I ;just joined because it sounds right, but what is considered a clean eater?

I took this from Gracious Pantry. This is what I personally consider clean. I follow method 3 and eat as little processed food as I can. When someone asks me what clean eating is I always answer with eating nothing processed and as whole and natural as possible.

THREE METHODS FOR EATING CLEAN

METHOD 1
There are many people simply looking to remove the chemicals from their diets and bodies, and therefore eat clean. Their focus is NOT on losing weight, but on general health.They avoid processed foods of all kinds, yet eat only when the need arises or three times per day.

METHOD 2
(I believe this is the most common/popular method at the moment)

Eat Lots Of Plants – Eat food that is straight from nature. (Some people say “as close to the way nature made it as possible”. But I think that leaves too much wiggle room – in my humble opinion) Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and you’ve pretty much got it covered. The idea is to stay away from anything that humans (food corporations) have altered in any way.
Include Meats - Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats and grind them yourself. You’d be surprised what’s in ground turkey meat! You can also select a few turkey breasts and ask that the butcher grind them for you. Many butchers are more than willing to accommodate.
Enjoy Grains - Eat grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down into “glue”. Stick to brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.(For a list of foods to stock your pantry with, check out this list.)
Read Labels I don’t know how many breads I’ve picked up at the store that say they are whole grain. But when I take a look at the ingredient list, white flour is the second ingredient after whole wheat flour!
Eat Fewer Ingredients. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. And be sure you recognize each and every ingredient. If you find a “mystery ingredient” such as “spices”, contact the company! Ask them what they consider to be spices. If it’s anything other than honest-to-goodness herbs and spices, avoid it! And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
Eat 5-6 small meals per day. This may seem like a lot at first. But remember, you are eating smaller portions. If you really have a hard time with this, prepare your regular three meals and a snack for the day, and divide lunch and dinner in half. You’ve instantly got 6 small meals!

METHOD 3
There is also another method of eating 3 regular meals and squeezing in 1 snack for a total of 4 meals. You eat every four hours instead of every 2-3. This concept is from Jillian Michaels and the theory behind it is that if you eat every 2-3 hours, your insulin stays continuously spiked and you end up with a higher chance of diabetes.

I have no idea if this is actually the case. I’m simply supplying information for you to consider. Do what feels right for you. The Gracious Pantry does not endorse one method over another.

IN CONCLUSION
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts.

I bought groceries for the week, and I did not buy any frozen meals. I still plan on using prepared sphaghetti sauce and salad dressing. The next goal will be to try some recipes for those two things. Also, I am planning on subbing noodles for spaghetti squash. I am not a big fan of low carb diets, just looking for way to increase vegetable consumption.

A couple of my favorite recipes for these two things.....

Sauce: Spicy Artichoke pasta sauce
in an iron skillet heat 1 tbs. of olive oil add crushed red pepper, and 4 cloves of garlic. let this cook for just a minute for the garlic to release all that yummy flavor into the oil. Then add about 4-6 chopped tomatoes let them cook down a bit, then add marinated artichoke hearts (you can either buy these in a jar, or marinate your own in olive oil and lemon juice). let that simmer for a few minutes, and serve over homemade pasta, or whole wheat pasta. YUM YUM YUM!!!!

Salad dressing: Homemade Goddess dressing
2 tbls of tahini (sesame butter)
the juice of one large lemon
1 tsp. of olive oil
a pinch of salt
add water to desired consistancy
Stir it up and enjoy!!!
I like to put a bit of crushed garlic in mine also sometimes.