One of the best things you can do for your health is to eat cleanly. What exactly is clean eating? It’s a diet rich in whole foods and free of processed and packaged foods. When you eat a clean diet you get less exposure to additives, preservatives and other chemicals in processed foods. Plus you enjoy the benefits of antioxidants and other nutrients in whole foods. There’s another benefit too. You get all the advantages of a diet that’s lower in sodium, unhealthy fats and sugar. Many people find they look and feel better when they eat cleanly. Need some guidance? Here are some guidelines to help you get the full benefits of clean eating.
Clean Eating: Add More Plants to Your Diet
Only about one in four people eat three or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily and that’s still less than you should be getting. Aim for six or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Prepare them in a healthful manner – lightly steamed or sautéed in olive oil. Don’t prepare them in lots of water or cook them until they’re mushy. You’ll lose some of the vitamins and antioxidants that make them such an important part of clean eating. Save the water you cook them in and use it for soup to capture the nutrients that leached into the water. The goal of a clean diet is to eat foods in their most natural state. Buy fruits and veggies fresh at a local Farmer’s market. Don’t get them in a package that contains a mystery sauce you heat up in a microwave.
Clean Eating: Eliminate Refined Sugar
Refined sugar has no nutritional benefit. The more refined sugar you include in your diet – the more you’ll feed your sweet tooth. When you eliminate packaged foods you’ve taken a big source of added sugar out of your diet – but get rid of the sugar bowl too. If you’re looking for a way to sweeten your hot oatmeal in the morning (yes, oats in their unprocessed state can be part of clean eating), add chopped berries or dates in place of sugar. Stevia is a more natural alternative to sugar and it’s calorie-free. Use it in moderation. Even better, learn to appreciate foods as much without added sweeteners. Once you eliminate refined sweeteners, you’ll gradually find you enjoy foods WITHOUT added sweetener.
Clean Eating: Prepare Meals at Home
It’s difficult to eat cleanly when you eat out. You don’t know what oil was used to prepare your food – some restaurants still use margarine that contains trans-fat. Plus, you’ll almost surely get a whopping dose of sodium. If you’re pressed for time, use a slow cooker to prepare healthy meals. Dinner can simmer in the slow cooker while you’re at work, and you can prepare whole-grain cereal overnight to eat first thing in the morning. Not only will you save money preparing meals at home, but you’ll also be healthier.
Clean Eating: Avoid GMOs
Limit the number of packaged foods in your diet. When you do buy something in a package, make sure it’s GMO-free. The most common sources of GMOs in packaged foods are corn or corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil and sugar from sugar beets. The best way to avoid GMOs is to buy organic. Certified organic foods can’t contain GMOs. When selecting meat, look for non-GMO Project Verified meat or buy organic meat and dairy. For fish, chose ones that were caught in the wild. There’s no proof that GMOs are dangerous but there are concerns about their safety.
Clean Eating: Choose a Clean Cooking Oil and Healthy Fats
Some cooking oils like canola, corn and soybean oil are genetically-modified. Soybean oil and corn oil are also high in omega-6 fatty acids. Most people get too many omega-6s fats and not enough omega-3s in their diet. This creates an unhealthy balance that can lead to low-grade inflammation.
For lower temperature applications like salad dressings where you aren’t heating the oil, flaxseed oil and walnut oil, high in omega-3s, are good alternatives. Extra-virgin olive oil, an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, works well for sautéing. Butter is high in saturated fat, but organic butter is “cleaner” and better for you than buttery spreads and margarine made with trans-fat and other omega-6 rich oils.
Clean Eating: Whole Grains in Moderation
Eliminate processed grains and white flour from your diet. Replace them with fiber-rich whole grains. Why not experiment with grains you’ve never tried? Quinoa is rich in fiber and a good source of protein and antioxidants. Serve it as a breakfast cereal first thing in the morning. Quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain although it’s often lumped in with other whole grains.
These days’ ancient grains are making a comeback. Ancient grains like Kamut, spelt and amaranth have been around for thousands of years and have changed very little since antiquity. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, stick to gluten-free grains like amaranth, millet, teff, and buckwheat. Be careful with quinoa. There have been cases of quinoa being cross-contamination with grains containing gluten.
The Bottom Line?
Enjoy the benefits of clean eating. When you do, be prepared to look and feel better. It’s one of the best things you can do for your health.
References:
Capital-Journal. “South Dakota lags in fruit, vegetable consumption”
New York Times. “Told to Eat Its Vegetables, America Orders Fries”
Science Daily. “Some ‘Healthy’ Vegetable Oils May Actually Increase Risk of Heart Disease”
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