Looking to adopt a healthier diet? Incorporating clean foods into your meals is an excellent first step. While the idea of eating clean might seem overwhelming, once you grasp a few key tips, it becomes surprisingly straightforward. Here you’ll learn 7 tips to help you to start your clean eating journey!
What Is Clean Food?
Eating clean food is much simpler than it may initially seem. Essentially, it involves opting for foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. For instance, choosing fresh fruit over dried fruit.
Opting for more “clean food” is a healthier choice because it means selecting less heavily processed foods. It’s not about completely avoiding all processed foods, as that would be unrealistic. Even items like olive oil and fresh nuts undergo some processing, and cooking is a form of processing food.
So the focus is more on limiting heavily processed items. Not only does extensive processing diminish the nutritional value of food, but it also often involves the addition of ingredients that are not beneficial for our health.
That’s the basis of eating cleaner foods. With the tips below, I hope to give you a little more guidance to kickstart your clean eating journey. Remember, it’s not about being perfect and only eating perfectly clean foods all the time, it’s about starting to increase the frequency of making healthy choices.
Before getting to the tips, I want to clarify that my intention in this post is not to prescribe specific dietary recommendations. While I have some background in nutrition through my experience as a physical therapist and my undergraduate degree in exercise science, I am not a dietitian.
My initial exposure to nutrition occurred during my undergraduate studies, inspiring me to adopt a healthier eating lifestyle. I bring forth this information not as professional advice but rather as insights based on my personal journey of striving to make healthier and cleaner choices over the past 15 years. The aim is to share practical tips and experiences that may assist you in making informed decisions about your own dietary choices. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional or dietician for personalized advice tailored to your individual needs.
7 Tips To Help You Eat More Clean Foods
1. Read Ingredients
Understanding what ingredients are going into your body is a key aspect of adopting a cleaner eating approach. Reading ingredients was the first step on my own journey to eating a cleaner and healthier diet. I remember learning in undergrad about some nasty ingredients that are put into our food and from there I became a dedicated ingredient reader.
It’s so important to become a conscious eater and to know what you are putting into your body.
Consider a seemingly normal item like bread—you probably think, what could be in bread, probably just some flour, yeast, and salt? However, many store-bought breads have pretty lengthy ingredient lists.
For instance, while writing this post I decided to look up the ingredients in Wonder Bread and came across this ingredient: ‘Diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglyceride.’ All I can say is …. wtf? I don’t know about you but whatever that is doesn’t sound like something I want to eat.
Start to be aware and familiarize yourself with ingredients and choose foods that have ingredients that you want to put in your body. I wrote about some common ingredients to avoid in food in this post here: How To Eat Holistically
Reading ingredients is a great starting point in a clean food eating journey because it starts to make you consciously aware of what you are consuming.
2. Eat More Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
If you’re not currently incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet, the initial step is to introduce them gradually.
According to Harvard Health, an effective combination for optimum health is two servings of fruits plus three servings of vegetables per day, totaling five servings daily.
Whenever possible, opt for fresh produce over canned or frozen varieties. While fresh is preferred, remember that consuming frozen vegetables is a better choice than omitting vegetables entirely! Personally, I find it convenient to have items like frozen peas on hand so while I try to mostly eat fresh, sometimes it is frozen, I’m not perfect!
Choosing local, in-season produce is another excellent way to enhance the cleanliness of your diet. Eating in harmony with the seasons aligns with our body’s connection to nature. Of course, not everything consumed can always be in-season, but integrating this principle within reason contributes to a cleaner eating routine.
Start by incorporating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables into your meals, and over time, you’ll likely notice positive changes in your overall well-being.
3. Limit Your Intake Of Highly Processed Meats
If you eat meat, try to limit your intake of highly processed meats. This includes meats such as cold cuts, bacon, and hot dogs. These meats are generally more processed and less healthy. If you choose to include them in your diet, I strongly recommend adhering to tip #1 and reading the ingredients list.
In general, opting to cook with meats that are closer to their natural form is a healthier choice. For instance, with meats like chicken breast or steak, you don’t have to be so concerned with the ingredients because the list should really just be the meat itself.
You should also start to think about the source of your meat. Questions such as the conditions on the farm, the animals’ diet, and the overall farming practices are important considerations. These questions not only impact animal welfare, but also influence the quality of the meat you’re consuming. Being mindful of the origins of your meat contributes to both your well-being and ethical consumption.
