Clean eating is a simple concept. Avoid processed foods and refined products and instead focus on whole, natural foods that are close to their original source. Advocates of clean eating say that it will help you find your naturally healthy weight, support exercise, enhance energy and improve your health.
Principles
A clean eating meal plan involves three meals a day with two snacks. Every meal includes a lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Eating often can help to keep your body energized and an efficient calorie-burning machine. You must be diligent about reading labels when clean eating to avoid preservatives, added sugars, refined flours and additives. Clean eating also respects the environment by emphasizing humanely treated animals and local ingredients.
Strategies
Eating slowly and enjoying your food is part of eating clean. You must always be prepared when eating clean, carrying healthy snacks and meals with you often. Keeping your portion sizes modest also helps you manage your weight when clean eating -- even healthy food has calories that can contribute to weight gain if eaten in excess.
Food Choices
The outer aisles of the grocery store are your primary resources for clean eating foods. Meals emphasize lean proteins, such as chicken breast, fish, extra lean beef, pork tenderloin, bison and egg whites. Clean eating does not discourage carbohydrates, rather it encourages consumption of whole grains, including oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa and whole-wheat bread. Low- or nonfat dairy products are featured at meals and snacks. Fresh fruits and vegetables are another cornerstone of clean eating. Fat is also included as a part of the healthy eating plan, but they are the unsaturated variety, such as olive oil, nuts, avocado and other plant oils.
Sample Day
Breakfast on a clean eating plan could include 1/2 cup uncooked, old fashioned oatmeal mixed with 3/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries. At lunch, make a sandwich with 2 oz. low-sodium deli turkey, 1 oz. Swiss cheese, two slices of a green apple, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard on a toasted whole-grain English muffin. Have cut-up carrots and celery alongside. For dinner, make a large salad with 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup sliced cucumber 2 tsp. sunflower seeds, 1 tsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar. Have it alongside a broiled 4 oz. mahi mahi fillet and a small baked potato topped with 2 tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt and chopped chives. For your first snack, have 1 oz. of almonds with a banana. For your second snack, have a cup of grapes.
References
- "How to Eat and Live Clean;" Clean Eating; July/August 2009
- Helpguide.org: Healthy Eating
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