What is Clean Eating?

Clean eating means different things to different people. I like to define it as eating food as close to their natural state as possible. I used to teach a 6th grade nutrition class, and I had a student once tell me that her mom says "Eat what God gave us, how he gave it to us. Food straight from the dirt is best". I giggled because that pretty much sums it up. I believe we were given this earth to provide for our necessities, and that we were given every food source we need to survive and be healthy. Does that mean that I don't like an order of nice, hot fries to dip in my frosty every once in a while? Of course I do. The trick is to not base your diet on processed foods and foods that are so far from their natural state that the ingredients are unrecognizable.

Clean eating is a "new" fad that has been around for ages. It is easy to wrap your mind around it if you think of how your great, great, great grandparents used to eat. There were no McDonald's and frozen pizzas. There were no "artificial" sweeteners and chemical additives. They grew and raised most of their food. I know that living as your ancestors did is a bit unrealistic, but there are ways that you can get back to the basics with your food. I will share some ideas in another post.

Why Eat Clean?

My Top 5 Reasons to Eat Clean

1. Have you ever seen the pictures floating around the internet that look like this?

This, my friends, is the number one reason why I am attempting to eat more clean and natural. I have seen similar pictures of fast food hamburgers sitting out for 72 weeks (6 years in case you were wondering). The result is the same. If 6 years of nature can't break down the hamburger, it is safe to say that it may be a little taxing on our bodies to do so. This is one example of many, and I am really not trying to scare people into being more healthy. I just ask that you think about what you are putting into you and your children's bodies before you do it.

2. Although there are many vitamins and supplements on the market, you can get all of the nutrients you need from a well balanced diet. Fruits, veggies, grains, proteins and dairy, in their purest forms, have all the nutrition you need. I acknowledge that there are some exceptions, but as a general rule, eating a balanced diet will take care of all your nutrition needs.

3. You feel better when you eat better. I always tell my kids that their bodies are like little cars. Their bodies need the right fuel to run properly. You wouldn't pump mud into a car and expect it to run. The same goes for your body.

4. Eating clean, coupled with exercise, helps you lose weight. No need for fad diets or diet pills.

5. Your skin, along with all other body systems, function better with a clean diet (see reason #3). You will find that your skin will be more radiant, less oily and overall more healthy looking.

Tips for Eating Clean

Disclaimer: I am not a 100% clean eater. It is a family goal to get to that point, but it is a process.

1. Don't be overwhelmed. Like I said in a previous post, clean eating means different things to different people. I have friends who choose to take the vegan approach, some take the vegetarian approach, and some take my approach of just eating things as close to their natural state as possible. As with any major lifestyle change, changing your diet to a clean one is a process. Before you purge your cupboards and freezer and buy up the produce section at the grocery store, sit down with your family and make a plan.

2. If you are not already, make yourself familiar with the Food Guide Pyramid and USDA suggestions. There has been a lot of research on what should constitute a healthy diet. Again, there are different needs for different people based on medical issues and personal beliefs, so use it as a guide. I love the new food guide pyramid, because it incorporates physical activity.

3. I have a good friend who has changed her diet to a hybrid of vegan and vegetarian. When I was talking to her about it, she said that she is approaching the change with the mantra "flexible, not fanatical". She and her husband allow themselves one day a week to eat what they want. The other day, she had Chik-Fil-A. I love her saying, because the second we become fanatical about any task, it suddenly becomes overwhelming and we are faced with a pressure to succeed. Many people buckle under that pressure, or become aggressive with their views.

4. You don't need to break the bank. Some choose to eat organic as well, but we just can't swing that in our budget. Buy produce that is in season, and it will be cheaper. Better yet, plant a garden. My brother and sister in law have the best garden, and are able to eat fresh produce all summer long for a fraction of the cost.

5. Let's face it, packaged food items are a convenience. There is no way I am making my own pasta, or baking my own goldfish crackers (although my sister does). The trick is to look at the ingredient list. Try to buy items with 5 ingredients or less, and make sure that you at least recognize the ingredients. Another trick - make sure that the item is made out of good stuff like whole wheat flour instead of regular, cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, etc.

6. Put a plate of fresh cut fruit and veggies on the table at each meal, or at least at dinner. Fresh produce is easier and healthier than their frozen and canned counterparts. If fresh isn't available, frozen is always better than canned, and canned is always better than nothing at all :)

7. As soon as you get home from the grocery store, clean and cut all veggies(including lettuce for salad). Place in individual Ziploc bags or containers, and place them somewhere you will see them. Keep fruits with fruits and veggies with veggies.

