Is special K alright to eat if you're eating clean

I don't subscribe to the notion of removing foods I like from my diet for whatever reason, unless I happen to develop some weird new allergy. There is no changing people's minds though, and some people may feel more in control if they eat whatever version of clean they find fitting, so I will share with you something that might be of some value and that presents a more balanced outlook on clean eating, since you really don't completely eliminate certain foods.

The other day I was reading the Brazilian dietary guidelines, and instead of food groups their pyramid classifies foods in terms of processing, where you get to eat from all levels of processing but focus on whole foods more, while the ultimate goal would be to eat a good and balanced variety, choosing good tasting food and eating in a good company of people as often as possible, and focusing on both nutrition density and energy density when deciding on the quantity of any food. They classify processing degrees as follows:

1- Natural and minimally processed foods:
Natural foods are foods that don't undergo much change once they are taken from nature apart from simple things like washing, discarding inedible parts, refrigerating..etc, and this includes fresh produce, meat and fish, fresh milk...etc.
Minimally processed foods undergo some kind of minimal processing to preserve them or make them more palatable like drying beans and grain, grinding whole grains into whole flour or grits, fermenting, pasteurizing...etc.
These should make the biggest part of your diet, but with attention to variety and energy density and with more focus on plant foods.

Combination of a plentiful variety of foods of plant origin with small quantities of foods of animal origin results in nutritious, delicious and appropriate diets, which therefore are satisfying biologically, sensorially, and culturally.

2-Extracted foods:
These are foods that are extracted from natural sources but are rarely found in nature in their extracted form. These include oils, fats, salt, sugar, butter...etc.
These should be eaten sparingly because of their high caloric content, but you shouldn't be afraid of using them.

Oils, fats and sugar are energy-dense. Oils and fats contain six times more calories per unit of energy than cooked grains, and twenty times dense than most fruits.

3- Processed foods:
These are foods that are altered for preservation or taste using simple (but not minimal) processing techniques that change the nature of the food like pickles, jam, bread, canned items, cheese, smoked and salt-dried meat, cured meat and fish, ...etc.
These foods should be eaten in moderation, mostly as ingredients of culinary preparations of meals based on natural foods, so that they don't displace natural foods in a big way.

the consumption of processed foods should be limited to small quantities, either as ingredients in culinary preparations, or as a side dish in meals based on natural or minimally processed foods. They should not displace freshly prepared meals. When processed foods are chosen, it is important to consult the labels on the foods to opt for those with a lower content of salt or sugar.

4- Ultra-processed foods:
These are foods that are generally processed by large industries, involves several stages of processing techniques and many ingredients, and involve several substances used exclusively in industrial settings and a only a minimal amount of natural foods. These include packaged snack foods like chips, cookies, candies, cold cereals, sodas, instant soups, commercially produced burgers and luncheons...etc.

The consumption of these should be either avoided or greatly reduced.

There are many reasons to avoiding the consumption of ultraprocessed foods. These reasons are related to the nutritional composition of these products, the characteristics that link them to the excessive consumption of dietary energy, and the impact that the ways in which they are produced, distributed, marketed and consumed creates on culture, social life and the environment.

After my nurse sister said, "Cereal just makes your *kitten* big," I quit eating it! LOL, that was about 4 years ago. I've since then lost 70 lbs. I find that a banana and a handful (20-25) of dry roasted unsalted almonds is easy to eat on the go, in the car or walking to work. Good luck on the clean eating. For me that means very little package/processed/refined foods. It's hard, but doable. I still eat the "bad stuff" but far less than before. And remember that not all calories are created equal. Don't eat crap and say its's only 50 calories. Eat the real stuff. Give yourself time to adjust and change over time.

No, you will die.

MadeOfMagic wrote: »

What I would do is log everything you plan on eating that day except cereal and then look at the overall nutrition data to see if it's balanced and if your macros are met. If not I would opt out for a healthier more nutrient dense food.

Personally I don't consider cereal a "clean" food because it is highly processed and there are better healthier more nutritious foods out there that will also leave me more satisfied when I am done. However since you are starting out cutting out other unhealthy foods, it's okay to keep some until you are ready to cut it out too. You don't have to complete a crash course on all foods at once.

What helps is preparing food the day before so you are not rushed in the morning. You could boil some eggs and leave them in their shells and they are good for a week that way, that can be part of your breakfast. Pre-slicing some fruit and leaving in a container also works, or you can straight up eat any fruit as breakfast. You can also eat yogurt (even throw some berries into it), cheese, or even any meat your prepared the night before. You can also throw some of fruit in a blender and make a smoothie and add some greens to it. You can prepare some meat and scrambled eggs the night before and throw into a small burrito and all you have to do in the morning is warm it up. Food prep will be your savior if you want to eat cleaner

What if cereal leaves you more satisfied? Eat want you want and dont get sucked into 'clean eating'. Watch your macros....live life and have fun.