A Beginner’s Guide to Clean Eating

A healthy diet is crucial of you want to make lasting progress in your weight loss journey. This is why there’s a lot of diet plans out there that promise to keep the fat off. However, some if these can be too restricting.

 

One way to sustain your weight loss is by avoiding fad diets and instead being mindful of the quality of the food you eat instead of how much or when you eat. This style of nourishing your body with more whole foods instead of overly processed food that are packed with preservatives, excess sodium, and sugar.

What is the Clean Eating 


Clean eating is not a diet but rather a style of eating that involved consuming healthy and nutrient-dense foods that are close to their natural state. It aims to fill your body with vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, healthy fats, and whole carbs.

 

It’s not as restricting as other fad diets because it does not eliminate certain food groups nor does it limit you to a certain number of calories per day. Instead, it promotes making better food choices by sticking to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources. 

 

It does aim to limit your intake of added sugar and sodium typically found in hyper-palatable food. So you can eat dessert (yay!), you just have to learn how to scale it back and choose treats that are lighter on the sugar or free from added sugar entirely.

What Can You Eat

  • Vegetables: The more the better, especially when it comes to leafy greens. Frozen vegetables are a great option too.
  • Fruit: Opt for fresh or frozen fruit. If looking at canned fruit, opt for options canned in their own fruit juice instead of sugar-laden syrup.
  • Whole Grains: Oats, whole-wheat, barley and quinoa are great options.
  • Nuts and Seeds: Choose plain, raw, roasted or salted nuts but skip most other flavors (like honey) as they contained added sugars. When choosing peanut butter, choose options with just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
  • Healthy Fats: Fatty fish, like salmon, as well as olive oil and avocado are great healthy fat options. However, it’s important to note that fats can be calorically dense so moderation is still key to keep you in a caloric deficit.
  • Legumes: Beans and lentils are high in fiber and protein, plus the canned options are great pantry staples that aren't heavily processed.
  • Lean Proteins: When choosing proteins, opt for more chicken, turkey, fish, Greek yogurt and legumes
  • Water: Make H2O your go-to beverage. It has zero calories but it helps keep you hydrated throughout the day.

What You Can’t Eat

  • Over-processed foods, especially white flour and sugar
  • Artificial sweeteners
  • Sugary beverages, such as soda and juice
  • Alcohol
  • Foods with chemical additives like food dyes and sodium nitrite
  • Foods with preservatives
  • Artificial foods, such as processed cheese slices
  • Saturated fats and trans fats
  • Calorie-dense foods with no nutritional value