Clean Eating is defined as preparing more meals from scratch and eating less processed foods so you have a better diet. It is important to eat more real foods, rather than relying on processed foods that are high in sugar, salts, and fat. Furthermore, if one uses convenience foods, they should have mostly natural ingredients with as few additives as possible. I do buy my tomato sauce in bottles but I take time to make sure the sauce is low in sodium, sugar, and fats while having only things like tomatoes, onions, and spices. If it has corn syrup, I’ll ignore it.
On the other hand, it’s fine to buy frozen vegetables and fruits because most are minimally processed. Look for frozen green beans rather than green beans in a sauce because the sauce is likely to have ingredients that are not as good for you.
Unfortunately, many foods marketed as “real” have so much added to them, that they are no longer healthy. For instance, it is important when shopping for yogurt to read the ingredients list. Some varieties have lots of sugar and gelatin added to make it sweeter and thicker.
In addition, one should plan meals so one is eating a balanced diet with just the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables, rather than consuming tons of french fries and hamburgers. Rather than relying on a fast food restaurant, make your own food at home to bring with you because it is much healthier that way.
It is recommended that one increase their intake of plant based foods such as lentils, rice, grains, greens for a better diet. Furthermore, one should stick to foods that are as close to natural as possible because when they’ve been processed, they end up missing ingredients. For instance, eating fresh apples rather than drinking apple juice because the juice is missing fiber and often has more sugar in a serving than is good for you. In fact, many juices are only 10 to 20% actual juice, the rest of it is made up of water, corn syrup, and flavoring.
So what are some ways to eat a better diet. First, look at eliminating additional sugar from your diet. That means reading labels, making substitutions such as Greek yogurt with fresh fruits and berries instead of ice cream. Try to cook more food at home so it is fresher and has undergone less processing. Don’t be afraid of eating leftovers the next day at work. My father took leftovers every day for lunch and my mother made soup on the weekends with whatever hadn’t been eaten.
When shopping, pay attention to the walls because that is where a lot of the healthier foods are located. You’ll find dairy products, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, and breads with fewer ingredients rather than things like soda and chips. Furthermore, check out the local farmer’s markets because you can ask the vendors questions about their products.
Ignore diet foods, low fat foods, or other “specialty” foods of this nature because they often have way more sugar in them than is healthy. Choose foods such as peanut butter or yogurt with no added sugar. It is advised that people consume more greens such as kale, or swiss chard because they are filled with vitamins and minerals and can easily be added to so many dishes.
Finally, clean eating is not a diet but a way of life. Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear.
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