It's getting back to the basics of eating. You buy foods that are in their most natural state possible and cook them or eat them raw. No processed foods - most basically meaning no prepackaged foods or foods with additives. If you don't know what the ingredient is or can't pronounce it, it's likely bad for you. Five ingredients or less is a flexible rule. Lean meats, fruit, veggies, fish, grains, beans, nuts, whole grain/wheat pitas and whole wheat pastas are the bulk of my diet. Also olive oil, garlic, and lots of dried herbs are in there too.
There is actually a newer magazine that was put into publication called "Clean Eating". Their website has a much better breakdown of a definition, foods to avoid, foods to eat, and a few recipes. Try the link above - should take you right to the page I'm talking about.
FYI: You will be cooking frequently and you will be grocery shopping at least once a week.
I'm not gonna kid you all, cooking the food is the biggest pain. It's one of the major hurdles of clean eating. The cooking is fun but always having the time to cook is the hard part. However. . .in my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons:
- It really tastes much more delicious when you cook it on your own
- TONs of fast, simple recipes are out there (including non-cooked ones)
- You know what you're eating
- Hello, healthy self (and weight loss, too!)
- It's truly, really a lifestyle change. Not just another diet.
Be warned, some people get pretty serious. For example, some people won't drink milk or eat pasta. But how serious that they want to be. It's based on their beliefs (which they will usually clarify for you in case you are wondering why someone wouldn't eat pasta). So think about if you believe another animals milk's is unnatural for us to consume, for example, and if you agree with others that it's unnatural/harmful to the body - don't drink it. If you think that belief is extreme, have some milk with your cereal for breakfast. No biggie. It's just a technicality (I use Horizon which is relatively clean).
So, maybe you noticed I mentioned an organic milk? "Does all my food HAVE to be organic?" No. With milk, I personally like to splurge. With fruits and veggies - it just depends on what mood I'm in. I often shop at my local farmers market most Sundays but you can't get everything there (like bananas, which I love). I shop at wherever is convenient for me - which may or may not have organic, and that's okay. Organic is ideal but your prime focus, especially in the beginning, is just to get down picking/preparing healthy foods over unhealthy processed foods.
If you want a complete over hall in your diet immediately, it is not usually recommended. Clean Eating is very laid back with most people. Transition is key. It will keep you from being overwhelmed at first and will allow you to make a true life change in the way you eat if you take it easy. Some people might think they should throw out all the processed foods they have immediately. Simply phasing them out slowly is best. When I started, I had artisan bread in my pantry and ice cream in the freezer. I hate wasting food, though. A friend of mine wanted the bread and I ate the ice cream gradually while transitioning into a cleaner diet.
This leads to another hurdle, when you start finding recipes (try Clean Eating or Cooking Light) you will notice there are many herbs you will use. Having never truly cooked before, my cupboard was nearly bare of herbs. Herbs are expensive. From $3 to $5 for basic herbs and even more for rare items like sapphron. Most of your dishes will only use the basic herbs. If you're just starting to eat clean and have two herbs/spices or less, I would recommend buying the McCormick set. Wish I had known about this set before I had purchased about half of these herbs already. If you can't buy the set, Big Lots has a lot of the basics (parsley, basil) but they aren't the best tasting. I found some pretty decent priced spices at Fresh and Easy. I only buy them as I find a recipe that needs them as it can be an expense. Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, and Cumin are ones I use most frequently. Also, try the Mexican food/herb isle. I got good ground cumin and bay leaves for 50cents each!
Know how I mentioned all the cooking? Better have a basic cookware set. I like this one (cheaper at Bed, Bath and Beyond) - but I have a cheap Wal-mart set from college that is still holding on for the time being. The steamer is a big must have. If you don't need a cooking set, you can invest in a steamer basket or some other little piece to place over or in your pots. Also, better get some decent food storage containers. Gotta put those dried beans and whole grains somewhere. I went to a Home Goods store and purchased some of expensive air tight ones for a VERY good discount price. Try Marshalls, TJ Maxx or some other discount store. Starting to get the picture that it can get a little expensive? It doesn't have to be, though. Lots of grains come in bags that are resealable. I'm sure you could also get mason jars for dirt cheap. For $1 at IKEA you can get an entrie bag full of various sized bag clips to reaseal things. There are always other options.
So that's pretty much the basics - what clean eating is about and things to be prepared for. Still interested? Keep on reading, my friends!
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