Image: Best Ever Roasted Vegetables
To me, it often seems when I see a meal plan, or some sample Clean Eating meals, all I hear is bland. No sauces, no seasonings. And protein, protein, protein. Mainly in the form of chicken breast, egg whites and lots of protein powder.
You may or may not have gathered from reading Eat Clean Live Green, that’s not how I see Clean Eating. Not that there is anything wrong with chicken breast, egg whites or protein powder, but I don’t eat focusing on protein first, or in great amounts.
The main premise of Clean Eating is to consume food in it’s most natural state. There are many interpretations of what this could mean to an individual, one being a raw-based diet.
For me, I interpret this as to Eat Real Food. Food that I know what the ingredients are. Ingredients my great-grandparents would have recognized as food.
Instead of artificially sweetened and flavoured raspberry yogurt, plain yogurt with raspberries added. Instead of Frosted Flakes, oatmeal. Instead of egg or meat substitutes, eggs and vegetable based bean burgers.
And really, it’s no different from any other form of healthy eating, it’s just another way to express it.
- Avoid Processed and Refined Foods. I look for ingredient lists in which I know what all the ingredients are, and avoid white flour, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, in favour of whole grains, natural fats and sweeteners.
- Shop with a Conscience: Humanely, and locally raised meats.
- Consume Healthy Fats. My favourites are avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, flax and hemp seeds.
- Eat Often. I eat 4-6 times a day, most often breakfast, lunch, dinner and 1-2 snacks.
- Drink lots of water! I aim for at least 2 L of water a day
What about the amounts of food? Isn’t Clean Eating protein-packed and very low-fat?
Clean Eating is what you make it. For me, I make it Real Food.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post!! I’m going to retweet!
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I agree, clean eating isn’t just grilled chicken breasts morning, noon and night!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..these are a few of my favorite things
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I love eating clean!! thank you for all of this info
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I guess it is a matter of perspective but I would never consider eating protein powder as clean eating although I have never heard of clean eating as being protein based. I consider clean eating to be eating whole foods, the kinds that don’t come with labels. I think you do a great job of expressing that here.
Great post!
Christie @ Honoring Health´s last blog ..A New Kid in Town
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Those roasted veggies caught my eyes! They look so good. I really liked this post and the information. I definitely need to work on cutting out processed foods and sugar substitutes and these were great tips!
Karissa @ CardioFoodie´s last blog ..The Days are Flying By
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I completely agree with you! People are so shocked when find out that I eat butter and real sugar especially when they are eating everything artificial under the sun! Great post!
Nicole @ Geek Turned Athlete´s last blog ..Meat Market
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While I do agree with most of this, the humane meat is not exactly “clean”. The animal, whether labeled organic, humane, local or otherwise, is killed just like the others. There is blood, intestines being removed, and lots of other dirty stuff going on in that industry. And unless you frequently visit the farm where the animal is raised and slaughtered, how do you know your definition of humane is the same?
I am not trying to be disrespectful and if you choose to delete this comment, although I hope you don’t, I would understand. As an animal advocate, it is my responsibility to debunk the lies surrounding this “humane” meat thing. There are no regulations and the term is a misnomer.
Brandi´s last blog ..Swimming Practice
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Allison Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Brandi,
I’m not deleting your comment – it’s your opinion, and by making posts open to comments, I’m open to others opinions.
However, the fact that the animal dies, that there are blood and intestines, do not make the food not ‘clean’ to me.
Choosing whether or not to eat meat is a personal choice, and one I’ve written about before. http://www.eatcleanlivegreen.com/2010/01/choosing-to-eat-meat-ethically/
I do not think everyone should, or will be a vegetarian, or vegan. I do think, however, that animals should be raised humanely. Whether an animal can be slaughtered humanely or not is something we will have to disagree on.
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We can respectfully agree to disagree. When I learned more about the act of slaughtering, I realized how unclean the product really is. I do not agree you can humanely control, and ultimately end, another being’s life.
Thank you for being so open to comments and discussions about this.
I love these kinds of dialogues.
Brandi´s last blog ..Swimming Practice
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I really like your approach to clean eating. it’s the same for me, reduce amount of processed food and eat food in its natural way.
coco´s last blog ..Celebrate the present moment #1
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I am reading Food Rules and I love Michael Pollan’s rule of eating things only my Great grandmother would recognize as food. That’s what I strive for.
Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..New Toys
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Very well said!
Tasha – The Clean Eating Mama´s last blog ..Going to rehab
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