Everywhere you read and hear Clean Eating. But what is it actually? Why is the hashtag on Instagram remains so and how does this diet method work? We have the answers!
The term Clean Eating is being used a lot as a hashtag on Instagram right now. Pictures with Clean Eating recipes are simply everywhere. We set out to track down the trend.
#CleanEating - what is that again? At least that's what I asked myself in the beginning. Now I've started adding recipes to my diet plan. The whole thing is not that complicated. But first, nice and slow and from the beginning.
Table of contents
What is Clean Eating?
Clean eating is currently a much-used term when it comes to nutrition. You read and hear about it everywhere. For us Europeans, the term sounds new and is all the rage on social networks. However, this dietary method has been around in America for over 20 years. So it's not a new invention.
Actually, Clean Eating came up at the same time as the organic movement. In German-speaking countries at that time it was simply not yet called Clean Eating, mostly the term for it was "healthy whole food". So: Nothing new - just a new name :)
This approach is about the purity of food. The food should not contain any artificial additives and also no sugar and extracted flours. All natural and unprocessed foods, such as vegetables, fish, whole grains and fruit, are considered pure. Fast food and the like do not fall into this category.
So Clean Eating is anything but exclusively fruit, fruit and fruit again :)
Pancakes can also be Clean Eating, provided you make them yourself and don't buy a ready-made mix. You can find a great recipe a few lines below.
What is important in Clean Eating?
With Clean Eating, you should make sure that you eliminate from your diet any ready-made products that you may have used in the past. This means no ready-made sauces, soups, vegetable broths, etc.
Many foods we use can be made by ourselves, we're just not used to it anymore. And sometimes - admittedly - too lazy. Because dissolving a soup powder in water is, of course, faster than cutting herbs, peeling carrots and seasoning them ourselves.
Clean Eating is even more fun when you keep in mind that you are really doing something good for your body with Clean Eating.
When you treat yourself to quality meals, your body can function much better. You will clearly see the new attitude towards food. You'll notice it in your hair, cleaner skin, or even your performance.
What do you get out of Clean Eating?
Clean Eating is certainly a method worth recommending, as it focuses on high-quality and fresh food. The effort is a bit more complicated for working people - but it's worth it. To make sure you eat enough and balanced, you have to plan a lot and cook yourself.
My tip for you: Try the 80/20 rule. At 80% you stick to Clean Eating and at 20% you do not. Even with this method you can eat healthy and nutritious.
Through Clean Eating you can reduce excess weight and keep blood sugar levels stable. It can also increase your well-being. While at the beginning you still think a lot about what is OK and what is not, you quickly get used to the change.
Are there also snacks for this nutritional concept?
Yes, snacking is allowed and there are plenty of snacks that you can take for in between.
Some snack examples:
- Low fat cottage cheese with berries
- Trail mix and an apple or pear
- Hummus with tomatoes, carrot sticks and cucumber
- Scrambled eggs (but only the egg whites) with tomatoes
- Nature reism with a waffle or a banana
The 6 most important Clean Eating rules
We have compiled the most important Clean Eating rules for you, so that you feel a little easier with the nutrition concept:
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Choose fresh and natural foods
Resort to foods that are as fresh as possible. Anything that has not been deformed by industry is fine. :)
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Do not use convenience foods or highly processed foods
If you want to do Clean Eating, then you should also not eat foods that are sold in a bag or can.
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If you use ready-made products, they should be organic
If you want to use a ready-made product, then get this in the organic store. Still, check the ingredients list to make sure there are no unwanted additives.
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Always read the ingredients list
No matter what you buy - look at the ingredients. Many products contain additives, preservatives and other substances that you don't really want to consume.
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It is best to look for substitute products
Clean eating doesn't mean you stop eating a lot of the foods you've been using. You're just looking for quality foods that are healthier than what you've been eating now. For example, you could Coconut blossom sugar* Use instead of household sugar.
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Make your own food
Just try to make the food you bought as a ready-made product yourself. It's easier than you think. Besides, you will notice big differences in taste.
Which foods are allowed and which are not?
We have picked out some foods and explain when and if you can reach for them. You will see that the nutrition concept is much easier to implement than you think.
