What Is Clean Eating?
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Would you be surprised to hear that there really aren’t any health goals you can achieve without it?
The above statement may seem extreme, but the simple truth is, you just cannot get healthy without eating healthy. You can exercise from the time the rooster crows until the cows come home, but if you make a run through your local drive-through afterward, you just are not going to get anywhere fast.
Food is the big-ticket to good health. If you eat garbage, your body will show it. If you eat whole, healthy, and fresh foods, your body, skin, and soul will glow with health that gives you endless energy.
Click Play For An Easy-To-Understand Description Of Clean Eating!!
Three Methods For Following A Clean Eating Diet
Clean eaters all have a different approach to following a clean diet. But generally speaking, there are 3 ways to do that.
Method 1
Chemicals, additives, pesticides, GMO’s, antibiotics, grown hormones, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and other not-so-natural fake foods seem to rule the grocery store aisles these days. Many people wish to avoid these types of fake food in the interest of improving their health. They aren’t necessarily looking to lose fat, but rather improve or maintain their overall health by simply avoiding these items. They will usually eat either three meals per day or simply eat as the need arises. (This is more and more how I am eating these days). The concept of “eating the rainbow” to ensure a broad variety of vitamins, minerals and just general good general nutrition is the idea here. Clean foods are whole foods, and whole foods are healthy. However, anybody with a health condition should always speak to a registered dietitian for the best eating plan.
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) Eating mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine are your best option. 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. Grass-fed is best. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats and grind them yourself. Have you read the ingredients on some packages of ground turkey?! 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 – Stick to whole grains and haven’t been broken down into a “glue-like” substance. 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 as a general rule (although there are always exceptions). 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 (yes, there are exceptions here too).
- 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!
- Healthy Fat – When I first started eating clean, low fat eating was all the rage and some of my earlier recipes reflect that via the use of egg whites and such. However, as time has gone on, I’ve taken a more “whole foods” approach to clean eating. Keep in mind that healthy fats are critical and not something you should minimized down to the lowest common denominator. So your approach to fats will depend on your approach to eating in general. If you are a low fat eater, then stick with things like egg whites and sautéing food in chicken broth instead of oil. But if you, like me, believe that we need good fats in our diet, then enjoy healthy fats in moderation, including egg yolks and healthy oils such as coconut, olive or grape seed oil..
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.
So What Are Whole Foods?
If you aren’t sure what all of this translates to at the grocery store, think about what real food is. Tomatoes, nuts, beans and legumes, avocado, eggs, salmon, chicken, whole grain bread (no white bread), maple syrup or honey instead of sugar, quinoa, coconut oil, real butter, sweet potatoes, carrots, whole-grain pasta, or even just an apple, are all examples of whole, real, clean food.
And before you panic, yes, you can still have desserts.
Many clean eaters will focus on macros. A proper ratio of protein, carbs, and fats. Others will also include fiber in that balance, with calories being a focus too. But macro’s are a whole other blog post.
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 the time that counts.
If you need a little more general information, here are some more ideas to help get you started.
SIDE NOTE: Many folks who are very accustomed to processed foods have a difficult time with the natural flavors of real food. They claim they don’t like vegetables or anything much that is healthy.
If you are one of these people, I’m here to tell you that over time, your taste buds WILL change. If you start eating this way regularly, you’ll see that eventually, the stuff you used to love just doesn’t taste the same any longer. I’ve even found this to be true with organic foods. There are certain foods I ALWAYS buy organic. On occasion, when these foods become available to my dinner plate in a non-organic version, I can definitely taste the difference! It’s amazing how “numb” our taste buds have become to real foods. Give it time. You’ll learn to love your spinach!
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GETTING STARTED, VISIT THE CLEAN EATING 101 SECTION OF THIS BLOG.
Article: © Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry and may not be reproduced without written permission from the author. This INCLUDES copying and pasting this article onto your blog, tumblr account or Facebook page/group. Just don’t do it. You may, however, pin and share the links to this article. Thank you.
Love your post! I heard a phrase that I like that describes clean eating- “if it comes from a plant eat it, if it was made by plant, don’t”. I’m still a meat eater- so I don’t know how that fits in, but I still like the phrase! 🙂
Shannon – I love it! Very well put!
I like to say that I eat “cleanly” as opposed to clean eating, because I definitely don’t follow the guidelines like you do. I eat LIMITED amounts of refined products. Even if it’s something like sugar, I try to substitute dark brown sugar so that at least there’s some form of nutrient other than pure carbohydrate in the sugar, even though the sugar part is technically refined. I’ll use white flour for texture, but then add in some wheat bran and germ. To me it’s about getting the nutrients from whole foods, even if I’m taking parts of something that was once whole and recombining them in a weird manner. 😛 I love whole grains, so refined products are always just a supplement. But other than that I pretty much stick to the guidelines, especially concerning fake foods. I think that eating something refined is a lot better than eating something fake, especially when it’s not a lot to begin with.
And totally agree with you about the meat. Nasty stuff is added to it sometimes. :S And ever since watching Food Inc, I’ll now only eat meat that I know was raised well and fed a proper diet, which usually means only eating meat I get at Whole Foods haha.
