What Is Clean Eating and the Foods That Are Allowed?

Clean eating is one of the best ways to maintain or lose weight. But what exactly is clean eating or the foods that are allowed when eating clean. Clean eating is eating foods in there most natural form. So no processed, prepackaged meals that have added preservatives, sweeteners and sodium. Basically if it is in the form that God made it, then it is clean.

Confused about what are or are not clean foods, here is a list to help get you started.

Starchy Complex Carbs

Pick two to four servings of complex carbohydrates from starchy-carb sources or whole grains a day.

*A serving size for each of these is the size of a cupped hand.

**These are may be used as a protein source

Whole Grains

These are examples, not an exhaustive list

Vegetable Sources

These are examples, not an exhaustive list
Buckwheat

Bananas
Multi-Grain, buckwheat, Ezekiel, oat bran, and whole-meal spelt bread and wraps

Carrots
Oat-bran cereal

Potatoes
Oatmeal

Radishes
Quinoa**

Sweet Potatoes
Spelt

Yams
Whole Barley

Garbanzo beans (chick peas)**
Whole-wheat or brown rice couscous

Kidney beans**
Whole-wheat, brown-rice or other whole-grain pasta

Lentils**
Wild, black or brown rice

Navy beans**

Pinto beans**

Soybeans (edamame)**

Split peas

Protein

Try to eat five or six servings of protein per day.

A proper portion of protein is the size of the palm of one hand.

The protein you eat should come from sources of lean meats, poultry, fish and eggs, dairy and some vegetable and grain sources.

Lean meats (chicken, bison), poultry, fish

Eggs

Dairy

Tofu, chia sees (Salba), quinoa and hemp seed (vegan option)

Beans- bought dry and cooked yourself (vegan option)

Nuts, Seeds and Nut Butters (vegan option)

Have a substantial amount of protein but a great deal of fat. While this fat is healthy, you don't want to eat too much of it. Serving: One scant handful of nuts or two tablespoons of nut butter per day.

Carbs from Fruits and Vegetables

A proper serving of fruits and veggies is four to six servings of fresh produce per day.

*Serving size for fruits and veggies is two cupped hands.

High Water-Content Complex Carbs

Not an exhaustive list

Complex Carbs From Fruit

Not an exhaustive list
Artichokes

Apples
Aspargus

Berries
Beet Greens

Dried fruits in moderation
Broccoli

Grapefruit
Brussels sprouts

Grapes
Cabbage

Kiwi
Cauliflower

Lychee
Celery

Mango
Cucumbers

Melon
Eggplant

Oranges
Kale

Papaya
Lettuce

Passion Fruit
Okra

Pears
Onions

Plums
Spinach

Pomegranate
Tomatoes
Turnip Greens
Watercress
Zucchini

Healthy Fats

Your body needs unsaturated fats with high omega 3. They help keep your skin stay hydrated and lustrous, cells working properly, and aid in digestion and can also decrease inflammation. You need these fats to help you stay lean.

Serving: 15 percent of your diet should come from healthy fats from nuts, seeds, healthy oils and fish.

Almonds
Avocado oil
Cashews
Flax seed
Hazelnut oil
Olive oil
Pecans
Pumpkinseed oil
Safflower oil
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Coconut oil

To view more about the Clean Eating Diet and general health and fitness tips, please visit me at http://www.yourfitspiration.com

I welcome your comments or ideas your receive from my articles on my website.

I hope you enjoyed my article

To Your Health

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_T_Gadacz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8022977