I really love cooking but it took me quite some time to find the right type of foods for my body. Of course I wanted to make meals that are both healthy and tasty but I also have quite a few food allergies and an intolerance to caffein and cow milk which made my search even harder.
Clean eating to the rescue
After trying out the Paleo diet, raw foods, keto, switching to vegetarian meals and a whole bunch of other diets I felt a bit lost. Some of these eating plans made me feel a little bit better while others didn’t do me any good but none of them felt 100% right for me and my body.
At that moment I was about to give up my search but a few days later I accidentally stumbled upon an article about clean eating. I was intrigued so I decided to give it a go and I can honestly say that I’m very happy with the results and how it makes me feel.
What is clean eating?
To keep it short and simple:
clean eating = eating more whole foods and less processed foods
So that means embracing whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins and healthy fats while cutting back on refined grains, additives, preservatives, unhealthy fats and large amounts of added sugar and salt and avoiding alcohol and highly refined foods with ingredients that only a lab technician can pronounce.
Some clean eating styles suggest that you completely eliminate certain foods groups such as coffee, dairy or grains but I didn’t go that far. Of course coffee and dairy that contains cow milk are a no-go for me due to my intolerance for caffein and cow milk but I still enjoy eating whole grains. But that’s just me: everyone reacts differently to food so you have to find a clean eating style that works for you. For instance, I really like the Italian cuisine so a lot of my clean eating meals are actually Italian recipes that are made of clean eating ingredients. I also prefer buying organic foods but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to. And I didn’t cut added sugar entirely out either but I did decide to make my own sweets and bakery goods. That way I can decide for myself how much sugar, salt and butter I use. And trust me: they taste as good as their store-bought cousins but with 60 to 70 % less sugar and no preservatives or artificial flavors/colors.
Some tips to get you started
Tip 1: Load up on fruits and vegetables
Eating more fruits and vegetables might sound like a challenge but it’s actually easier than you might think. For instance, I eat a big bowl of homemade vegetable soup every day and I use 2 or 3 different kinds of vegetables instead of just one when I’m cooking dinner.
Tip 2: Go whole grain
Quinoa, wild rice, oats, whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain (homemade) bread that is made with simple ingredients is an excellent choice when you want to go whole grain. But be careful when you buy whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread: you can’t just trust the label on the package – you really need to take a close look at the ingredients. Whole grains should always be listed as the first ingredient and there shouldn’t be any sugar added. Products with long ingredient lists or with ingredients that you can barely recognize or pronounce are definitely a no-go.
Tip 3: Watch out for processed foods
Did you notice how I didn’t say cut out all processed foods? That’s because chopping, mixing and cooking are also ways to process food and there is nothing wrong with those. Processed foods are only a problem when they’re processed beyond the point of recognition. Like blue-colored candy or foods with super long ingredient lists that contain artificial colors, preservatives, sweeteners and other manmade ingredients.
Tip 4: Reduce added sugars
Once you start reading ingredient lists, you’ll be amazed how much sugar you actually eat. Everyone knows there is a lot of sugar in candy, soda and cookies but did you know they even add sugar to things like ketchup, canned vegetables, ready-to-eat meals and yogurt?
A clean eating shopping list
In case you’re now wondering what to put in your cupboards, fridge and freezer: here is an overview of all the foods you can choose from.
Fresh fruit
Canned fruit with no added sugar
Frozen fruit with no added sugar
Dried fruit with no added sugar
100% fruit juice
Fresh vegetables
Canned vegetables with no sauce or added sugar
Frozen vegetables with no sauce or added sugar
Single-ingredient grains such as quinoa, brown rice, millet, oats, bulgur, barley etc..
Whole-wheat pasta
Lentils
Popcorn kernels that you can pop on the stove or in an air popper
Unsweetened soy, coconut and almond milk
Plain yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt
Plain milk
Single-ingredient meat such as chicken breast or ground beef
Wild salmon
Virgin olive oil
Eggs
Unflavored nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts or walnuts
Plain nut butters with no added sugar
Dried beans
Canned beans
Herbs and spices
Unsweetened tea
Unsweetened coffee
Water
I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try so if you’re a clean eater: please share your favorite meal recipe in the comments below!
©HolisticHappiness2023
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