5 Tips for Eating Cleanly Without Feeling Deprived

February 2, 2014

by Cathe Friedrich

Getting to where you want to be from a weight and health standpoint requires regular physical activity, but don’t underestimate the importance of eating a healthy diet. You can undo all of the good things you’re doing for your body through exercise by eating the wrong diet. Eating a clean diet of mostly whole foods and avoiding processed foods and added sugar creates a healthier hormonal environment inside your body. This helps you maintain healthier body composition and avoid gaining body fat. Eating cleanly shouldn’t make you feel deprived or hungry, not if you do it right. Here are some tips for clean eating that’ll keep you feeling satisfied.

Eating Cleanly Tip: Think Outside the Supermarket

If your town has a Farmer’s market, visit and do a portion of your food shopping there. Turn shopping locally into a Saturday ritual. Then go home with fresh fruits and veggies to enjoy for the rest of the week. Enjoy the experience of buying your food locally and the freshness of the produce. Fresh produce usually tastes better. This makes eating cleanly a more enjoyable experience.

Eating Cleanly Tip: Open Your Mind to New Culinary Delights

A number of markets now offer exotic produce. Seek out novel fruits and vegetables and give them a try. Look for tomatillos, a fruit that looks like a green tomato, and use them to make green sauces or salsa. They make a tasty and healthy condiment. Look for a tropical fruit called cherimoya. Take one home and open it up. Scoop out and enjoy the creamy insides as is or add the inside to your next healthy smoothie.

Look for purple cauliflower on your next shopping trip. It’s higher in anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds, than white cauliflower. Toss it with olive oil and oven roast it to bring out its flavor. On each shopping trip, pick out a fruit or vegetable you haven’t tried. Learn more about it and how to prepare it. Then give it a try! With so many fruits and vegetables out there, there’s always something new and unprocessed to titillate your taste buds.

Eating Cleanly Tip: Find Healthy Substitutions for Unhealthy Foods You Enjoy

Love munching on crunchy potato chips? Try veggie chips instead. Just don’t buy them at the supermarket. Make your own by slicing a variety of vegetables and drizzling them with olive oil and your favorite spices. Then bake them in the oven. What veggies can you use? The sky’s the limit. Make chips out of green beans, kale, carrot slices, sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash or even turnips. It’s a tasty way to meet your vegetable quota and enjoy something crunchy.

Yearning for pasta? Use a mandolin slicer or a julienne peeler to make healthy “pasta” out of veggies. Don’t stop at spaghetti squash. You can make noodles from other veggies including sweet potatoes, zucchini, turnips and almost any kind of squash. Don’t have a julienne peeler or mandolin slicer? Use an ordinary vegetable peeler to cut strips of “pasta.” With vegetable pasta, you’ll get more fiber and antioxidants, not to mention the finished creation will be lower in carbs.

Don’t forget about the health benefits and incredible versatility of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt can ease a craving for something sweet or savory – sensibly. Use it as a substitute for sour cream or mayo to make dips and dressings or make a yogurt parfait to satisfy a dessert craving. You’ll find lots of healthy dessert recipes using Greek yogurt online, everything from Greek yogurt cheesecake to Greek yogurt brulee. Greek yogurt is a good source of protein to help satiate you. Two-thirds of a cup has 11 grams of protein.

Eating Cleanly Tip: Get Inspired by Healthy Recipes

There’s a wealth of inspirational recipes online that are yours to explore. Check out Pinterest boards for unique recipes ideas using fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find. How about cauliflower and raspberry cheesecake or cocoa zucchini cake? Yes, there’s a recipe for that. People have finally discovered ways to turn vegetables into dessert. Use a natural, low-calorie sweetener to reduce the carbs. How’s that for guilt-free indulgence?

Eating Cleanly Tip: Practice Moderation

Eating cleanly doesn’t mean you can’t have an occasional splurge. Eat cleanly 90% of the time and you don’t have to feel guilty when you indulge in an occasional ice cream cone or doughnut. But don’t be surprised if those splurges don’t have as much appeal as they once did. Once you’ve eaten cleanly for a while, you’ll enjoy the taste of whole foods. Processed foods will no longer have the same appeal and sweet desserts will taste a bit too sweet. That’s okay you’re better off without them.

The Bottom Line?

There are lots of benefits to eating cleanly and it shouldn’t make you feel deprived. Give these clean eating tips a try and you won’t miss your old way of eating.

References:

Self Nutrition Data. “Greek-Style Yogurt”