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What does it really mean to eat clean?

January 24, 2025
5 minutes
Healthy Eating
Dietary trends

If you're ready to begin a healthy eating journey, congratulations! You've likely heard of the term "clean eating," and may be excited about the idea of "cleaning up" your diet. That being said, the idea of clean eating can feel a bit ambiguous, and it's normal to have some questions about what foods fit into a clean eating plan and what foods are better left on the shelves of the grocery store. Clean eating is all about returning to the basics—eating fresh, minimally processed foods that support your well-being.

Here, we'll dive into the definition of clean eating, explore misconceptions surrounding the concept, go over the facts you should keep in mind while reading food labels while you're working to eat clean, and explain how Evidation can support you as you begin the process of cleaning up your diet. Grab your favorite unprocessed snack, and let's go!

What is clean eating?

Clean eating isn't just a trend—it's a lifestyle that centers on enjoying whole, nutrient-dense foods that fuel your body while supporting an overall sense of healthy well-being. Today's nutritional world is packed with processed and packaged ingredients, and it can be easy to get stuck in a rut of enjoying convenience items that our ancestors wouldn't recognize as food.

The main tenets of clean eating include:

  • Focus on whole, unprocessed foods: Prioritize fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, and seeds whenever possible.
  • Minimize added sugars and refined ingredients: Limit or eliminate refined sugars, flours, unhealthy fats, artificial additives, and preservatives.
  • Choose high-quality ingredients: When you can, choose organic, seasonal, locally sourced foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and support sustainable farming practices.
  • Stay hydrated with clean beverages: Drink plenty of water and herbal teas, while avoiding sugary drinks, soda, and alcohol. Depending on your needs, you may choose to stay away from coffee and/or caffeinated teas.

Adopting a clean eating lifestyle can help you return to foods that support healthy energy levels, healthy digestion, and mental clarity. If you're working to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, you may find that a clean eating lifestyle allows both the flexibility that you need to enjoy life and the structure necessary to make progress.

Misconceptions about clean eating

As with any nutrition plan, it's important to explore the myths and facts that surround clean eating. Let's explore some of the most common misconceptions around the clean eating lifestyle.

Myth: If you're eating clean, you're getting all the nutrients you need.

Fact: Even if you're eating whole, unprocessed foods, it's still important to strive for balance to ensure that your nutritional needs are met.

When you're eating whole foods, it's still important to ensure that you're getting plenty of variance in your diet to ensure that your nutritional needs are met. Using a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal can help you stay on top of your nutritional needs as you adjust to a new eating style.

Myth: Clean eating is expensive.

Fact: Eating seasonally, staying away from processed foods, and creating meals at home can make clean eating a cost-effective way to improve your wellness.

Yes, it can be expensive to shop at health food stores, especially if you're stocking up on pre-packaged clean eating meals. If you take the time to prepare your food at home, however, you may find that clean eating is less expensive than standard grocery shopping. Purchasing whole grains in bulk, shopping for seasonal fruits and veggies, and creating a meal prep schedule can help you save time and money as you improve your health.

Myth: There is no leeway for special occasions or favorite foods in a clean eating lifestyle.

Fact: Nutrition plans only work if you're willing to stick to them. It's OK to go off-plan on occasion if it helps you stick with your overall goal of clean eating.

Clean eating doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing nutrition style. For example, you might eat clean 90% of the time, while leaving room for a once-a-month night out to eat at your favorite restaurant. There's nothing wrong with taking this approach, and leaving room to enjoy your favorite off-plan foods can make it easier to stick to your clean eating lifestyle.

Reading labels and eating clean

When you start your clean eating journey, you might feel overwhelmed when you're standing in the aisle of a grocery store, trying to figure out what should go into your cart and what should stay on the shelf. Reading labels is a key component of any successful clean eating plan, and it's important to know what to look for before you stock your fridge, counter, and pantry with clean eating options.

Keep these guidelines in mind as you're reading the ingredients for potential additions to your grocery cart:

  • Ingredients are listed on food labels in order of total weight, from most to least. If sugar is one of the first three ingredients on the list, it's probably not a great pick if you're trying to eat clean. Sugar can go by many names on ingredient lists—keep an eye out for brown sugar, corn syrup, anything ending in -ose (like fructose, glucose, sucrose), cane sugar, and invert sugar.
  • Choose foods with ingredient lists that are easy to understand. If there's an ingredient you can't pronounce, or that you wouldn't be able to purchase for home use, the product probably isn't a great fit.
  • Keep an eye out for fillers, additives, and gums, including guar gum, food coloring, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sorbitol, and xylitol. Avoid these ingredients when possible, as they're indicative of high levels of processing that can negatively affect a food's nutritional value.
  • Pay attention to the sodium content of your grocery items. While a little bit of salt can add flavor and is unlikely to have any ill effects on your health, too much salt can be dangerous. If you have certain health conditions (like heart disease), your doctor may recommend keeping your daily sodium intake below a certain level.

An important note: it's a good idea to chat with your healthcare provider when you're working to improve your diet, as they may be able to offer suggestions specific to your needs. If your doctor recommends that you cut out gluten, lower your sodium intake, or eliminate certain types of produce (like nightshades), you'll be able to make clean eating decisions that are the right fit for your needs.

At Evidation, we're here to help you feel your best, one healthy decision at a time

Whether you're just getting started with eating clean or you've been working on eating nutrient-dense, whole foods for years, Evidation is here to support you through every step of your health journey. With your permission, we analyze the health data you're already tracking to find overarching themes, allowing us to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that can help you notice patterns and make changes that help you feel your best. We're excited to support you and can't wait to watch you succeed as you work toward your health goals. Click here today to learn more about how Evidation works and download our free app today.

Dietary trends
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