What is Clean Eating?

What Is Clean Eating?

You’ve probably heard of clean eating, but you may not know what it is exactly or how to go about cleaning up your diet. Eating clean is a good way to refresh your eating habits: it’s about eating more of the best and healthiest options in each of the food groups—and eating less of the not-so-healthy ones. That means embracing whole foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, plus healthy proteins and fats. It also means cutting back on refined grains, added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. And since you don’t have to count calories or give up whole food groups, it’s easy to follow. 

While many clean eating plans eliminate gluten, dairy, and soy, eating clean should not limit your food options. If anything, when embracing eating more whole, minimally processed foods, your choice of foods should increase. 

Here are some tips for eating a clean diet.

• Eat more whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lentils.
• Read the ingredient list who choosing packaged foods. Generally a shorter list of recognizable ingredients is better.
• Limit added sugar. Natural sugars found in whole fruits and other foods are not a concern.
• Include healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, olive oil, and fatty fish.
• Buy local when possible.
• Purchase organic as your budget and availability allows.
• Cook more at home.