Eating clean wording

The term is so poorly defined as to be meaningless. Your personal definition may seem perfectly reasonable to you, but someone else's definition may be completely different.

For example, I've seen it defined as
* No processed foods
* No foods in a box
* Foods with only X ingredients or less
* Foods with only ingredients you can pronounce
* Foods only from the outer perimeter of the supermarket.
* Foods that have been washed
* and even more

It's just not a helpful term.

AnvilHead wrote: »

bpetrosky wrote: »

The term is so poorly defined as to be meaningless. Your personal definition may seem perfectly reasonable to you, but someone else's definition may be completely different.

For example, I've seen it defined as
* No processed foods
* No foods in a box
* Foods with only X ingredients or less

I've also seen "no ingredients you can't pronounce" as a criterion. So scientists/chemists can eat pretty much anything, French and Vietnamese food are completely out for me, and I guess illiterate people just go hungry.

Indeed. I'm got fat on account of my excellent diction and voluminous vocabulary.

Iragen wrote: »

Just so happened to see someons comment about multiple people disagreeing with the term.

Basically wanted to know if anyone has similar feelings on the wording or has heard similar opinions? Is eating "clean" a frowned upon phrasing now? If so, why? I imagine its just the idea of eat in a deficit of balance portions of proteins, carbs and good fats and utilize self control when it comes to desserts, snacks and junk food (high carb/processed stuff) but it sounds like people see it as too vague or something. Thoughts?

Your definition isn’t one I’ve ever seen utilized to describe “clean eating” and that just illustrates how subjective the term is. While your approach seems reasonable and much how many people here actually do eat - it lacks the arbitrary “no” rules that seem to be the common denominator for anyone describing themselves as a clean eater. Plus the moral superiority of such a label as pointed out above.

It is possible to eat a varied, balanced, nutrient dense diet even if some of the foods comprising that diet are “processed” (because again that word is vague and unhelpful as a qualifier). Frozen vegetables, steel cut oats, lean chicken breast, baby carrots, bagged salad, quinoa - these are all things that some “clean eaters” would and have eschewed on these boards as “processed” while still including things like protein powder in their daily diary.

The way you are eating is fine and just copy and paste it if you don’t want to type it out every time you describe your diet. But calling it “clean eating” won’t be helpful, to you or anyone else.

My clean eating involves following the five-second rule (most of the time).

quiksylver296 wrote: »

My clean eating involves following the five-second rule (most of the time).

In my house, the dog has gupled it down if I wait the 5 seconds.

Here on MFP I've seen clean eating defined in a few different ways. These are all answers given by users when asked what clean eating is. Some of them have been formatted to fit the list better, but many of them are copy/pasted directly from their original posts. Be sure to read to the end, where things really start to diverge.

*Nothing but minimally processed foods.
*Absolutely no processed foods.
*Shop only the outside of the grocery store.
*Nothing out of a box, jar, or can.
*Only food that's not in a box or hermetically sealed bag, or from e.g. McDonald's.
*No take-out or junk food at all.
*Nothing at all with a barcode.
*Nothing with more than 5 ingredients.
*Nothing with more than 4 ingredients.
*Nothing with more than 3 ingredients.
*Nothing with more than 1 ingredient.
*No added preservatives.
*No added chemicals.
*No chemicals, preservatives, etc. at all.
*No ingredients that you can't pronounce.
*No ingredients that sound like they came out of a chemistry book.
*Nothing that is processed and comes in a package or wrapper, or has any ingredient that sounds scientific.
*Don't eat products that have a TV commercial.
*Don't eat foods that have a mascot.
*If it grows or had a mother, it is ok to eat it.
*Don't eat products that have a longer shelf life than you do.
*Eat "food" and not "food-like substances."
*No added sugar.
*No added refined sugar.
*Swap white sugar for brown.
*No "white" foods.
*Nothing but lean meats, fruits, and vegetables.
*Nothing but lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
*A plant-based whole food diet.
*Eat foods as close to their natural state as POSSIBLE, and little to no processed food.
*Only meat from grass-fed animals and free-range chickens.
*Only pesticide-free foods.
*Nothing that causes your body bloat or inflammation.
*No trigger foods, nothing from fast food chains, nothing in the junk food aisles, and no high gmo foods.
*No red meat, no sweets, no pasta, no alcohol, no bread, no soda, nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates and lean proteins.
*Eat a plant based diet consisting of whole plant foods.
*No bad carbs and processed foods.
*Anything that makes a better choice.
*Not cheating on whatever diet you are on.
*Any food that doesn't make it difficult to hit your macro/micro targets.
*Clean eating means eating optimally.

I like to note that under some of those definitions, Fritos are a clean food (only 3 ingredients). Under some of them, eggs and pistachios are not.

No, I don't find it a useful descriptor. It's been redefined and watered down so many times that it's worthless as any kind of indicator of what you eat.