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“Eating clean” is such a new buzz saying and may also seem like a new way of eating, but what does it really mean?
The fundamentals of eating clean encourage you to eat more whole foods — such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats — and limit highly processed snack foods, sweets and other packaged foods. An example of a meal containing all of these foods would be a spinach salad with grilled chicken, quinoa, avocado, almonds and apple slices. Pretty simple, right?
Let’s talk about a couple more tips for eating clean:
Limiting highly processed, packaged foods with a long list of ingredients, most of which are not natural. Ingredients listed on the food label should mostly be foods that you recognize, such as whole-grain steel cut oats, dried apple, flaxseed and cinnamon. Limit ingredients that you can't identify or can't easily pronounce, such as carnauba wax, soy lecithin and artificial flavor.
Cutting back on foods with added salt, sugar or fat. Remember you can always add more of these ingredients if you would like,,,but you can never take them out once they are in there :)
Avoiding foods that are drastically altered compared with their natural form, such as apple juice versus a whole apple, chicken nuggets versus a fresh chicken breast, or vegetable chips versus fresh vegetables. Sometimes processing can be a good thing for foods, such as pasteurization that makes eggs and dairy products safe for consumption. Also, frozen fruits and vegetables are OK because they are minimally processed and can sometimes contain more nutrients than fresh varieties since they are frozen at their peak. So no GMOs
Preparing and eating more foods at home. Start with simple meals to help you get into the habit, such as Greek yogurt and fresh berries for breakfast, or a whole-grain roasted turkey and avocado wrap with red pepper slices at lunch. One of my favorites is Avocado toast with egg.
Clean eating isn't black and white. There's room for flexibility and modifications, and it doesn't require avoiding any certain food groups — unless medically necessary.
Clean eating also doesn't mean that all foods must be consumed in the raw state. Cooking, pasteurizing and preserving are OK.
So what do you think? Is this something that you think could benefit you and your family? Let me know if you would like to start your own clean eating journey. I would be happy to share with you what I have found that works for me on my own personally journey!
