Clean Eating Diet Plan

The clean eating diet plan is the focus of a series of diet books and cookbooks written by Tosca Reno, who says she used this way of eating in order to lose weight and get healthier, as well as a "Clean Eating Magazine" and a column in "Oxygen" magazine. The premise behind the diet is easy to understand, and the recommended foods are healthy.

What to Eat

The main components of a clean eating diet plan include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and water. The idea is to eat food in as close to its natural state as possible, according to "Clean Eating Magazine." Eat foods low in sugar, salt, fat, additives and preservatives.

What to Avoid

If you are a clean eating diet plan, you should avoid alcohol, fried foods, sugar-sweetened juices and sodas, transfats, saturated fats, refined sugars, refined flours and overly processed foods, according to "Clean Eating Magazine." Foods that are more processed tend to have less nutritional value.

Benefits

This diet is very easy to adapt for those with special health considerations, including allergies, and vegetarians can follow it easily. You choose what you would like to eat from among all the healthy, natural foods available.

Considerations

Following a clean eating diet plan might be too restricting for some people, since it consists mainly of fresh foods that need to be prepared. Although you can't eat processed flour or sugar, making store-bought sweets off limits, there are recipes available for desserts and sweet treats that you make yourself. This diet plan is not as restrictive as some plans that require you to eat special foods or limit you to certain food groups. It also doesn't require you to keep track of calories, fats, carbohydrates or points, which makes it easier to figure out what you can eat.

Expert Insight

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables and lean sources of protein, while limiting salt, sugar, saturated and transfats. These are very similar to the recommendations of a clean eating diet plan.