Kid Friendly Clean Eating

We have 4 kids. Their ages ranges from 4 months to 6 years. Our oldest is the world's pickiest eater. She literally gags at the site of bananas. Our two middle boys are great eaters, if they know what they are putting in their mouth. Our daughter hit an age where she wouldn't eat any fruits or veggies except applesauce (loaded with sugar) or canned green beans (loaded with salt). We still gave them to her, because my philosophy is some nutrition is better than none. When she turned 5, we told her that she had to try one new thing a day. We told her that we didn't care if she threw up, she still had to try it. I know...we are mean, but it was the only way we could force her to try new things. Now she will eat raw carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed cauliflower, raw sugar snap peas, corn on the cob, fresh spinach, steamed green beans and mashed potatoes. We still have issues with fruit, but she will eat tiny slices of apples or peaches. My point is that kids are adaptable. It doesn't mean that it will be easy, but if you are serious about changing your diet, your kids will adapt.

Here are some tips that have helped us with our kids:

1. Once every few weeks, have a salad bar for dinner. Cut up a ton of different fruits and veggies, throw some nuts in a bowl, get out the cottage cheese, boil a few eggs and maybe even grill a chicken breast or two. The trick is to put everything in their own separate little bowl. I have found that presentation makes a huge difference with kids. Tell them that they have to pick out 6 different things, with at least 3 being a veggie. My kids love this, because they get to choose what they eat.

2. Offer a variety of healthy snacks in a muffin tin. It is the same idea as the salad bar. Kids gobble up (no pun intended) things that are presented in a fun way.

3. Get them involved with the food prep and cooking. One time I took the kids to an Asian market and bought all the ingredients to make egg rolls. I looked a recipe up online and we went for it. Remember my picky eater? These egg rolls were packed with veggies. I decided that I wanted to make them a little more healthy, so instead of frying them I brushed them with olive oil and put them in the oven. Bad mistake. They were disgusting with a capital D. Jonathan and I were trying to be good examples to the kids, so we gagged one or two down. My daughter, on the other hand, ate 3 of them. She was just so excited that she helped make dinner, that she didn't care how bad they tasted.

4. Keep it simple. The more elaborate I get with my meals, the less likely my kids are to eat them. The adventurous nature of kids doesn't often spill over into their eating habits.

5 Reason People Avoid Healthy Eating

In my experience, these are the top 5 reasons people avoid eating a healthy diet. I should note that to me, a healthy diet and clean eating are synonymous. Please feel free to comment if there are other reasons you avoid it.

1. It is too expensive.

While it is true that a grilled chicken breast from your own backyard is more expensive than a chicken sandwich off the dollar menu, you can still eat a healthy diet on a budget. Follow these simple tips:

*In a previous post I mentioned having a garden. I will devote an entire post to a home vegetable garden at a later date. For now, just know that it is both cost effective and promotes a healthy diet.

* Reduce the amount of meat you eat in a week, and stock up when meat is on sale. You really only need to be eating meat a few times a week. Red meat should really be only eaten once a week, with chicken, pork and fish making up the rest of the diet. Leaner cuts of meat are more expensive, but are much better for you.

*Pay attention to portion size. Americans are out of control on our portion size. I have a Swiss sister in law, and she is continually surprised at how much we pile on our plate. You can reduce your grocery bill by watching your portion size.

*Make a menu and a specific grocery list, and stick to it. This not only helps with your budget, but with your time management.

* Get creative with leftovers. If you grill chicken one night, grill a few extra pieces to throw on a salad the next day.

2. It takes too long to prepare.

Get organized and make as much of the meal as you can ahead of time. Washing and cutting veggies as soon as you bring them home, makes the dinner prep go a lot quicker.

3. It tastes bad.

There are many ways to flavor food without adding a ton of salt or fat. Experiment with seasonings and different methods of cooking. It may be a matter of adapting to the new tastes.

4. I'm still hungry when I'm done eating.

Eat snacks in between meals that are high in protein. A handful of nuts, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese and tomatoes or greek yogurt are all great sources of protein.

5. I don't know where to start.

Baby steps. If you are a huge fan of pizza, maybe make it homemade with lots of veggies instead of buying the frozen kind from the store. If you love soda, start weening yourself off of it and increase your water intake instead. Once you run out of something that is loaded with preservatives, just don't buy it again. Think of a clean eating alternative.