In the processed world we live in, it can be challenging to eat a clean and healthy diet. Clean eating is a great way to help you maintain your weight or lose weight and feel great! I hear a lot of excuses about why some people aren’t willing to even try. So today, I’m going to share 5 tips that can help you succeed at clean eating.
1. Understanding what clean eating means. There are many definitions about what clean eating really is but don’t get too caught up in some of the stricter definitions. A good general rule is to eat as close to nature as possible. That doesn’t mean that you can only eat fruits and vegetables – just understand where your food comes from and try to make it as minimally processed as possible. For a more detailed look at how I interpret clean eating, read this article.
2. Abide by the 80/20 rule. Like I said in this article, clean eating isn’t an all or nothing way of life. Eating clean most of the time will give you all the benefits of healthy food, but allowing yourself a little leeway helps you avoid feeling deprived. It’s all about a healthy balance.
3. Try new recipes. As you begin substituting clean foods for some processed foods, try experimenting with new recipes. You may not be familiar with some foods and hesitant to try them but you may find a food that you love. For me, that was quinoa – it sounded really odd but once I tried it, I loved it and eat it regularly now. I still don’t care for eggplant but that’s no big deal since I have found plenty of other foods that I love. If you find it challenging to get your family to try new foods, get sneaky and add it to foods they’ll never taste it in – like these quinoa brownies.
4. Plan your meals. I know this is nothing new but it’s good advice and bears repeating. Planning your meals takes the decision-making out of the week when you might be tempted to call for pizza. Planning ahead allows you to have everything on hand to make healthy and delicious meals.
5. Grocery shop at an appropriate level of hunger. I’m sure you’ve heard that you never want to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. The opposite is true also – never go shopping after you’ve eaten a huge meal and are stuffed. While shopping when you are hungry could result in buying too much food (and unhealthy food), shopping when you can’t look at another bite could result in not getting enough food for the week. It’s nice to save that grocery money at the time but it usually results in extra expense during the week when you either go out to eat or have to go to the store again.
What do you find most challenging about clean eating? Tell me about it in the comments below! And be sure to check out my clean eating recipes!
Breanna says
July 28, 2015 at 7:43 amThese are awesome tips! 🙂 I love the 80/20 tip you suggested. So true, and so helpful!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
July 28, 2015 at 8:54 amPlanning is a challenge for us. I’m getting better at cooking things to keep in the fridge like roasted sweet potatoes and wild rice. It’s so much easier to eat clean when the food is already made.
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Jaclyn Kent says
July 28, 2015 at 10:03 amWe have been planning our meals AND trying new recipes! We just started Hello Fresh for a little bit (they send new recipes with organic/fresh ingredients to your door!) and we’ve loved it so far!
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Chubskulit Rose says
July 28, 2015 at 12:28 pmThese are all important pointers. I strongly agree with number 5. Whenyou are hungry, chances are you are in a rush to just grab whatever.
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Ella Pichardo says
July 28, 2015 at 1:42 pmSigh* it is actually one of my yearly struggles. I try to eat as clean as i can so i can stay on my ideal weight, but it seems i can’t handle it pretty well.
Perhaps doing the right grocery shopping will help me more, and finding new recips as well!
Great post!
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Jasmine Eclipse says
July 28, 2015 at 1:44 pmI’ve been looking for a post like this! I recently started a tea detox, and I’ve been eating healthier and much more clean. However, it is hard to stay on track and find meals/recipes that are tasty, healthy and affordable. Meal planning is a HUGE thing! I know I need to start meal prepping, because it will really help with the grocery shopping as well. Plus, it helps to have a menu for the week to help stay on track. Your tips are great, I’m definitely going to benefit from this post. Thanks!
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Ana De- Jesus says
July 28, 2015 at 3:47 pmClean eating is so much more beneficial in the long run too and really does improve your wellbeing x
Liz Mays says
July 28, 2015 at 3:49 pmThis is really helpful. I probably eat a lot more processed foods than I should. I’d like to eat fresher.
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Susan Quackenbush says
July 28, 2015 at 4:32 pmMy favorite tip is to grocery shop at an appropriate level of hunger. Great article!
Jeannette says
July 28, 2015 at 5:46 pmPlanning is where I really struggle. I always get home and don’t have the foods I want so I end up just eating whatever is there. I need to do better at that.
