Here are our best tips to help you start eating healthierrecipes included.
You may be familiar with the concept of clean eating, but its precise definition might still be unclear.
Some clean-eating plans call for eliminating many food groupscoffee, dairy, grains and more.
We don’t believe in being that restrictive.
it’s crucial that you find a clean-eating style that works for you.
Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Pictured Recipe:Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
1.
Pictured Recipe:Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Squash
2.
Go Whole Grain
The cleanestwhole grainsare the ones that have been processed the least.
Think whole grains that most resemble their just-harvested statelike quinoa, wild rice and oats.
Beware of getting duped by “whole-grain” claims on labels.
To eat clean packaged whole grains, you will need to take a closer look at the ingredients.
The primary ingredient in whole grains should always be whole grains themselves.
The ingredient list should be brief and feature recognizable ingredients, ideally with minimal or no added sugar.
Additionally, look for a yellow postage-like stamp on the package indicating that it is 100% whole grain.
Plus, people who eat more whole grains may more easily lose weight and keep it off long-term.
Pictured Recipe:Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry
3.
Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all suitableprotein sources for a clean vegetarian diet.
Clean eating also means cutting down on processed meats like cold cuts, bacon and sausage.
Nature certainly didn’t intend for chips to be neon orange or for cereal to be candy-colored blue.
Just read the ingredient list.
Our bodies digest processed and unprocessed foods differently.
Pictured Recipe:No-Sugar-Added Oatmeal Cookies
5.
Limit Added Sugar
Most people eat too much added sugar.
The average American gets about four times that amount28 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
To clean up your diet,reduce added sugarsby limiting sweets like soda, candy and baked goods.
They come packed with fiber, protein or fat to help blunt the effect of sugar on insulin levels.
They also deliver nutrients so you’re not just getting empty, sugary calories.
Pictured Recipe:Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
6.
Keep an Eye on Sodium
Like sugar, most of us get far more sodium than we should.
Most of the sodium in our diets comes from processed, prepackaged and prepared foods.
Pictured Recipe:Broccoli & Parmesan Cheese Omelet
7.
Consider the Environment
Clean eating might be better for you and for the planet.
The food we eat takes resources to get to our plates.
