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

FAQs

What foods are best for clean eating? ›

The more veggies — and the greater the variety — the better. Potatoes and French fries don't count. Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat and cheese; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and other processed meats. Eat a variety of whole grains (like whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, and brown rice).

But it's pretty easy to get the recommended daily 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight—approximately 56 g daily for men and 46 g daily for women—even on a vegetarian or vegan diet. Eggs, dairy, beans and nuts are all suitable protein sources for a clean, vegetarian diet.

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.

There are pros and cons to eating sour cream, but overall, it can be part of a healthy diet. Sour cream is pasteurized cream fermented with lactic acid bacteria. The cream contains butterfat separated from milk, so it has a high fat content.

Peanut butter is a delicious, nutrient-dense spread, and there is nothing wrong with eating peanut butter every day. Although it's calorie-dense, as long as your intake of peanut butter aligns with a balanced overall diet, there's nothing wrong with eating at least a serving (2 tablespoons) a day.

The main concern about bacon is its high levels of saturated fat and sodium, says Kristen Smith, RD, also a spokesperson for the AND. A diet high in saturated fat and sodium is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Must be 100% whole wheat or whole grains. Examples of whole, unrefined grains include brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and popcorn. Always look for whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is different than wheat flour, so make sure the word "whole" is listed.

The Bottom Line. It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day. While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

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).

Can I have bread with clean eating? ›

Breads All grains should be 100% whole grain on a clean eating diet but most store-bought whole grain breads and rolls contain far too many ingredients to be considered clean. Look in the freezer section for sprouted grain breads with no added preservatives and only natural, approved ingredients.

It's considered a particularly healthy type of cheese because it's easy to digest and full of essential nutrients, like calcium. It's also lactose-free, so it's safe for people with lactose intolerance. Parmesan cheese has a granular texture and a firm rind. It's very easy to grate into small pieces.

Yes, hummus is a healthy food. It's made up of real foods like chickpeas, tahini, olive oil and lemon and delivers important nutrients. Mix it up and try garlic, avocado or black bean hummus. And remember, what you're dipping in your hummus and portion size matters.

After just one day, you may notice a decrease in hunger and fewer cravings as you transition away from the blood sugar fluctuations caused by less healthy eating habits, especially those high in refined carbs and added sugars.

10 days can make a bigger difference than you think.

A recent study led by Robert Lustig, MD, showed that by simply taking fructose (from added sugar) out of the diet for 10 days, liver fat was reduced nearly 30%. There was no reduction in calories in the diet the patients were put on.

Many foods are delicious, nutritious, and supportive of your goals to reach or maintain a moderate weight. These are mainly whole foods like fish, lean meats, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and legumes.