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Michelle says
July 28, 2015 at 6:12 pmGreat tips! This is something we are working on here too.
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Adrienne says
July 28, 2015 at 6:27 pmThe tip about not grocery shopping when you’re hungry is so true. The amount and types of food that we buy when we’re shopping while hungry is crazy. I’ve never thought about it from the perspective of over eating before shopping. Very interesting insight.
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Dia says
July 28, 2015 at 6:49 pmI like your definition on Clean eating. Most people I know do go nothing at all and they are unable to stick to it because they don’t allow room for some off days.
Colette - JamericanSpice says
July 28, 2015 at 6:53 pmI love the 80/20 rule. I have to use that or I go crazy 🙂
And definitely agree to shop when one isn’t hungry.
Very useful list!
Sometimes I just can’t stretch the budget and so we switch it up for a next shopping trip!
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Eva says
July 28, 2015 at 7:12 pmI love meal planning. I plan 80÷ of our meals. The rest is whatever but it usually turns out to a healthy choice anyway because we are so used to eating clean healthy food.
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Felicita Moncada says
July 28, 2015 at 8:25 pmLove these tips. I am bad at planning meals which always backfires because I get home from work exhausted and don’t want to think of what to make for dinner.
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Ourfamilyworld says
July 28, 2015 at 10:01 pmThese are great tips. I need to do this, especially now that I’m dealing with a heath issue.
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Stacey says
July 28, 2015 at 10:18 pmExcellent advice. I am a work in progress and I am doing better all of the time. My biggest problem is time to prepare and cook. We have a large family and sometimes I just need to take shortcuts. I have found more and more easy recipes that are really good and good for you! I will be reviewing one on my blog soon! The three recipes that I have made so far have been excellent.
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CourtneyLynne says
July 28, 2015 at 10:29 pmThese are some pretty fabulous tips!!! I use to
Be so good about meal planning! I need to get back into that!
Debra Hawkins says
July 28, 2015 at 10:51 pmI used to be so good at clean eating! I need to get back on the clean eating bandwagon!
Franc Ramon says
July 28, 2015 at 11:00 pmI think the 80/20 rule is ok. It keeps you healthy and allows you some slack in what you eat.
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Shelly says
July 29, 2015 at 6:02 amThese are all great tips, and as you pointed out, a few of them are common knowledge BUT so worth the reminder. If it was easy to do, we probably wouldn’t hear it so often, right? 🙂
I love quinoa as a rice replacement! I cook it the way I would make Spanish rice and it comes out so good. I have to work REALLY hard on replacing bad carbs with something that feels like bad carbs cause my life feels empty without them haha.
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Rosey says
July 29, 2015 at 6:10 amClean eating makes you feel a lot better than junk food does. It makes an immediate difference too when you switch over.
Michele D says
July 29, 2015 at 7:59 amGreat post! I will admit that I go food shopping when I am hungry. Happens to me more often. I’m in such of a rush to get it done I just get whatever.
Jaime Nicole says
July 29, 2015 at 12:19 pmI am loving the 80/20 rule. Having a realistic goal going into something like this can really help facilitate success and avoid feelings of failure.
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bonnie hendrix @ Living a Fit and Full Life says
July 29, 2015 at 12:31 pmLove this post! Eating clean is so important!
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karissa says
July 29, 2015 at 2:20 pmThese are great tips. I like that you have a more relaxed approach.
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Pam says
July 30, 2015 at 5:18 pmI love these tips! I find the best thing for me is making a meal plan and knowing what I’m going to the store for. It prevents over or under buying typically!
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Melissa Vera says
July 30, 2015 at 6:51 pmThank you for this post I have just started to learn about clean eating. It is a slow road for sure. So thanks for these tips.
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Rebecca Hubbell says
July 30, 2015 at 9:24 pmI think the 80/20 rule is key to being successful with clean eating and shopping while hungry is a habit I definitely need to break!
Sarah @ Must Have Mom says
July 31, 2015 at 6:43 pmI love these tips! Particularly because I’ve tried and failed at clean eating several times. Thanks for sharing.
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Robin Gagnon says
July 31, 2015 at 9:24 pmThinks these tips are perfectly timed for me. I just switched my daughter to fully organic… I’m more going with the 80/20 rule for myself.
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