At its core, clean eating is essentially a determination to eat the healthiest part of all food groups. This means that the diet focuses on eating whole foods such as veggies, whole grains, and fruits. It also encourages you to eat healthy proteins and healthy fats.
Nutrient-rich one-pot meals in your casserole, protein-rich dal, chole, rajma in your hot case and salads/fruits and dips from your hot box, all these are healthy. But a clean diet also requires you to severely reduce consumption of refined products such as, sugar, white bread, ‘instant’ products, preserved food products, etc. You also have to reduce sodium consumption and avoid eating unhealthy fats when it comes to eating clean.
The key to sticking to a clean diet schedule is to make sure you have some good guidelines and know what makes for clean eating. Read on to see the best tips for eating clean.
Tips for Eating Clean
- Stock up on your fruits and veggies
Most people are not getting enough fruits and veggies in their diet. And when they do work on including enough fruits and veggies in their diet it is often the wrong fruits and vegetables i.e. not organic fare. Eating organic is important to avoid eating all of the improper additives like pesticides that can affect your clean eating ambitions.
- Drink water – stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water to make sure you stay hydrated. When your body is dehydrated, it is out of balance and you can’t make the proper decisions for your diet because it can be difficult to interpret your hunger cravings correctly. Water is also key to cleansing and detoxifying the body. So, a smart water bottle at all times by your side is important while you are trying clean eating!
- Eat whole grains
When picking whole grains, it is important to make sure that they are processed as little as possible. This means they should be served in the same state they were harvested in, or at least as close as possible to that state. So, sticking to brown rice instead of white rice is recommended. Millet upma, millet biryani and millet kheer, the brick to make them all taste best is to serve them warm. Eat as soon as you cook these, or make sure you store these in an insulated casserole, one that will retain the warmth and you are all set for a clean meal.
- Eat less meat
This does not mean that you have to become a vegetarian or vegan. You can still eat plenty of meat, just make sure you’re not overdoing it. Try not to eat meat for every meal, and when you do, prioritize fish and lean meats like turkey and chicken. Paneer, soya chunks and even a few other vegetables work great as meat replacement. Make a paneer dish as spicy as your meat dish, or a meal maker biryani, store them in insulated casseroles or hot cases, and make sure you reach out for them when you have a craving to eat meat!
Basically, to eat clean, just make sure you are focusing on making good food choices, the kind that leaves you with a nutritious and balanced diet. Also, it is important that you do not skip meals, and have a wholesome breakfast, lunch and dinner too!