What is Clean Eating? Here is a brief explanation!
Clean eating is a way to clean up you diet or refresh your eating habits! Clean eating can help you get back to eating healthy by going back to the basics especially now the holidays are over! Clean eating is learning to choose the best and healthiest options from each of the food groups! This means eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy protein and fats. It also means cutting back on refined grains with added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. This list is dapted from eatingwell.com! 10 Steps to Clean Eating!
One: Limit Refined Foods
Many processed foods are full of excess sodium, sugar and fat. An easy way to clean up your diet is to look at the ingredient list on packaged foods. If the list is long or includes lots of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, try to stay away from it. Also recognize that there are packages foods that you can buy that are clean like spinach, garbanzo beans and whole wheat pasta!
Two: Bump Up Your Veggies
Vegetables are high in heart-healthy fiber, which helps you feel full. Plus, veggies are low in calories, so you can eat lots of them without damaging your waistline. Fresh vegetables are as clean as they come since they are unprocessed and come straight from the farm (just don’t forget to wash them before you eat them!). Adding more veggies can give you lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients like nothing else can (not even a supplement:)!
Three: Cut Down On Saturated Fats
You don’t have to cut out fats when you’re eating clean; instead just focus on healthy fats. It’s as simple as swapping out saturated fats (like those in butter, cheese and meat) in favor of healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil and the kind found in nuts and fatty fish. These fats are good for your heart and can help raise your good HDL cholesterol, while saturated fats are associated with increased risk of heart disease and should be limited. Some substitutions are nuts instead of cheese on a salad, avocado instead of mayo, low fat or no fat diary products, and peanut butter instead of butter!
Four: Reduce Sugary Drinks & Alcohol
Having a cleaner diet also includes cleaning up what you drink. Eliminate soda! Have alcohol in moderation - stay within the recommended limit—one drink per day for women and two for men (one drink equals 5 ounces wine, 1½ ounces liquor or 12 ounces beer). Also remember that if it's neon colored it is probably not clean!
Five: Cut Down On Sugar
Most people eat too many added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends no more than about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 teaspoons per day for men. This isn't very much considering a can of soda has 6 tsp! Watch for added sugars even in products such as yogurt.
Six: Cut Back On The Sodium
Eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure. Many Americans eat more than the recommended 2,300 mg of sodium per day (that’s about one teaspoon of salt). Just look at a can of Campbells Chicken Noodles and you'll be able to see why we consume way over the amount we should! Don't add salt and try buying low sodium products.
Seven: Choose Whole
Whole grains include more nutrients than refined grains because the bran and germ are not removed. Look for the word “whole” with the first ingredient in breads and pastas. Choose whole grains whenever possible including brown rice, quinoa and oats!
Eight: Go Vegetarian Once A Week & Try Lean Proteins
Eating clean doesn’t mean giving up on meat entirely, but eating less meat can help eliminate extra saturated fat from your diet. A serving of meat is just 3 ounces (the size of a deck of cards). Try going vegetarian once a week also try lean proteins like chicken, legumes, fish, and nuts!
Nine: Up Your Fruits
Fruit has been nicknamed “nature’s candy” for good reason—it’s naturally sweet and delicious. Fruit is also rich in potassium, which can help keep blood pressure in check, and vitamin C, which is important for a healthy immune system. And just like vegetables, fresh fruits are whole, unprocessed foods. Help your sweet cravings by stalking your fridge full of fruits!
Ten: Limit Refined Grains
Cutting out white flour and refined grains is an easy way to eat cleaner. Refined grains—unlike whole grains—are more processed and often stripped of beneficial nutrients like magnesium, selenium and fiber. wheat bread and pasta. Cook with whole wheat flour, use brown rice, quinoa, and oats! Make homemade products like muffins, and granola bars instead of the ones you find refined at the grocery store!
Remember to take it once step at a time to an overall better healthy. It's baby steps and after a while you will be doing a lot better. Just pick a few things you can work on!
