Clean Eating 101

Since clean eating is so beneficial, what foods are clean and how are they prepared? Great questions! Here are the larger groups of foods that are optimal nutrition for your body:

• Vegetables: These are power packed foods that have wonderful health benefits. Vegetables are low in calories (one cup raw vegetables or one-half cup cooked vegetables has about 25 calories), rich in vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, quick to prepare, and come in a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors. Choose leafy greens (spinach, dark lettuce, cabbage, kale, mixed greens, chard, collards), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes (technically a fruit but found in the veggie section of the grocery store), red, green and yellow peppers, sweet potatoes, green beans, beets, celery, pea pods, yellow squash, zucchini, and asparagus. Combine raw vegetables in a salad mixture. Look for other vegetable options at your local farmers market or in the produce section of the grocery store.
  
• Fruit: These are sweet foods, filled with fiber, loaded with nutrients, easy to eat and prepare, and are portable. Choose apples, oranges, bananas, berries of all varieties, mango, plums, peaches, cherries, pineapple, grapefruit, apricots, kiwi, melons, and papaya. Make a snack from one piece of fruit or combine chopped fruit for a filling fruit salad.
  
• Protein: Lean protein sources help the body to rebuild and repair, provide necessary amino acids for proper body function, and are rich in healthful fatty acids. Lean protein sources contain very little artery clogging saturated fat. Choose chicken and turkey breast, salmon, tuna, and other white, solid fish. Other non-meat protein sources include egg whites, legumes (starchy beans), nuts, skimmed milk, non-fat yogurt, soy-based milk, and textured vegetable proteins.
  
• Whole Grains: These are fiber-filled, blood sugar stabilizing carbohydrates that keep the body functioning properly. Whole grains have limited processing and are as close as possible to the original plant grain. Options include oatmeal, wheat berries, barley, brown rice, and millet. Check out your local health food store for other options of whole grains.
  
• Healthy Fats: These fats are ones that provide essential fatty acids, are unsaturated (do not clog arteries), and provide fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. The body needs a small amount of fat for proper functioning. Choose small portions of fats from nuts, olive oil, avocados, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

To healthfully prepare this bounty of clean foods—for optimal flavor and nutrition—stick to the following methods of cooking: Steam, Grill, Poach, Bake, and Broil.
Of course, you can always choose to eat the fruits and vegetables in their most natural state—raw.
While this type of eating may be foreign to you, try just one day of clean eating and see how you feel. If one day seems too much, try it just one clean food meal. Combine foods from each of these groups for your meals and snacks and see how healthy and vibrant you will feel.
Clean eating relies on food sources as God created them—fresh, whole and uncomplicated by chemicals, processing, and preservatives.