“Numb” taste buds are a big problem. I used to HATE whole wheat and thought it tasted awful, but now white bread tastes strange! But I knew when I started eating healthier that I’d get used to it. If more people knew that it doesn’t taste bad forever, I think more people wouldn’t be so pessimistic about changing their eating habits. I didn’t think it was possible to prefer spinach over Oreos even knowing that I’d get over the “bad” taste of healthy food, but I do. 😛
Mo – I did see the movie Food Inc. I’ve never looked at meat the same way since. I really wish more people would watch that documentary. It’s so important!
Good for you for applying “the rules” to your life. That’s what it’s all about. Making the best choices you can and applying them to your life so that they become true changes, not just a fad diet.
In regards to getting used to unprocessed foods… I definitely agree that it can be a challenge at first. I remember when I started tackling my weight loss it was hard to get used to fruits, veggies, and especially whole grains. I won’t lie… it took me years to start liking “nature” foods over the processed stuff. But you know what? Looking back on things I wouldn’t have it any other way! Now whenever I have even a morsel of processed food I can’t bring myself to continue eating it because it tastes bad to me! So anyone who is at this phase in their healthy lifestyle: just know that you’ll love all the good stuff in due time!
Well said, Alexis!! Thank you!
I found this post very interesting as I am researching this idea of clean eating. My issue is that about a year and a half ago I was diagnosed with a kidney disorder which means I can’t have A LOT of veggies such as spinach, green beans and carrots (which I can have in moderation). I can’t have cocoa or even whole wheat. So do you have any suggestions in how to reconcile my dietary restrictions with clean eating?
Tami,
My best suggestion would be to see a nutritionist. They can help you design a healthy and clean eating plan.
That said, there are TONS of substitutions for the foods you mentioned above. Instead of looking at the list of things you cannot have, take a pad of paper with you to the store, go to the produce section, and make a list of all the things you CAN have. That way, you won’t feel so restricted and you have a list to fall back on when things get sticky.
There are lots of different grains out there to try. Again, I don’t know which ones you can’t have, but people with gluten allergies do this all the time. There is oat, corn, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and so many others out there. You just have to really do some exploring to see what’s available to you in your area.
I’m not sure if I’ve been much help.
Good luck!
Tiffany
Mo – I did see the movie Food Inc. I’ve never looked at meat the same way since. I really wish more people would watch that documentary. It’s so important!
Good for you for applying “the rules” to your life. That’s what it’s all about. Making the best choices you can and applying them to your life so that they become true changes, not just a fad diet.
I am so glad you actually define what clean eating is! Very well put!
Lindsey – Thanks! Glad you found the info useful!
What I’ve found to help out is to plan ahead, cook certain things like your legumes in batches enough to get you through a couple of days. That way when meal time comes, you can focus on your fresh veggies and protein, then all you have to do is re-heat the legumes and you have a complete meal. If things are made easy, they are more likely to acheive the results.
Corey – Yes! Planning ahead is vital to success!
I was just searching the internet for Clean Eating Recipes/Communities/Resources and came across your site…IN LOVE! I am SO HAPPY to have found your site. Congrats on your weight-loss and clean eating success. I look forward to reading much, much more from you.
Ashley – Welcome!! I’m so happy to have you as a reader! If you want a great clean eating community, I have a very active and supportive Facebook community. Hope to see you there as well!
I totally agree with your notion of Clean Eating. Every one needs to figure out for their unique body eating the mix of foods that would keep their body balanced. Bottom line clean eating means promoting health & preventing sickness. Be Well, Rakesh
Rakesh – Exactly! Every person is unique. One rule will not apply to all. You have to find what works for you!
This is so neat! I love it. I was actually just curious as to what Clean Eating is so I did an internet search and your blog popped up. This is very helpful! Thanks!
Shelley – Fantastic! I’m so happy you found it helpful!
Eating clean rocks
Ellie – Yes it does!
thanks gracious pantry. I know huh.Clean eating does a lot of good things. Eat healthy like my teacher says.
Ellie – That, or feel miserable and spend a lifetime wondering why. 😉
I’m new to your site… but I have some questions.. no where in the explanation does it mention limiting fat.. yet I’ve read elsewhere on your site that eggs have too much fat… I’m curious… and a bit confused.. is the fatty part an add on to eating clean? do you know the science behind not including the whole egg?? Thanks and I’m enjoying your site.
Annie
Annie – The body does need a certain amount of fat. Healthy fat. So it’s important to include moderate amounts of healthy fats such as olive, peanut or safflower oil in your diet.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding eggs and the cholesterol they contain. Some research now indicates that perhaps, the cholesterol in eggs has no effect on the cholesterol in our bodies.
I enjoy whole eggs almost daily, but it’s a personal choice and one you should discuss with a dietitian.
Keep in mind that if you eat meat, you are also getting cholesterol from that. All animal products contain some amount of cholesterol. Even lean or low fat versions. To avoid this completely, you would have to become vegetarian or even vegan.