Clean eating is a way to clean up you diet or refresh your eating habits! Clean eating can help you get back to eating healthy by going back to the basics especially now the holidays are over! Clean eating is learning to choose the best and healthiest options from each of the food groups! This means eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy protein and fats. It also means cutting back on refined grains with added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats. This list is dapted from eatingwell.com! 10 Steps to Clean Eating!
One: Limit Refined Foods
Many processed foods are full of excess sodium, sugar and fat. An easy way to clean up your diet is to look at the ingredient list on packaged foods. If the list is long or includes lots of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, try to stay away from it. Also recognize that there are packages foods that you can buy that are clean like spinach, garbanzo beans and whole wheat pasta!
Two: Bump Up Your Veggies
Vegetables are high in heart-healthy fiber, which helps you feel full. Plus, veggies are low in calories, so you can eat lots of them without damaging your waistline. Fresh vegetables are as clean as they come since they are unprocessed and come straight from the farm (just don’t forget to wash them before you eat them!). Adding more veggies can give you lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients like nothing else can (not even a supplement:)!
Three: Cut Down On Saturated Fats
You don’t have to cut out fats when you’re eating clean; instead just focus on healthy fats. It’s as simple as swapping out saturated fats (like those in butter, cheese and meat) in favor of healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil and the kind found in nuts and fatty fish. These fats are good for your heart and can help raise your good HDL cholesterol, while saturated fats are associated with increased risk of heart disease and should be limited. Some substitutions are nuts instead of cheese on a salad, avocado instead of mayo, low fat or no fat diary products, and peanut butter instead of butter!
Four: Reduce Sugary Drinks & Alcohol
Having a cleaner diet also includes cleaning up what you drink. Eliminate soda! Have alcohol in moderation - stay within the recommended limit—one drink per day for women and two for men (one drink equals 5 ounces wine, 1½ ounces liquor or 12 ounces beer). Also remember that if it's neon colored it is probably not clean!
Five: Cut Down On Sugar
Most people eat too many added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends no more than about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 teaspoons per day for men. This isn't very much considering a can of soda has 6 tsp! Watch for added sugars even in products such as yogurt.
Six: Cut Back On The Sodium
Eating too much salt can increase your blood pressure. Many Americans eat more than the recommended 2,300 mg of sodium per day (that’s about one teaspoon of salt). Just look at a can of Campbells Chicken Noodles and you'll be able to see why we consume way over the amount we should! Don't add salt and try buying low sodium products.
Seven: Choose Whole
Whole grains include more nutrients than refined grains because the bran and germ are not removed. Look for the word “whole” with the first ingredient in breads and pastas. Choose whole grains whenever possible including brown rice, quinoa and oats!
Eight: Go Vegetarian Once A Week & Try Lean Proteins
Eating clean doesn’t mean giving up on meat entirely, but eating less meat can help eliminate extra saturated fat from your diet. A serving of meat is just 3 ounces (the size of a deck of cards). Try going vegetarian once a week also try lean proteins like chicken, legumes, fish, and nuts!
Nine: Up Your Fruits
Fruit has been nicknamed “nature’s candy” for good reason—it’s naturally sweet and delicious. Fruit is also rich in potassium, which can help keep blood pressure in check, and vitamin C, which is important for a healthy immune system. And just like vegetables, fresh fruits are whole, unprocessed foods. Help your sweet cravings by stalking your fridge full of fruits!
Ten: Limit Refined Grains
Cutting out white flour and refined grains is an easy way to eat cleaner. Refined grains—unlike whole grains—are more processed and often stripped of beneficial nutrients like magnesium, selenium and fiber. wheat bread and pasta. Cook with whole wheat flour, use brown rice, quinoa, and oats! Make homemade products like muffins, and granola bars instead of the ones you find refined at the grocery store!
Remember to take it once step at a time to an overall better healthy. It's baby steps and after a while you will be doing a lot better. Just pick a few things you can work on!