Clean Eating Dinner Recipes Index - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

What is the 5 day clean eating challenge? ›

If you're looking to detox and get back to being healthy, you can make yourself a 5 day clean eating plan. Clean eating is a simple concept— you only consume whole foods. By that, we mean foods that aren't processed or refined or are at least minimally processed.

For those who can tolerate dairy, cheeses can be a healthy and nutritious source of proteins and healthy fats if consumed in moderation. Cheese is allowed in the clean eating meal plan, but with an asterisk. Processed cheese slices or other packaged foods that contain cheese should be avoided.

Peanut butter can be a healthy addition to a meal or snack, but not all peanut butters are the same. Some are full of unhealthy trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Pick natural, simple mixes.

Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all suitable protein sources for a clean, vegetarian diet. Choose dairy with no added sugar and simple ingredients.

A clean-eating meal plan includes tons of fresh fruits and veggies, high-fiber whole grains and legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins (like fish and chicken). It skips added sugars and minimizes sodium and saturated fats that can damage our hearts when we eat too much of them.

Bacon and other smoked, cured and processed meats are usually treated with nitrates or nitrites—chemical added to preserve shelf life and enhance color. Diets high in processed meats have been linked to chronic health conditions including migraines, asthma, heart failure, kidney disease and several types of cancer.

As a processed meat, bacon is not what most experts would consider a health food. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared bacon and other processed meats class one carcinogens, a category of substances known to cause cancer that also includes cigarettes and asbestos.

Dedicate yourself to the clean eating lifestyle, and you'll lose about 3 pounds a week, Reno says. The benefits go beyond weight loss. You'll stay healthy and have more energy.

Notice the amount of sugar in your packaged foods. Start small – pick one meal a day to be 100% clean. Eat more vegetables and fruits (try to have a vegetable with every meal). Swap one thing at a time – for example, instead of grabbing for a bag of chips, grab a handful of raw nuts or an apple and peanut butter.

Like any food, potatoes are fine to eat in moderation. “Healthy food choices should include a variety of starchy and non-starchy vegetables,” says Dunn. “In fact, the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes up to 5 cups a week of starchy vegetables for those needing 2,000 calories a day.”

Is pizza clean eating? ›

If a reasonable serving size is enjoyed, pizza can be a healthy part of a balanced diet. Enjoy your pizza with a side salad and skip the ultra-processed toppings to give your meal a nutritional boost.

Even popcorn is a whole grain. Buy the kernels and pop them on the stove or in an air popper for a clean snack that doesn't have the additives and buttery calories you find in microwave bags.

“For most people, moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet.” Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression.

The seven foods you should never eat and we would all do well to avoid are alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners, coffee, soda, dairy and meat. To many people, that is their whole diet! There is enough evidence to write a book on each one of the big seven, and, in fact there are many books written on just such topics.