Embarking on a clean eating journey and wondering what to add to your shopping cart? From fresh produce to lean proteins and beyond, understanding what constitutes clean eating can simplify your healthy lifestyle choices. A Clean Eating Food List prioritizes whole, minimally processed foods, ensuring you nourish your body with the best nature has to offer. This guide will walk you through essential clean eating foods across different categories, making it easier than ever to adopt a cleaner, healthier diet.
Fruit
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Pictured Recipe: Pineapple Green Smoothie
When it comes to clean eating, fruit is almost always a winning choice. Despite concerns about sugar content, fruits are naturally packed with essential fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The sugars in fruit are natural sugars, and the high fiber content helps regulate their absorption, making it difficult to overindulge. When selecting canned or dried fruits, always check labels to ensure there are no added sugars.
While 100% fruit juice can contribute to your daily fruit intake, whole fruits are preferable due to their fiber content. Fiber is crucial for digestion, blood sugar control, and overall health. Therefore, while juice can be part of a clean eating plan, moderation is key.
Clean Fruit Options:
- Fresh fruits of all kinds: apples, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, melons, etc.
- Canned fruit in its own juice or water, with no added sugar.
- Frozen fruit without added sugar, perfect for smoothies and desserts.
- Dried fruit with no added sugar, in moderation due to concentrated sugars.
- 100% fruit juice, consumed in limited quantities due to lower fiber content.
Explore Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Vegetables
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Pictured Recipe: Skillet Eggs with Tomatillos & Spinach
Vegetables are foundational to clean eating meals. Like fruits, they are nutrient-dense, providing vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but typically with less natural sugar. Frozen and canned vegetables are equally nutritious and convenient options, just be mindful of added sauces or salt. Opt for varieties without sauces and check labels for minimal or no added salt.
Convenience is key when incorporating more vegetables into your diet. Supermarkets now offer a wide array of pre-cut vegetables, including spiralized veggie noodles, which save prep time. The frozen vegetable aisle is another treasure trove for easy, healthy additions to meals. However, be cautious of processed veggie snacks like veggie chips and pasta, as they may contain minimal actual vegetable content and often include additives.
Clean Vegetable Choices:
- All fresh vegetables: leafy greens, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, peppers, etc.
- Frozen vegetables without sauces or added salt, for long-lasting freshness.
- Canned vegetables with no added sauces or salt, rinse to reduce sodium if necessary.
Take the 30-Day Eat More Vegetables Challenge
Whole Grains
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Pictured Recipe: Quinoa Avocado Salad
Whole grains are essential healthy carbohydrates in a clean eating diet, providing fiber, sustained energy, and vital nutrients. Single-ingredient whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley, farro, and millet are minimally processed and packed with goodness. When choosing whole-grain products like pasta, bread, or pizza dough, prioritize whole-wheat versions. Ensure whole-wheat flour is the primary ingredient and check for added sugars in the ingredient list. Even popcorn kernels, when air-popped or stove-popped, are a clean and satisfying whole-grain snack, free from the unhealthy additives and fats found in microwave versions.
Clean Whole Grain Options:
- Single-ingredient grains: farro, millet, oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, and more.
- Whole-wheat pasta, a fiber-rich alternative to refined pasta.
- Popcorn kernels (air-popped or stove-popped), a naturally clean snack.
- Sprouted whole-grain bread and English muffins (no added sugar), look for minimal ingredients.
- Whole-wheat pizza dough, for homemade clean eating pizza creations.
Discover a 7-Day Whole Food Dinner Plan
Dairy
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Pictured Recipe: Mac & Cheese with Collards
Incorporate dairy into your clean eating plan wisely. Plain yogurt, whether regular or Greek, is a cleaner choice compared to flavored yogurts, which often contain high amounts of added sugars. If you opt for flavored yogurts, choose reduced-sugar options or those sweetened with natural alternatives like stevia. Dairy products like cheese and milk can be enjoyed on their own or used as ingredients in homemade, healthier versions of comfort foods like pizza and mac and cheese.
For those choosing non-dairy alternatives like soy, almond, or coconut milk, unsweetened varieties are crucial to avoid added sugars. Similarly, when selecting reduced-fat or low-fat dairy, check for fillers and artificial ingredients; plain, whole-milk dairy can be a cleaner option as long as it fits within your overall calorie and fat goals.
Clean Dairy Food Options:
- Plain yogurt (regular or Greek), versatile and protein-rich.
- Milk (all types including whole, 2%, 1%, skim), a source of calcium and vitamin D.
- Cheese (in moderation), choose natural cheeses over highly processed types.
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, soy, coconut, etc.), for those avoiding dairy or seeking lower calorie options.
Protein
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Pictured Recipe: Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Protein is vital for satiety, muscle building, and overall health. Clean eating emphasizes lean, unprocessed protein sources. Limit or avoid processed meats like bologna, salami, pepperoni, and hot dogs, which are typically high in sodium, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives.
Consider the sustainability of your protein choices. Opting for environmentally sustainable meats and seafood aligns with clean eating principles. Whenever possible, choose meat from animals raised locally and ethically, if it fits your budget. Fish and shellfish are excellent protein sources, many rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Resources like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch can guide you in selecting sustainable seafood options.
Eggs are another fantastic and versatile clean protein choice. Don’t skip the yolk, as it contains additional protein and nutrients not found in egg whites alone. Plant-based protein sources like nuts, seeds, and beans are also excellent for clean eating. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds and opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added canned beans. Rinsing canned beans further reduces sodium content.
Clean Protein Choices:
- Single-ingredient meats: chicken breast, lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, etc.
- Seafood: wild salmon, cod, tuna, shrimp, and other sustainable options.
- Eggs: a complete protein source, versatile and affordable.
- Unflavored, unsalted nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and mixed nuts.
- Plain nut butters (no added sugar or salt): peanut butter, almond butter, etc.
- Dried beans and lentils: chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, lentils, and more.
- Canned beans (low-sodium or no-salt-added): rinse before use to further reduce sodium.
Explore the Healthiest Fish to Eat
Desserts
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Pictured Recipe: Apple “Donuts”
The approach to desserts in clean eating is flexible. You might choose to eliminate added sugars entirely or simply minimize them. Most commercially packaged desserts are not considered clean due to refined flours and high added sugar content. However, you don’t need to completely abstain from sweets. Bake treats at home using less sugar, whole grains, and more fruit. Alternatively, explore fruit-based desserts for naturally sweet, added-sugar-free options.
Drinks
Beverages can be a significant source of hidden added sugars. Limit sodas, sweetened teas, and fancy flavored coffee drinks. Clean drink choices include unsweetened tea and coffee, water, and seltzer. Enhance seltzer with a splash of 100% fruit juice for flavor without excessive sugar.
Alcohol consumption can be a personal choice within clean eating. If you choose to include alcohol, moderation is key. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Wine and beer can be acceptable in moderation, but be mindful of sugary mixers in cocktails.
The Bottom Line
Clean eating is fundamentally about prioritizing wholesome, minimally processed foods across all food groups. It’s about making conscious choices to reduce added sugars, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in your diet. Embrace fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and clean dairy options to build a sustainable and health-promoting eating pattern. Explore clean eating recipes for inspiration and to make your journey both enjoyable and delicious, even on a budget.
