What exactly is considered "clean" food?

shivouel
shivouel Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a bit confused by this term and what it entails. Can someone give me a bit of guidance here? Sorry if this seems like a silly question, it just seems everywhere I see it someone has a different definition!
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Replies

  • kat5556
    kat5556 Posts: 164 Member
    "Clean" (IMO) refers to foods that are not processed; vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, etc. And meat, chicken & seafood that is without hormones, antibiotics, and salt & nitrate solutions. If it comes from a box or can, I don't consider it clean.

    Hope this helps.
  • hope76579
    hope76579 Posts: 53 Member
    Lol! That's because everyone does truly have a different definition! For some they choose less processed foods, for others they eat no processed foods, others consider it eating organic even if a bit processed. My personal rule of thumb is raw fruits and veggies and less processed foods. It really depends on what fits your nutritional needs and budget.
  • nsalerno90
    nsalerno90 Posts: 68
    I would agree with minimally processed foods and lots of whole foods. I eat some things from cans - beans (rinsed well before using), roasted peppers, artichokes, some prepared foods from places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes but typically eat foods that I have to prepare myself. I don't eat preservatives or artificial sweeteners (those are fairly universal I think). Aim for food that is as close to its natural form as you can and you will definitely feel a difference. Plus it all tastes so good. . .
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm a bit confused by this term and what it entails. Can someone give me a bit of guidance here? Sorry if this seems like a silly question, it just seems everywhere I see it someone has a different definition!

    You hit the nail on the head, there is no set definition.

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.
  • jsj024519
    jsj024519 Posts: 400 Member
    Food that is washed. I don't believe in "clean food" personally. Processed or not, calories are calories. Just my two cents.

    Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
  • njc1008
    njc1008 Posts: 2
    As long as it hasn't been dropped on the floor it's clean in my opinion... Especially while deployed.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I'm a bit confused by this term and what it entails. Can someone give me a bit of guidance here? Sorry if this seems like a silly question, it just seems everywhere I see it someone has a different definition!

    You hit the nail on the head, there is no set definition.

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

    Thanx ACG been looking for an article like this for some time.
  • loumaag
    loumaag Posts: 118
    As long as it hasn't been dropped on the floor it's clean in my opinion... Especially while deployed.
    I've been here. Sometimes the "5 second rule" has to come into play when out in the field too. 8^)
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    Clean eating is the process in which one eats food which has been minimally handled, then brags about it and offers it as a panacea for the ills of mankind.
    See also, sancti-fit, nutri-nazi
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
    Food that has been killed or grown. Food that humans havent touched alot. I dont believe in the "dont need boxed items" because you can get real food like rice and so forth from a box. BUT, there is no rule, yes you should eat more natural foods but do what works for you and makes you healthy.
  • RuthSweetTooth
    RuthSweetTooth Posts: 461 Member
    THAT is an amazing article! And to think I have given my husband so much crap for starting his day with a Little Debbie!

    I shall now unabashedly include an occasional nutty bar if I want to.

    Ruth
    Food that is washed. I don't believe in "clean food" personally. Processed or not, calories are calories. Just my two cents.

    Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    When I think of "clean" I think minimal processing, as near to nature as possible.
  • Ash_76
    Ash_76 Posts: 186 Member
    i consider clean foods to be more about how you feel from them, if they make you slugish its bad, if you feel full of energy ready to take on anything then its clean, food is just an energy source and thats how i judge it
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    Everyone really does have a different definition. My way of looking at it is,"Would this be recognized as food 100 years ago?" All of those additives, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, etc. are off limits.

    I don't eat anything from a box. Things from cans are not off limits to me- like beans (low or no sodium) or no salt vegetables. True, they are cooked but I don't think of clean eating as raw eating.
  • ccarre81
    ccarre81 Posts: 134 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...

    Ha! You always have the perfect answer.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...

    Tons of foods do - meats, veggies, fruits, egg, dairy, nuts, juice, pasta, fresh bread, good ice cream, oatmeal, rice..
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...

    Tons of foods do - meats, veggies, fruits, egg, dairy, nuts, juice, pasta, fresh bread, good ice cream, oatmeal, rice..

    Try again, and pay attention to those part
    Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar

    That knocks out veggies, fruits, eggs, dairy, nuts, pasta, bread, ice cream, oatmeal and rice from your list
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    When I eat "clean" I don't feel cravings or the compulsion to binge. To me, clean food is closest to it's natural (cooked) state and minimally processed with little added fat, sugar or sodium.
  • pinkminy
    pinkminy Posts: 286
    When I think of "clean" I think minimal processing, as near to nature as possible.

