The Best Clean Eating Recipes From My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

What foods are best for clean eating? ›

The more veggies — and the greater the variety — the better. Potatoes and French fries don't count. Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats. Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice).

But it's pretty easy to get the recommended daily 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight—approximately 56 g daily for men and 46 g daily for women—even on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all suitable protein sources for a clean, vegetarian diet.

For those who can tolerate dairy, cheeses can be a healthy and nutritious source of proteins and healthy fats if consumed in moderation. Cheese is allowed in the clean eating meal plan, but with an asterisk. Processed cheese slices or other packaged foods that contain cheese should be avoided.

Eating cleaner means limiting processed foods like bologna, salami, pepperoni and hot dogs. These—and other processed meat products—are usually high in sodium and may contain artificial colors as well as preservatives. Choosing environmentally sustainable protein when possible can help you with clean eating, too.

Jif and Skippy peanut butter can both fit into a balanced diet. Like other brands, these peanut butters are a good source of protein, fat, and fiber. However, when possible, it's best to opt for peanut butter varieties that contain fewer ingredients and are free of added sugar.

The article says that choosing oatmeal instead of white bread or eggs was linked to a lower risk of stroke. Choosing oatmeal instead of yogurt didn't have an effect on stroke risk. On the other hand, a study published in Nutrients found that eggs had a benefit over oatmeal.

As a processed meat, bacon is not what most experts would consider a health food. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared bacon and other processed meats class one carcinogens, a category of substances known to cause cancer that also includes cigarettes and asbestos.

The Bottom Line. It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day. While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

When eaten in moderation, pasta can be part of a healthy diet. Whole-grain pasta may be a better choice for many, as it is lower in calories and carbs but higher in fiber and nutrients. However, in addition to the type of pasta you pick, what you top it with is just as important.

Can you lose weight just by clean eating? ›

Others adopt a “clean eating” lifestyle because they want to lose weight and body fat. And some even turn to clean eating to gain weight and lean muscle. While eating this way can and does produce weight loss for many people, it doesn't happen that way for everyone.

Clean foods fill your body with plentiful vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein and healthy fats, which improve heart and brain health, assist with weight management, build a stronger immune system and increase energy levels, among other benefits.

This elimination challenges you to eliminate certain items from your diet for 10 days: sugar, artificial sweeteners, alcohol and processed grains. Eliminating these things will help break your bad habits, crush your cravings, reduce bloating, improve mood and increase energy.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, radish and collard greens contain unique compounds that can help support your body's ability to detox. They also contain phytonutrients (plant-based compounds) which can work together to help promote good health.