Clean eating means different guidelines to different people. To some, it means absolutely nothing that isn't in its whole form-fresh fruit and vegetables, whole chunks of meat, etc. To others, it is just cutting out the chemicals, preservatives, and just plain unnecessary crap. I more follow the second method. I try to buy organic when feasible and possible, but in our rural area, it isn't always the affordable or possible option. We also raise our own chicken and beef, so I don't so much worry about the hormones that they inject into the animals that are butchered for the grocery stores. If I were buying my meat in the store, this is one place I would probably try to buy organic despite the price. I also try really hard to avoid GMO products. If you are local to me, Harmony Foods Co-op in Bemidji carries a lot of these brands. Some can even be found at Walmart or Target, but not very many of them.
A major component of clean eating is cutting out chemical-laden, overly processed foods. This includes most foods in a box or can, white flour, and sugar (white and brown). An important part of clean eating is READING LABELS. If there are more than 5 ingredients, things you can't pronounce or identify, then it's not clean. When shopping, it's best to shop the perimeter of the store-avoid going down the aisles. The foods that are good for you are generally on the outside perimeter (think fresh produce, dairy (which some clean eaters cut out, but I don't...I just use in moderation), meat). If you have a smartphone, an app called Fooducate is an excellent helper with shopping. A friend told me about this app, and I love it. You can scan barcodes on packaging and it will give the food a grade of A+ through F. It will also tell you if the food is a GMO containing food or not. You should aim to get nothing less than a B. However, this does NOT necessarily mean the food is clean. It could still contain preservatives or sugar. This is why reading labels is so important. Even things that may seem like a good choice aren't always as clean as you would think. I personally try to avoid things like canned fruit and vegetables. I buy either fresh or frozen. Canned are much more likely to contain added **stuff** that isn't a necessity.
If you have any questions about anything, you can always feel free to contact me.
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