We know what vegetarian, vegan or raw diet is but have you heard of clean eating? It is a philosophy and lifestyle paying attention to foods we consume every day. Traditionally, clean eating or clean diet is defined as simple, healthy eating that does not contain artificial additives or ingredients. This diet usually excludes any products that are processed, contain trans-fats, heavy and saturated fats, added sugar.

It means eating the best and most healthy from each group of products, limiting consumption of unhealthy ones; nevertheless this diet does not count calories or make you skip certain foods completely.

We recommend trying the clean eating to anyone who have thought of changing their dietary habits. We have come up with 7 tips that will help you to start the new dietary lifestyle – clean eating.

Tip #1 – Choose unprocessed products!

The basic concept of clean eating is to choose foods that are as close as possible to their original condition. Therefore, you should prefer any food that is not canned, boxed or packed. Consider buying a whole turkey instead of frozen turkey meatballs, fresh grapes than sweets made from fruit juice.

Benefit: by avoiding heavily processed foods, such as chips, cookies and ready-to-eat meals, you will avoid calories, sugar, salt and saturated fats found in there.

Tip #2 – Eat more wholegrain products!

Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta and white rice, lose their nutrients during processing. Substitute them with wholegrain bread, pasta and brown or wild rice. Or choose other wholegrain products, for example, rolled oats, barley or bulgur.

Although a small step, these changes can make a huge impact: research shows that food containing a fair portion of wholegrain products may reduce the risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.

Tip #3 – Eat more fruits and vegetables!

Fruits and vegetables are the basis of clean eating. However, the opinions differ – some believe that all products must be fresh, while some say that frozen fruits and vegetables are acceptable because they contain almost the same amount of nutrients. In this regard we recommend reading the label to make sure that no additional sugar or salt is added to the frozen produce. Choose whole fruits instead of a juice that has less fibre and more sugar.

Tip #4 – Beware added salt and sugar!

Unprocessed food products naturally contain some salt and sugar. Adding of salt and sugar contradicts the natural product approach. Since the processed foods are the main source of said substances, you can reduce daily intake of salt and sugar if you avoid such products Reading product labels always helps because there you will learn the amount of salt and sugar added. You can find added sweeteners and salt also in food products that seem healthy, for example, yoghurt or tomato sauce (not ketchup). Check also the amount of salt or sugar that you personally add to your meals and drinks. You can flavour up your meals and drinks with natural spices and herbs instead of salt and sugar!

Tip #5 – Avoid artificial colouring!

Artificial colouring, sweeteners, preservatives and other synthetic additives are not compatible with clean eating. Read the package labels while in a shop and avoid those containing artificial substances. Most probably it will be a challenge to find products that are completely free of preservatives therefore select natural preservatives that you are ready to include in your menu!

Tip #6 – Drink plenty of water!

Substitute sugar containing soft drinks and juices with low calorie drinks, for example, water and herbal tea. Water can cut down hunger and make you feel full, and also prevent fatigue and give more energy. If you want a drink with flavour, add a slice of citrus, fresh fruit or peppermint sprig to your drink. Drinking too little water, i.e., dehydration may affect physical and mental state of a person and speed up ageing of entire body. It is vitally important for good functioning of the body.

Tip #7 – Be smart regarding meat and dairy products!

Store bought meat, dairy products and eggs may come from animals fed with growth hormones and antibiotics. Clean eaters avoid them and choose biological products or local sources providing humane animal farming instead. Farmers’ market is a good place to learn about the origin of meat and dairy. Some shops also offer biological produce. Seafood is not labelled as biological therefore look for products with low mercury content and choose companies that use sustainable fisheries. Nuts, beans and pulses make wonderful source of protein.

Live easily!