In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleFruits & VeggiesWhole GrainsEat Less MeatLimit Processed FoodsLimit Added SugarEat Less SodiumConsider the Environment
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Fruits & Veggies
Whole Grains
Eat Less Meat
Limit Processed Foods
Limit Added Sugar
Eat Less Sodium
Consider the Environment
You may be familiar with the concept of clean eating, but its precise definition might still be unclear. For us, clean eating involves prioritizing the consumption of the healthiest choices within each food category while minimizing intake of less nutritious options. This entails emphasizing whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and beneficial fats while reducing consumption ofrefined grains, additives, preservatives, unhealthy fats,excessive added sugarsand salt. It also involves steering clear of heavily processed foods containing ingredients that may be challenging to pronounce without assistance from a laboratory technician.
Some clean-eating plans call for eliminating many food groups—coffee, dairy, grains and more. We don’t believe in being that restrictive. Not only will you take away some of the enjoyment of eating, but there isn’t much science to back up any benefits. You need to find a clean-eating style that works for you.
If you only take a few steps toward eating cleaner—cutting back on highly processed foods that cause inflammation, for example, or eating more fruits and veggies—it can still make an impact on your health.
Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Pictured Recipe:Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
1. Load up on Fruits and Vegetables
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, most of us aren’t getting enough. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 10% of Americans eat the recommended number of servings of vegetables and fruits daily. A study published in 2021 inCirculationstates that increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables can greatly decrease your chances of developing chronic diseases. Consuming at least five servings of fruits or vegetables daily can lower the risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer.
Thefiber in whole producealso helps keep your microbiome—the collection of good bacteria that live in your gut—happy, which can reduce your risk for autoimmune diseases, fight off pathogens and infections and even improve your mood.
Choose organic produce when you can, focusing on buying organic foods from theEnvironmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen listand cutting yourself some slack with theClean Fifteen foods list.
Don’t Miss:Clean-Eating Recipes
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 look most like their just-harvested state—like quinoa, wild rice and oats. While some people abstain from eating any processed grains, we believe that whole-wheat pasta and whole-grain bread made with simple ingredients are also part of eating clean. Because let’s face it—sometimes you just need a hearty slice of avocado toast or a bowl of pasta.
Pictured Recipe:Mushroom & Tofu Stir-Fry
3. Eat Less Meat
Veganism isn’t a requirement for clean eating, though—just eating less meat can help reduce your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease and help keep your weight in check. Plus, eating more plants helps bump up the fiber,healthy fatsand vitamins and minerals in your diet.Some people worry about getting enough protein when cutting down on meat. But it’s pretty easy to get the recommended daily 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight—approximately 56 g daily for men and 46 g daily for women—even on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all suitableprotein sources for a clean, vegetarian diet. Choose dairy with no added sugar and simple ingredients.When you do eat meat, choose options that haven’t been pumped with antibiotics and even better if they’ve lived and eaten as they would in the wild (think: grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon). Clean eating also means cutting down on processed meats like cold cuts, bacon and sausage.
4. Watch Out for Processed Foods
Our bodies digest processed and unprocessed foods differently. In the case of white bread versus whole-wheat bread, the machine has already started to process the white bread for you—stripping away the bran and germ—leaving your body with less work to do. Limiting packaged foods can alsoreduce your exposure to BPA—found in some canned foods—and other chemicals found in plastics.
I’m a Dietitian, and These Are the Processed and Ultra-Processed Foods I Eat Every Day
Pictured Recipe:No-Sugar-Added Oatmeal Cookies
5. Limit Added Sugar
Most people eat too much added sugar. TheAmerican Heart Associationrecommends no more than about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 teaspoons per day for men. The average American gets about four times that amount—28 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
Pictured Recipe:Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
6. Keep an Eye on Sodium
Like sugar,most of us get far more sodiumthan we should. TheAmerican Heart Associationrecommends capping sodium at 2,300 milligrams daily—about 1 teaspoon of salt—with an ideal limit of fewer than 1,500 mg—especially if you’re over age 50, of African American descent or have high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes.
Most of the sodium in our diets comes from processed, prepackaged and prepared foods. Cutting back on these foods will help you reduce your salt intake, as most packaged foods contain more sodium than homemade versions.To help minimize salt while you cook, flavor your food with herbs and spices, citrus and vinegar. Clean-eating recipes can still use salt, which is essential for bringing out the flavor of foods, but use it smartly and sparingly. Coarsesea saltorkosher saltcan add punch when sprinkled on dishes at the end of cooking, and teaspoon for teaspoon, they contain less sodium than table salt.
Pictured Recipe:Broccoli & Parmesan Cheese Omelet
7. Consider the Environment
Clean eating might be better for you and the planet. The food we eat takes resources to get to our plates. According to theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, with the meat industry accounting for much of it. Although great strides have been made and continue to be made in this area, it takes a lot of resources to raise and feed an animal, and the methane released from digestion and manure makes that carbon footprint even bigger—especially for cows, goats and sheep—according to a 2020 study published in theJournal of Animal Science.Produce production can also take a toll, with certain types of herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers impacting water and soil quality. Eating clean comes in because going veg-heavy and light on meat may help preserve the earth’s resources, especially if you’re choosing organic produce.
It is estimated that a vegetarian diet requires three times less water and 2.5 times less energy to produce than a meat-heavy diet, per a 2021 review in theInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Shifting from a meat-forward style of eating to a plant-based style may also slash greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2022 study published in theJournal of Cleaner Production.
Choosing organic or grass-fed meat and purchasing sustainably caught or farmed seafood makes your proteins a more environmentally sound choice. If it fits your budget, fruits and vegetables can be purchased organic, as well as local and in-season to help cut down on their carbon footprint.
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