What is Clean Eating?
What is Clean Eating and tips for clean eating- | Organic Runner Mom
What does clean eating mean?
Eating trends come and go but eating clean is more than a trend. Clean eating means eating foods that are minimally processed, eating foods that are free of GMO’s, eating organic foods, and foods that have ingredients that are minimally refined. Being married to an organic egg farmer and living in the beautiful New Hampshire countryside has shaped our way of eating. Being involved in organic farming gives us a firsthand view of how food production occurs in this country. We also have the opportunity to grow our own organic vegetable garden (and yes, I am still learning) which enables us to involve our children in the process of growing their own food. We live in a region that is surrounded by farms offering CSA’s and with farm stands that overflow with a rainbow of fresh local vegetables and fruits during the summer and early fall months. We have access to the foods that can keep our bodies healthy and full of energy.
My relationship with food.
I feel lucky to know what I do about the food industry because it helps me to be informed about what we feed our kids and about what we put into our own bodies. And, yes I am not perfect. Clean Eating does not always happen but we try our hardest to eat well and eat clean.
I have always had a healthy relationship with food. My parents fed us a well rounded diet always offering us plenty of fruits and vegetables and a balance of the food pyramid. My parents have always loved to explore the different culinary flavors and my mom was always creating and trying new recipes in the kitchen. Food was a celebration of flavor and nourishment.
When I became an adult venturing out into the real world I began my own kitchen explorations following a model with food that my parents had set before me. I began to familiarize myself with the grocery store, reading labels and became a collector of cookbooks. Having always been an athlete in one form or another food became especially important to me for its role as “fuel.” Food is what gives me the proper nutrition to have energy and endurance, speed and stamina when I am racing. Now that I am a mom I want to provide my children’s growing bodies with nourishment to run and jump, and play, to be exuberant and filled with silly giggles and smiles. I want my children to consume foods that are free from pesticides and antibiotics. I want them to eat clean foods as it is an investment in their health for the future.
Quick Tips for beginning your own clean eating journey.
Here are some things to look for when you fill up your grocery cart the next time you head to the grocery store.
- Look for the USDA Organic Seal. products that are 100% Organic have been certified through a rigorous program from the USDA. All foods that are 100% Organic do not contain GMO’s, antibiotics or pesticides.
- Limit the number of processed foods. Stick to the aisles on the outskirts of the grocery store where you will find fresh produce and more mostly unprocessed foods.
- Read the labels. Chances are if you can’t pronounce the name of the ingredient or have no idea what it is it is processed and less likely to be healthy.
- Watch out for the “All Natural Label.” All natural is a term that is used very loosely within the food industry and is not regulated.
- Don’t fear the cookbook. There is not need to be a master chef in your kitchen. Choose recipes that are simple and that contain whole food ingredients. Cooking from scratch whenever possible will lessen your consumption of processed foods.
I’ve shared a little bit more about how I got started with clean eating and why it is important for your wellness and now I’d love to hear your best clean eating tips. What has been the easiest way for you to clean up your diet?
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23 responses
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it is so unique for all of us huh?
for me it is intuitive eating
mindful eating
listening to my bod and letting it tell me what it needs.
The easiest way to clean eating? Keep it simple! The closer food is to nature the better.
Angela @ happy fit mama recently posted…7 Reasons Why Runners Need Yoga
Great perspective that you can offer! I am a big proponent of eating well and eating close to the ground. I try to stay away from packaging and wrappers as much as possible. I also love to buy locally and seasonally.
misszippy recently posted…Multi-grain hot cereal recipe
Yes to real food. The less ingredients the better! They key is eat like great grandma did. It works!
awesome tips to help someone get started! I stopped buying processed food. If it’s not in the house, it can’t be eaten 🙂
Pragati // Simple Medicine recently posted…Overcoming a Career Setback
I focus on avoiding foods with added sugar within the first three listed ingredients. That gives me a lot of available options but still keeps almost all my food fairly low processed, lower cals, and often forces me to buy organic 🙂
Less ingredients = better for our health! 🙂
Maureen recently posted…Results & Getting My Sh*t Together
I am all about real food! I always feel better when I eat to fuel my body!
Annmarie recently posted…Failure is not Final: Overcoming the DVRT Clean + Press Test
Yes to eating as close as possible to nature. I think we all have our own twist on the definition of CLEAN EATING though.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. The biggest help for me with clean eating is eating local… and in the summer it is so much easier for me to eat clean. 🙂
Rachel recently posted…Yassos with a Jogger and Training Thoughts
great tips! I Really need to work on my nutrition. I’ve been majorly slacking. I like the tip about simple recipes. I sometimes see delicious looking recipes online but never make them because they have 50 ingredients you need and it is so complicated. I’m all about the 30 minute recipe lol
Patty @ Reach Your Peak recently posted…Why You Should Get A Gait Analysis
Great post! For me, clean eating means staying as unprocessed as possible. It’s easier to take in nutrients and stay away from junk when I stick to whole foods.
Filling up our snacks with fruits and veggies instead of processed snack bars!
Kate @KateMovingForward recently posted…5 Ways to Support Your Favorite Blogger
Clean and healthy is the way to go!
Yes to as few ingredients as possible! I aim for most of my grocery cart to be foods I use to make meals, rather than prepackaged or premixed things, but I’ll admit I could still be better at it.
MCM Mama Runs recently posted…TOTR: Weight loss or maintenance during distance training
It’s interesting. None of this is new to me and yet I read it anyway. Old and new, I’m always interested in reading about fitness and nutrition. True story. I started clean eating and never had a migraine again after years of migraines that ended up in the ER.
These are all great tips. I think for a lot of people, clean has different meanings. I try to eat pretty clean and to me that means less pre-packaged things, but I also have to be realistic and sometimes we eat a frozen bag of broccoli instead of a fresh head of it! For me its about balancing what is realistic for our current life situation.
Sara @ lifebetweenthemiles recently posted…Active Life Premium Calf Compression Sleeve {Product Review}
Great tips! I too am FAR from perfect, but I found switching to a vegetarian diet has helped me eat more clean, real foods, because I focus more on what I am eating now!