4. Think About Your Milk
This isn’t going to be a debate on the best type of milk to have, plant based or animal based, it’s just to help you choose cleaner milk.
Animal Based Milk:
If you choose to drink milk from an animal, ask yourself the same questions as with the meat, how are the animals raised and what they are fed?
This will help you not only choose a product from a hopefully happier cow and it will also be healthier for you.
Plant Based Milk:
For those who prefer plant-based alternatives like almond or oat milk, reading the ingredients is crucial. It all comes back to reading those ingredients….
Many plant-based milks on the market contain additives that take away from their health value.
For example, Whole Foods Brand Almond Milk contains ingredients like gellan gum, which according to research doesn’t seem like the worst ingredient but…it’s still an additive to food and I don’t know about you, but I prefer to have my milk without gellan gum. And that’s whole foods which is generally pretty good with healthy food so….read your ingredients.
If I’m having almond milk, I like a brand called MALK. The ingredients in this product are water, almonds, and salt. That’s it.
By paying attention to the ingredients and choosing milk products with minimal additives, you can make cleaner and healthier choices for your diet. Whether animal-based or plant-based, being informed about the source and composition of your milk can help you to eat more clean food!
5. Drink More Water And Less Sugary Drinks
This is a simple and effective way to clean up your diet.
If you typically consume soda, whether it’s diet or regular, consider replacing it with water. Soda is really just crap, lol, I have nothing good to say about soda. Also, from my experience, when you stop drinking soda, you stop liking it. I stopped drinking soda probably like 14 or 15 years ago and I can honestly say, if I have a sip of soda now, I do not like it at all.
Additionally, be mindful of the sugar content in some iced teas, as they can be excessively high. Check the sugar levels in your drink. If you enjoy iced tea maybe switch to unsweetened iced tea or sweeten your tea on your own so you can be mindful of the sugar content.
These simple swaps can significantly contribute to a cleaner and healthier eating routine.
6. Eat Less Highly Processed Desserts
An example of a highly processed dessert is something like Oreos. Think about the shelf life on those things and you’ll start to question how they could be good for you.
It’s not that you can’t enjoy desserts; it’s about opting for cleaner options. Making your own dessert allows you to control the ingredients. If this is not possible, you can also choose store-bought options with better ingredients.
For instance, you might select ice cream with minimal ingredients over a product like Ben & Jerry’s, which often contains a lengthy list of strange ingredients.
A simple swap I often do for a snack is making my own popcorn instead of having a prepackaged variety. I purchase kernels and pop them on the stove. I prefer mine with just a touch of salt, but you can customize it to your liking. My husband likes a little butter on his so I just melt it and pour it over. There you go, a simple less processed snack.
7. Eat Less Frozen Pre-made Meals
Fresh foods generally have a higher nutritional value, so choose fresh food when you can.
Additionally, frozen pre-made meals often have high sodium levels. Therefore, minimizing your intake of such meals contributes to a cleaner diet.
I think it’s important to remember that even when you cook, you can make things that are simple. Even in the midst of a busy day, you can prepare a straightforward yet nutritious meal.
Personally, on days when I have limited time, my go-to is a simple dish: rice with assorted sauteed vegetables with some baked tofu for protein. The seasoning is minimal—a touch of butter over the rice and veggies and some salt & pepper. This uncomplicated meal is both time-efficient and significantly healthier than opting for a frozen alternative. Remember, eating clean food doesn’t always require extravagance; it can be made simple.
Your Overall Approach To Eating Clean Foods
Embracing a cleaner approach to eating involves making mindful choices that prioritize whole, minimally processed foods.
By incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables, choosing minimally processed proteins, and being conscious of ingredient lists, you’re taking significant steps toward enjoying a diet rich in clean food!
Simple swaps, such as opting for water over sugary beverages or preparing homemade snacks instead of processed ones, can make a substantial difference.
Remember, it’s not about perfection but about progress. Small changes in your food choices can lead to long-term benefits for both your well-being and overall health. So, here’s to nourishing your body with wholesome, clean foods for a brighter and healthier future.
Read This Next: Become Consistent With Exercise
Sources
Godman, Heidi. “How Many Fruits and Vegetables Do We Really Need?” Harvard Health, 1 Sept. 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/how-many-fruits-and-vegetables-do-we-really-need.