as well!
Like others, I use condiments, spices, herbs, sauces, marinades, etc on my food. The nice part about it is that I can leave the food less seasoned for my husband and older son and my younger son and I can mix things up a bit.
I also like to make homemade soups and freeze in individual portions for quick lunches. I did beef barley veggie two weeks ago and meant to make it again this weekend but the big pot was being used for meatballs!0 -
There are lots of good websites with clean eating recipes that are flavorful..'100daysrealfood' is my favorite. I consider clean eating as food that is not processed. I think the type food you consume is just as, if not more important than the amount of calories consumed. I lost 20lbs using mfp to count calories but because a lot of it was processed, nonfat, lowfat, artificial sweetener, I ended up with severe acid reflux that resulted in a two day stay in the hospital and six months of 'clean' eating to straighten it out. I now am very mindful of what I put in my body. Good luck on your quest for clean eating, its difficult but not impossible.0
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I know what you mean, I am eating clean for a straight 30 days and omg it is expensive. I bought fish and mussels over the weekend with a ton of fruit and fruit bars for a snack..lara bars.
Sounds like it is your selections that are expensive, not the concept of clean eating. I've seen some websites that over-complicate the concept.
- Chicken is less expensive than fish and mussels.
- Fruit (and veggies) in season are cheaper at farm stands and farmer's outlets. Check freecycle.org and you may even find backyard gardeners looking for a home for their bumper zucchini crops. This time of year, my mom forces cucumbers on everyone who comes to her house.
- I bet if you were to buy dried fruit and nuts separately, the per pound cost would be less than that of Lara Bars.
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northernbelle2 wrote: »Hey everyone...
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
If you subscribe to http://www.cleaneatingmag.com they will email you new recipes periodically. I've been meaning to try this: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/double-chocolate-fudge-pops/ but I am short a popsicle stick. Also, it's essentially the same as the Chocolate Pudding recipe from my Joy of Cooking, so I just made that.
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WinoGelato wrote: »northernbelle2 wrote: »Hey everyone...
So I'm having trouble clean eating. I always come to a wall when it comes to making healthy recipes or even thinking of healthy snacks. Like I get lean meats and fruits and veggies. But I like stuff with tastes. And sometimes I just need some good comfort food. Pinterest kind of overwhelms me when I look at it because I don't have the biggest budget. Any ideas or tips for clean eating would be great. I feel like I keep eating the same food over and over and it's kinda making me nuts...which is usually when I slip up:/
OP what are your criteria for "clean eating"? This term has a wide range of definitions and interpretations and I think it's because it is such a vague, subjective term, that people like you are frustrated and confused and not sure how to be successful.
I think most people's definition of "clean eating" describes using primarily whole foods, and I think if you pick up any cookbook in your kitchen you'd have plenty of options that are considered "clean" depending on your own individual interpretation. You don't have to look for recipes that are explicitly labelled "clean".
This is good advice.
If you are somewhat new to cooking, rather than messing with "clean" recipes on Pinterest, why not invest in a good basic cookbook. Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is a good one for people starting out, and I liked his Fish book too. I also enjoyed Barbara Kafka's Roasting and Vegetable Love, although there are millions of cookbooks based around in-season vegetables which I have found fun for ideas.
Epicurious has tons of recipes that are tasty, and I like to recommend a site 101cookbooks.com, which is whole foods based and generally delicious with lots of appealing photos. When I just need inspiration I might look around there.
My sister gets Cooking Light, and that isn't a bad magazine either -- pretty easy stuff.0 -
Learn to cook. Experiment with herbs and spices.
Get a copy of The New Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. Its a great book and has earned it's reputation. 0 -
Without getting into the clean part, there is an infinite combination of foods that have delicious flavors by themselves or in combination with others, not to mention all the herbs, spices & seasoning to add more.0
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