What is Clean Eating?

Anabug81
Anabug81 Posts: 161 Member
To me that means No packaged food? I.e potato chips, candy bars, frozen meals, frozen pizzas. But does that include rice, box cereal, and frozen veggies,or frozen fruit? What about milk, cheese, or butter? I eat butter and milk everyday.

Replies

  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    Whole foods with no added sugars or too many addititives; high in nutrients, vitamins and phytonutrients. Potatoes, rice, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, oats, etc.
  • auntjudith254
    auntjudith254 Posts: 29 Member
    no packaged cereals? what would you eat instead?
  • Anabug81
    Anabug81 Posts: 161 Member
    Oatmeal? Malt o Meal?
  • valj55
    valj55 Posts: 9 Member
    Add me please, I need to do this.
  • duril64
    duril64 Posts: 5 Member
    Same as other posters here. I'd say I've cut out at least 90% processed foods. Like anything else worthwhile, it takes some commitment and discipline at first, but it gets easier after a month or 2, and as long as you still follow portion control and log your food intake, keeping within your calorie goals, the weight comes off and you feel better.

    For me, it means cleaning out the pantry of all of the boxed stuff like mac n cheese, sugary cereals, etc., then buying more whole foods like chicken, beef, pork, fish, lamb, and preparing it without adding in a bunch of processed ingredients. Whole veggies, either fresh or frozen. I don't fry anything anymore, and if I sauté, I don't use veggie oil. I personally don't worry about getting organic, grass-fed, etc., I'm doing pretty good so far just keeping it whole.

    I still eat out almost as much as I used to, maybe 3 to 4 times a week between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, only now I order meat n veggies like steak, chicken breasts. So, like last night when I went to one of my favorite bbq places, I ordered their lean brisket, and for my sides I ordered collard greens n green beans. Told them not to put the toast on my plate. Ate half of what they brought, boxed the rest. After having been on this style of eating since January this year, I find I don't want to eat as much as I used too. I've read that's because processed food is engineered to make you want to eat more and not feel as filled up.

    My one consistent exception to eating processed food is my morning cereal. I eat Kellogg's All Bran or Grape Nuts with whole milk n some cut up fruit on top every morning. I could see in Myfitnesspal that I wasn't getting enough fiber every day, and eating a those types cereals made with few ingredients but lots of fiber seems to have powered me through some weight loss plateaus.

    I've lost 18 pounds since January, with 9 to go to get back to my target weight. When I hit it, I'll adjust my calorie intake upward to stop the weight loss, but I'll never go back to eating a bunch of processed foods again.
  • duril64
    duril64 Posts: 5 Member
    no packaged cereals? what would you eat instead?

    I eat Grape Nuts or All Bran, lots of fiber, little added sugar, few ingredients
  • mem0403
    mem0403 Posts: 10 Member
    Oatmeal, eggs, banana and all natural peanut butter.
  • phyllis731
    phyllis731 Posts: 58 Member
    To me, clean eating is eating food as close as possible to its natural state. I have done this this a little at a time and now I cook just about everything I eat. I avoid frozen, packaged, and fast foods.
  • auntjudith254
    auntjudith254 Posts: 29 Member
    mem0403 wrote: »
    Oatmeal, eggs, banana and all natural peanut butter.

    So oatmeal is good even if it comes in a box, well maybe it's not a box, since it's round ☺
  • ChristinaOrr65
    ChristinaOrr65 Posts: 112 Member
    For me clean eating is just making sure that I make all my own meals using unprocessed and, ideally, organic ingredients.
  • megemrj
    megemrj Posts: 547 Member
    I've been paleoish for almost 4 years. For me eating clean means no fillers, choosing the least processed options, and foods with the healthiest grown/raised lifestyle. It doesn't only apply to my food but all products I buy, especially those that are applied to me or my family bodies or have chemicals. I do eat frozen veggies and fruit if no other ingredients are added. I don't eat canned foods anymore as they coat some cans with BPA.
  • 737jac737
    737jac737 Posts: 54 Member
    I've been eating clean since the beginning of March. In just 2 months my allergies are gone and I am allergic to EVERYTHING. I feel completely different. I don't get tired anymore. My joints don't hurt. I take zumba, run, dance and lift weights every day with tons of energy. I can't believe the difference. Best of all my kids told me I look 35 yesterday and I'll be 50 this year. What a change! I recommend it to everyone. Now my teenagers are interested in it!
  • RLC928
    RLC928 Posts: 13 Member
    I'm in agreement with most everyone here. I eat meat and leafy green vegetables pretty much exclusively. I only drink water and never any kind of artificial sweeteners. Peanut butter is pretty much the only processed thing I eat on a somewhat regular basis. Oh, and canned tuna/sardines if you want to count that.
  • MaxT370
    MaxT370 Posts: 274 Member
    I wanted to stop eating so much processed food. My clean eating process has been no fast food, no fruit (many people question this, I choose stuff with a low glycemic index like granny Smith apples), no sugar and no grains.

    I eat a lot of vegetables, grass fed meats, organic foods, almond milk, use grass fed cheeses and butters.

    In place of breads I use flaxseed and almond meal a lot to make my own "bread", pizza doughs, muffins.

    So far doing this I've lost 38 pounds which also includes exercise 6 days a week. I feel all around better since changing my eating habits :)
  • stitch56
    stitch56 Posts: 4 Member
    I eat natural food as well but I can't always afford organic.If I find a brand that says ,Non GMO ,I try to buy that.GMO is genetically modified organisms. Like soy beans that have been modified to contain the chemical round up.Its more expensive to eat this way but like everyone here says,it feels so much better! A lot of food additives make you crave bad foods or mess your system up like msg ,which comes under many different names incidentally,you can avoid the hormones and additives by eating clean whole healthy foods and if you can afford organic foods (they are non gmo ) that's the best thing you can do to eat clean!