Clean eating has been popping up in food blogs and on social media for years, but the essence of it is more down-to-earth than the hype suggests: focus on eating food that has been processed as little as possible. In this article, we explain exactly what clean eating entails, what it does and doesn’t include, how to get started, and where you should avoid going to extremes.
What is clean eating?
Clean eating is a dietary approach based on unprocessed and minimally processed foods: vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses, nuts, eggs, fish and unprocessed meat. You should avoid highly processed products containing added sugars, colourings, flavour enhancers and preservatives as much as possible.
Good to know: ‘clean eating’ is not a protected or scientifically defined term. In nutritional research, the degree of processing is usually described using the NOVA classification, which categorises foods from unprocessed (group 1) to ultra-processed (group 4). In practice, clean eating means eating plenty of foods from groups 1 and 2, and very few from group 4. This is very much in line with what official guidelines, such as the UK’s Eatwell Guide, have long recommended.
Is clean eating a diet?
No. Clean eating is not a diet with calorie restrictions or forbidden food groups, but a way of making choices: you replace highly processed products with unprocessed alternatives. You do not count calories, nor do you cut out macronutrients such as fats or carbohydrates.
In a balanced diet, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals are all still necessary; clean eating is simply about the form in which you consume them. Anyone searching online for ‘clean eating diet’ or ‘eat clean’ often comes across strict rules and lists of forbidden foods, but as there is no official definition, it’s best to take these with a pinch of salt.
What counts as clean food and what doesn’t?
The rule of thumb for clean food: the shorter and more recognisable the list of ingredients, the better it fits the bill. An apple, a bag of frozen spinach or a tin of lentils is clean; a ready-made meal with twenty ingredients, half of which you can’t even pronounce, is not.
| Good choices for clean eating | Best to limit |
|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetables (fresh or frozen) | Soft drinks, fruit juice and sweetened dairy drinks |
| Whole grains: oats, spelt, rye, brown rice, wholemeal pasta | White bread, biscuits, sweets and cakes |
| Pulses, seeds and unroasted, unsalted nuts | Crisps and other highly processed snacks |
| Eggs, fish and unprocessed lean meat | Processed meat products with added salt and sugar |
| Plain dairy products and unsweetened plant-based milk | Drinking yoghurt, muesli and dressings with high added sugar content |
| Olive oil, fresh herbs and spices | Ready-made sauces and soups with long lists of ingredients |
Be wary of packaging that describes itself as ‘clean’, ‘pure’ or ‘natural’: these are marketing terms, not guarantees. The ingredients list tells the real story. And however natural honey or coconut blossom sugar may sound, to your body they’re simply sugars. You can find out just how much sugar is hidden in everyday products in Are you eating too much sugar?.
How do you get started with clean eating?
Start small and build up gradually: anyone who overhauls their entire kitchen cupboard in a single week rarely sticks with it. These five steps work best in practice.
- Read ingredient lists. The well-known rule of ‘no more than five ingredients’ is a handy rule of thumb, not a law. Above all, check whether you recognise what’s in there and whether any sugar, salt or additives have been added that aren’t strictly necessary.
- Start by replacing your drinks. Water, tea and black coffee instead of fizzy drinks and fruit juice from a carton: the easiest win, with an immediate reduction in added sugars.
- Cook for yourself more often. When you put your own meals together, you know exactly what’s in them. Having a few go-to basic recipes makes this achievable even on busy days.
- Swap one product each week. White rice for brown rice, muesli for porridge, sweetened yoghurt for natural yoghurt with fresh fruit. Small steps make it easier to stick to the plan.
- Vary your seasonings. Fresh chillies, garlic, ginger, lemon, fresh herbs and spices add flavour without additives, so that unprocessed food doesn’t become monotonous.
What does a day of clean eating look like?
Clean eating recipes don’t have to be complicated. A simple day might look like this, for example, with each meal based on unprocessed ingredients that you can vary endlessly.
- Breakfast: porridge with milk or unsweetened plant-based milk, fresh fruit and a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: wholemeal bread or a salad with egg, avocado and plenty of vegetables.
- Dinner: brown rice with fish or pulses, and vegetables making up well over half the plate.
- Snacks: fruit, crunchy vegetables, unsalted nuts or natural yoghurt.
If you’d like to include a bit more protein in these meals without resorting to processed foods, have a look at our list of 7 protein-rich vegetables.
Do supplements fit in with clean eating?
Yes, provided you judge them by the same standards as the rest of your shopping: a short, recognisable list of ingredients without unnecessary additives. Organic unflavoured whey protein, for example, consists of just one ingredient (organic whey protein) and therefore fits perfectly into a clean eating diet; those following a plant-based diet will find the same principle applied to our vegan protein.
For many people, protein is the logical starting point, particularly when exercising or following a largely plant-based diet. The claim ‘Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass’ has been formally approved within the EU (Register of authorised health claims, Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, assessed by the EFSA). At the same time, a supplement remains exactly what the word suggests: a supplement to proper meals, not a replacement for them.
What are the pitfalls of clean eating?
The biggest pitfall is going to extremes: food then becomes a list of dos and don’ts rather than something that nourishes you and which you enjoy. Food doesn’t have to be perfect to fit a balanced diet.
- Don’t think in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food. One slice of cake doesn’t ruin a balanced diet, just as one salad doesn’t make up for an unbalanced one. It’s the average over several weeks that counts.
- Frozen and tinned foods are perfectly fine. Frozen vegetables are frozen shortly after harvest and are therefore often just as nutritious as fresh ones. Just check for added salt, sugar or sauce.
- It doesn’t have to be expensive. Pulses, oats, eggs and seasonal vegetables are among the cheapest items in the supermarket.
- Be practical. Eating entirely unprocessed food isn’t feasible for most people, nor is it necessary. Eating less ultra-processed food is already a step in the right direction.
Frequently asked questions about clean eating
Is clean eating the same as eating organic food?
No. ‘Organic’ refers to how food is produced (certified organic production under the EU organic label), whilst ‘clean eating’ refers to how processed it is. An organic biscuit is still a biscuit, and non-organic broccoli is simply unprocessed. Of course, the two can be combined perfectly well.
Can you lose weight with clean eating?
Clean eating isn’t a weight-loss method. Whether your weight changes depends on your total energy intake and expenditure. However, with this eating pattern, you automatically cut out many products containing added sugars, which makes it much easier to keep track of what you’re eating.
How many ingredients can a ‘clean’ product contain?
There’s no official limit. ‘A maximum of five ingredients’ is a rule of thumb to quickly spot highly processed products, not a scientific benchmark. A product with eight recognisable ingredients can be perfectly fine, whereas one with three unrecognisable ingredients isn’t.
Are frozen vegetables ‘clean’?
Yes. Frozen vegetables are frozen shortly after harvesting, which helps preserve their nutrients. Choose the plain variety without added sauce, sugar or salt.
Get started
Would you like to supplement your diet with products that meet the same criteria? Take a look at our clean protein powders: short ingredient lists and no unnecessary additives. That way, just as with the rest of your shopping, you’ll know exactly what you’re consuming.