    I agree , no addetives and stuff
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...

    Tons of foods do - meats, veggies, fruits, egg, dairy, nuts, juice, pasta, fresh bread, good ice cream, oatmeal, rice..

    Try again, and pay attention to those part
    Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar

    That knocks out veggies, fruits, eggs, dairy, nuts, pasta, bread, ice cream, oatmeal and rice from your list

    She didn't say it can't contain sugar, that it can't be an ingredient. True about the ice cream, though.
  • joydayval
    joydayval Posts: 22
    Funny!!! And thank you for your service!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I consider a food clean if it has less than 5 ingredients and I can go to a regualr grocery store and purchase them all to make the item. Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar. I think that's the simplest definition of clean I have found.

    I eat items that are whole grain (because once it is no longer whole grain it is increasingly more processed), and as close as they are found in nature as possible.

    I have minimized the amount of red meat in my diet (I don't quite want to cut it out completely), but when I do eat any meat I do try to purchase grass-fed organic beef. It is not always possible though. I choose lean cuts like chicken instead most of the time.

    Not many foods fit your definition of clean...

    Tons of foods do - meats, veggies, fruits, egg, dairy, nuts, juice, pasta, fresh bread, good ice cream, oatmeal, rice..

    Try again, and pay attention to those part
    Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar

    That knocks out veggies, fruits, eggs, dairy, nuts, pasta, bread, ice cream, oatmeal and rice from your list

    She didn't say it can't contain sugar, that it can't be an ingredient. True about the ice cream, though.

    Look at the ingredient lists a little harder
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Clean to me = no ingredient list. Vegetables, fruit, grains are all real whole foods and therefore clean. Of course this is subjective.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
    I've actually never seen an ingredient list on produce or meat. Do yours have them?

    Bread is flour, water, salt and yeast. Pasta is flour, egg, oil, and salt. (though flour is iffy if you want to get real strict - it's not really one ingredient itself)

    Oatmeal ingredient list: rolled oats

    Rice ingredient list: rice

    Mixed nuts Ingredients: PEANUTS, ALMONDS, CASHEWS, BRAZIL NUTS, HAZELNUTS (FILBERTS), PECANS, PEANUT AND/OR COTTONSEED OIL, SEA SALT. Or go crazy and get the bags of raw nuts.

    ??
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I've actually never seen an ingredient list on produce or meat. Do yours have them?

    Bread is flour, water, salt and yeast. Pasta is flour, egg, oil, and salt. (though flour is iffy if you want to get real strict - it's not really one ingredient itself)

    Oatmeal ingredient list: rolled oats

    Rice ingredient list: rice

    Mixed nuts Ingredients: PEANUTS, ALMONDS, CASHEWS, BRAZIL NUTS, HAZELNUTS (FILBERTS), PECANS, PEANUT AND/OR COTTONSEED OIL, SEA SALT. Or go crazy and get the bags of raw nuts.

    ??

    What is flour? In fact what are carbohydrates?
  • gc_tweety
    gc_tweety Posts: 205 Member
    I'm glad you asked, I was wondering the same thing!!
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member

    What is flour? In fact what are carbohydrates?

    Flour
    1: a product consisting of finely milled wheat.

    This is the ingredient list for basic AP flour:
    INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED HARD WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY
    FLOUR (A NATURAL YEAST FOOD), NIACIN (A B VITAMIN), REDUCED
    IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN
    B2), FOLIC ACID (A B VITAMIN).

    But you can easily find bags that are pure wheat flour, with no vitamins and barley flour added at most grocery stores.


    What do carbohydrates have to do with anything? Nobody said anything about cutting those out.
    It seems like you're being pointedly obtuse to make this seem much more restrictive and complicated than it can be.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member

    What is flour? In fact what are carbohydrates?

    Flour
    1: a product consisting of finely milled wheat.

    This is the ingredient list for basic AP flour:
    INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED HARD WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY
    FLOUR (A NATURAL YEAST FOOD), NIACIN (A B VITAMIN), REDUCED
    IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN
    B2), FOLIC ACID (A B VITAMIN).

    But you can easily find bags that are pure wheat flour, with no vitamins and barley flour added at most grocery stores.


    What do carbohydrates have to do with anything? Nobody said anything about cutting those out.
    It seems like you're being pointedly obtuse to make this seem much more restrictive and complicated than it can be.

    Here's what I want you to do, read the below quote again
    Also, one of those ingredients cannot be a form of sugar

    Do some research and then you will come to realize the abject silliness of such a rule

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