It’s vital to look at your overall food for the day and be sure it’s balanced. That’s why I love prepping my food the night before. I can lay it all out on the counter in front of me, and make adjustments based on the foods I have. Whole eggs are very nutritious, and unless you have some sort of allergy, I see no reason to cut them out completely. Again, it’s just a question of balance.
Hope that helps.
Fat is not the enemy. Your body needs fats.
In the ’70s a bad report came out saying that eating fat made us fat. We stopped eating fat and as a nation we got fatter.
We’re still living by that bad report. Seriously – it has been proven wrong over and over again – but it was shoved down our throats so much that it’s considered fact to this day.
Our bodies need fat. Period.
What you don’t want to eat is trans fat.
Sugar is your enemy. Stop eating refined sugar. Anything that isn’t naturally a part of the food, like fruit, is bad for you. The same is true with fat. If it’s added after the fact, or it’s created during processing, like trans-fat: then it’s bad for you.
Sugar is turned into fat, Sugar spikes insulin, etc.
Fat does not do that.
And I know – you can’t make a claim like that without backing it up, so here you go:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/saturated-fat_b_4914235.html
and another source: http://greatist.com/health/saturated-fat-healthy
One last one: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/438600/Eating-fat-is-good-for-you-Doctors-change-their-minds-after-40-years
Joe – I agree completely and have edited my reply to Annie. I have also added a blurb about fats in my article above. My approach to fat has changed over the years, thankfully. Thanks for reminding me I needed to update this post!!
Hi Tiffany. Thanks for such a great description of what “clean” eating is. I’m sure I’ve read/heard it before, but to read your words of “Would you be surprised to hear that there really aren’t any fitness goals you can achieve without it?” just smacked me upside the head (in a good way). The addition of seeing your My Fitness Pal status showing you’ve lost since adopting this method of eating is great inspiration. I need to lose around 40 lbs to help mitigate the effects of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and think this may be the ticket. I’ve subscribed to your blog and can’t wait to see the great things you post. Oh, and my favorite room in the house is the kitchen as well 🙂
Barbie
Barbie – Thank you! I’m so happy you found it useful! It’s wonderful to have you as a subscriber as well! PCOS is not an easy thing to deal with. Good for you for doing the right thing for your body. Clean eating is the only way to go in my humble opinion!
Love this post on clean eating! The whole idea goes well with my kind of food and cooking. I prefer wholegrain over refined and use minimal oil and sugar in all my meals. Would be great to learn many more of healthy living and eating tips here, Tiffany. Thanks for such a wonderful site and healthy recipes.
Sanjeeta – I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sounds neat, but coming from a scientific perspective…
“And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.”
I think this is a misconception that is based on our fear of “chemicals” and a lack of understanding about science.
What about Cholecalciferol, L-ascorbic acid, and Tocopherol?
Also, taste buds do not “change”, although they do die as we age. Your preferences may change, but your taste receptors will not.
None – Regardless of the science behind it, whether it’s preference or taste buds, something definitely changes. The stuff I used to love I can’t get far enough away from now because all I taste are the added chemicals.
The vitamins you mentioned above are simply scientific names. While I understand your point here, it’s vital to remember that processed foods are often fortified with this stuff simply because they are so incredibly nutrient deficient that there is no other way they could possibly qualify as having any nutrients at all without the addition of these vitamins. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to get my nutrients from foods that contain them naturally. Not processed garbage has to have added vitamins just to please the FDA, which is a whole other topic of conversation.
Great post and great site!!!! Thankyou for the wonderful recipes….Im no newbie to eating clean ihave been douing it for years with the occasional “stray”, what amazes me is how after a week of a “vacation from eating clean” is how awful i feel, if thats not proof then i dont know what is. I am so passionate about proper nutrition, i truly feel that our government has the general public SO MISINFORMED that it is sickening, It gives me hope for us as a country to find sites like this one, that more and more people are opening up their eyes to what is really going on!!!! WE NEED TO CHANGE, not only for us but for our children and generations to come!!!! Anyways enough of my rant 🙂 GREAT INSPIRING SITE! Thanks so much!
Liz – Thank you! I have to agree. Nutrition has beens o swept under the rug it’s sickening. It’s what keeps us healthy or makes us sick. And yet, big corporations have out heads spinning with nonsense. Change is definitely needed. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you so much for the information here. I avoid processed foods and drinks… I don’t have much of an appetite so that first method is what I seem to practice, but I would like to try the second method. Again, thank you 🙂
Jennifer – I’m happy you found it helpful!
MissBeckley – It’s so easy for our relationships with food to become dysfunctional this day and age. In fact, a dysfunctional relationship with food is now considered the norm and people who try to eat healthy are often ridiculed or made to feel uncomfortable for making better choices. It’s hard to know where we all went so wrong. But I do believe that people are slowly coming around and realizing how important our food supplies are. I just hope we don’t realize it too late!
Good for you for taking charge! It’s such an important thing to do for yourself because if you don’t have your health, you don’t have much. Definitely a cause worth fighting for. Keep up the great work!!
Mos – Good for you!!! Clean eating is a fabulous way to get and stay healthy!