Clean Eating difficulties...

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northernbelle2
northernbelle2 Posts: 38 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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:/
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Replies

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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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)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2015
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    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.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
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    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.
  • ntinkham88
    ntinkham88 Posts: 130 Member
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    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.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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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-group
  • SimpleGirlNoche
    SimpleGirlNoche Posts: 39 Member
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    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 veggies
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited September 2015
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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.
  • northernbelle2
    northernbelle2 Posts: 38 Member
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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! :)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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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.
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,323 Member
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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.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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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.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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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.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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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 america
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    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 :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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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).
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    edited September 2015
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    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
    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.
    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.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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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.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    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?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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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:/

    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".



  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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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!

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