Eating clean is a growing lifestyle trend. This usually refers to eating whole, natural foods without processed additives or packaged components as much as possible.
Instead of opting for fruit-flavored yogurts with added sugars, consider opting for plain, unsweetened varieties instead. Also try swapping out processed meats like bologna or salami for lean cuts of beef or poultry instead.
Fruits
Fruits make an ideal healthy snack, providing essential nutrients like fiber, potassium, folate and iron. In contrast to processed foods, whole fruits have low sodium levels.
While some clean eaters avoid all added sugars, others allow honey, maple syrup and fruit juice in moderation. It is wise to strike a balance when it comes to sweets; restricting all sugar will only lead to later binging on sweets!
Eating clean is an effective way to ensure you consume more fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. But before making major diet changes – particularly ones that involve cutting out entire food groups – always consult your physician first as doing so can drastically alter your nutritional balance and lead to serious health concerns if done improperly. A registered dietitian can help create a personalized healthy eating plan tailored specifically for you.
Vegetables
Vegetables contain vital nutrients that protect against disease and promote overall wellness in our bodies. Be sure to incorporate veggies into every meal – steaming or roasting can make for tasty side dishes; spinach, peppers, onions and mushrooms make tasty additions to grilled cheese sandwiches!
Clean eating may involve eliminating all processed food, including those made with whole grains and lean proteins; however, this approach may leave your diet devoid of important vitamins and minerals.
Clean eaters differ on whether to limit or avoid added sugars, with most agreeing on white sugar being off limits while some suggesting restricting honey, maple syrup and fruit juice intake. Instead of sweet snacks like carrot sticks and celery slices as snacks without empty calories – try replacing these sweet snacks with crunchy vegetables such as cucumber sticks. They provide satisfying satisfaction without adding unnecessary extra calories!
Whole Grains
Grains are powerhouses of nutrients and have been linked with reduced risks of chronic health conditions like heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes. When selecting grains, look for products labeled as “whole grain”, which contain all three of the original anatomical parts of grain seeds: bran, germ and endosperm according to Rossi.
Consuming whole grains has also been shown to help decrease inflammation, as demonstrated in a 2023 study published in Advances in Nutrition. Furthermore, an ongoing prospective cohort study with 61,000 Swedish women demonstrated that eating more whole grain led to 35% less risk of colon cancer.
Avoid products marked “multigrain,” “wheat,” and “enriched,” which are more likely to contain refined grains than whole grain foods. Instead, choose foods bearing the Whole Grains Council stamp of approval as these foods should contain at least some whole grains.
Healthy Fats
Your clean eating plan should include healthy fats to ensure maximum satiety, slow the digestion of carbohydrates and add flavor. Healthful fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; you’ll find them in foods such as olive oil, avocados, nuts and fatty fish.
Avoid saturated fats that can increase cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease by opting for unsaturated fats found in olives and olive oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters, fatty fish, plant oils or olives and their oil instead.