1. alcohol
Alcohol, sweet sodas and ready-made juices are taboo in Clean Eating. It's best to drink 2 liters of water a day and squeeze your own fruit juices. You'll see, it's very easy.
More about drinking water here: "15 Reasons Why You Should Drink More Water."
2. artificial sweeteners
In Clean Eating, you should avoid the artificial sweetener aspartame. When metabolized, it becomes a neurotransmitter. It can therefore pass the blood-brain barrier and cause damage under certain circumstances.
Headaches, diarrhea, chronic fatigue and allergies are associated with the artificial sweetener. However, science is not yet really clear about the effects of aspartame.
One thing is certain: It is an artificial sweetener. And artificial does not belong on the menu of Clean Eating fans.
3. protein and carbohydrates
In Clean Eating, a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates is ideal. This way you can keep your energy level stable and you stay full longer.
4. seasonal fruits and vegetables
But also avoid products that have traveled long distances. Try to get hold of seasonal fruits and vegetables at the market. Strawberries in winter have just as long a journey behind them as pears in spring. Hands off. Seasonal vegetables and fruits taste much better. Best homegrown :)
5. additives are taboo
Flavorings, colorings and preservatives are prohibited in Clean Eating. These non-natural ingredients are not created for processing in the body, even the formation of fat cells can be stimulated.
6. reduce your need for salt
A high salt consumption leads to a burden on the kidneys and also to water retention. In order to relieve your organs, it is better if you season your food only with a little salt. By avoiding chips, convenience foods, etc., your daily salt intake is naturally already reduced.
7. vegetable fats
Unsaturated vegetable fats such as flax, rapeseed or olive oil, but also salmon and avocados are super helpers in various metabolic processes in the body, but they also keep the cell walls flexible. You should avoid saturated fats, such as those found in sausage, cheese or sweet baked goods.
8. refined sugar
Most ready-made products contain sugar. Often, people are simply unaware of certain sugar traps - such as ready-made salad dressings. If you want to sweeten dishes, use stevia, honey or Agave syrup*.
9. breakfast
The most important thing in this nutritional concept is that you eat a full breakfast. During the night, your energy stores are emptied, so you should replenish your stores in the morning.
Are you a true breakfast fan? Then you've come to the right place: Healthy breakfast: 19 quick recipes
10. several meals
Another tip for this concept is that you eat 6 small meals. This way you can prevent cravings. You can also skip meals when you are not hungry.
My Favorite Clean Eating Recipes
For in between: Pineapple Spinach Smoothie
A really delicious drink is the pineapple spinach smoothie. The quantities are enough for 2 people.
For this you need:
- 1 banana
- 2 dates or dried figs
- 1 TSP Coconut oil*
- 500 ml coconut water
- 1 TBSP. Chia seeds*
- 1/2 pineapple (peeled)
Here's how: You put all the ingredients in a blender and blend well. That's it :)
For breakfast: gluten free pancakes
You will need:
- 2 eggs
- 200 ml almond milk
- 1 TSP Baking powder*
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 150 g buckwheat flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 mashed banana
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 TSP Coconut oil* for frying
Here's how it works:
First, mix all the ingredients. Now you put best in a Teflon pan 1 tsp. Coconut oil* and let it get hot. Pour the batter into the pan over a medium heat and bake each side for approx. 1 minute.
Now you can remove the pancakes from the pan and enjoy them with your favorite fruits.
For lunch: Quinoa salad
What you need:
- 300 ml strained tomatoes
- 150 g quinoa
- 300 ml vegetable broth
- One TL Coconut oil*
- 1 small red onion
- one clove of garlic
- 1/2 zucchini
- 1 red bell bell pepper
Here's how:
First, peel the onion and garlic and chop them finely. Then fry them in a frying pan with the onion and garlic. Coconut oil* to.
Wash the quinoa while it is hot and add it to the other ingredients in the pan, then deglaze everything with the vegetable broth and add the strained tomatoes, bell bell pepper and zucchini.
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the liquid is gone and the quinoa is cooked through.
Now season the salad to your taste with a little pepper, salt, turmeric, chili and cumin.
Our conclusion:
As you can see, Clean Eating is not as complicated as you might think. In the end, it's about becoming aware again of what we do to our bodies with convenience foods. And that is really anything but good.
Have you already had experience with Clean Eating? We are looking forward to your report :)
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