Today we are going to talk about How to Spot Clean Foods
Understanding what to eat for a clean eating approach means also knowing what not to eat.
What to Look Out For
if you are considering purchasing a particular food, a clue is if it is a box, bag, or the freezer section.
Not all convenience foods are forbidden, but if you are going to buy them, read the label carefully. Whichever food is mentioned first on an ingredients list is the main ingredient. This means you definitely would like to see vegetables and fruits at the beginning of an ingredient list on a food label or something with protein in it, rather than a lot of sugar or salt, for example.
You also want to be aware of words like starch, flavoring and words that end in -ose. These are signs that reveal a highly processed food product. For the most part, you want to focus on purchasing those foods which have very short ingredient lists.
Foods with Just 1 Ingredient Are the Best
An apple has just 1 ingredient … apple! The same for cauliflower, beans, and whole grains like oats and buckwheat, or brown rice.
Unprocessed foods with only 1 ingredient are whole foods at their finest. They are the cornerstone of a clean-eating nutrition plan. If the food you’re considering buying has more than 5 ingredients, and ones you can’t pronounce, it is probably best to avoid it.
This leaves you with delicious choices like frozen fruit, low-fat dairy milk, unprocessed chicken, beef and seafood. You can eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.
Now that you know what to eat and what not to eat, it’s easier to make smart food choices. In your next lesson, you will discover why what you drink is as important as what you eat if you want to benefit from a clean eating plan.
