Eating clean question(s)...

[mommacody]

Good morning all

i have spent the past month really trying to clean up my act (no pun intended) as far as diet goes. i've definitely found that eating clean, or at least eating cleanER has boosted my energy and my workouts. i do have some questions about some of the foods i didn't cross of my list, like breakfast cereals, waffles, etc. how "bad" is it to keep them? i'm not talking belgian waffle sundaes or anything, just some kashi go lean blueberry waffles, and some optimum power breakfast cereal. other things i find myself obsessing over are hummus, multi grain tostidos as a rare treat, and luna bars. i hate to overthink everything so much, but to me "no processed foods" means getting rid of all that, or does it? any thoughts or suggestions? thanks in advance!

jenn

 

[kathryn]

>I do have some questions about some
>of the foods i didn't cross of my list, like breakfast
>cereals, waffles, etc. how "bad" is it to keep them? i'm not
>talking belgian waffle sundaes or anything, just some kashi go
>lean blueberry waffles, and some optimum power breakfast
>cereal. other things i find myself obsessing over are hummus,
>multi grain tostidos as a rare treat, and luna bars. i hate
>to overthink everything so much, but to me "no processed
>foods" means getting rid of all that, or does it?

To answer your question: all of the foods you listed (except for hummus, if it's homemade) are processed foods. If what you're aiming for is no processed foods whatsoever, they wouldn't fit.

However, there is no 'clean eating police' that will whack you with a billy club if you do eat some processed foods. And some boxed, canned and otherwise packaged foods are better than others. The cereals you mentioned are certainly better than the majority of pseudo-candy cereals out there (but not as good as cooking your own grains to have for breakfast: there are 'good' and 'better' choices in everything). Luna bars, IMO, are the least wholesome of the foods you mentioned, and probably the most processed.

I think too many people get caught up in thinking that X or Y food is bad to eat, thus they are a 'bad' person if they eat them. Instead, I think it's far healthier to aim for eating 80% clean, which is usually enough for most people (though if one wants to go for 100% because that's the kind of food they want to eat, and they don't feel like they are depriving themselves of something they really like that isn't really that bad, they shouldn't feel 'bad' for trying to be a perfectionist). That doesn't mean that the 20% 'not clean' should be Snickers bars and pop...there definitely are some 'foods' that have no benefit whatsoever beyond calories...but a limited amount of some processed foods won't blow everything.

 

[mommacody]

thanks kathryn,
i think that it's my own hang up that i need to get past. these foods are things i enjoy, and you are right, they aren't "bad", it's just that there is better. so if i aim to do the better thing 80% of the time, i should be ok. snickers, pop, etc, have no place with me, and i don't feel deprived of them at all! thanks again

 

[Beavs]

I agree with Kathryn. I think that you have to strike a balance between eating as healthy as you can and enjoying what you eat (which may include a candy bar once in a blue moon), otherwise you aren't likely to stick with the program and you could be more likely to binge on the crappola. ;-)

 

[JohnsWife]

>However, there is no 'clean eating police' that will whack you
>with a billy club if you do eat some processed foods.

Are you kidding me? all this time I've been thinking I would get arrested or something for eating processed foods.

Just playing! I thought your comment was very funny!

 

[pixie9]

I agree. I definitely have 'trigger foods' that I just can't eat in moderation (peanut butter, cashew butter, cake), so I try and avoid them as much as possible. However, I can eat a little dark chocolate or soy ice cream and not overdo it. The other day I think I mowed through like 6 tangerines in one sitting! At least I got my fiber in for the day.

Carolyn