Diet, exercise, the suggested weight loss supplements, all these are great ways to shed some kilos. However, the benefits of clean eating go beyond simple weight loss. Eating the right foods can lead to a range of health benefits – from more energy to improved mood. Here’s everything you need to know about clean eating.
What Is a Clean Eating Meal Plan?
The basics of a clean meal plan are quite simple. Contrary to what many believe, it’s not a diet; It’s a way of eating that encourages people to consume whole foods such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It also discourages the consumption of highly processed snack foods, sweets and other pre-packaged foods.
How to Eat Clean?
Like any major lifestyle change, eating clean won’t be easy. That is why in order to make clean eating more of a lifestyle instead of a temporary diet plan, there needs to be some balance. In order to be able to keep clean eating long-term, you should give yourself some wiggle room, and create a balance that works for you.
For example, in your clean eating meal plan, you can consider including some prepackaged foods and dining out. It’s okay to have a bowl of pasta as long as you choose a healthier option, like quinoa or chickpea pasta, which are high in fibre. And when dining out, stick to the basics. Opt for a clean protein like a chicken breast with a side of steamed veggies, and some sliced avocado, for example.
You may also want to sign up for clean eating meal plan delivery to make things easier. A clean eating food delivery service can help take the stress out of planning what you are going to eat and provides you with the perfect meals to streamline your clean eating diet. One of the trickiest parts of following a particular meal plan is preparation. First, you need to understand the rules of the plan; Second, you need to ensure the food you prepare meets the guidelines. As a result, you may find yourself investing lots of time and effort in the process.
With meal delivery, you can select a meal plan that meets all the requirements of your diet – no preparation is necessary. This can make it easier to follow a certain meal plan that supports your health and productivity. Here are some tips to help you keep your clean eating plan as healthy as possible.
Ditch Refined Carbs
These include bread, pasta and white rice. These foods are too processed to have any vitamins, minerals, fibre, and protein that your body needs to function. Eating those foods not only cause weight gain, but they have also been linked to increased risk of developing health issues like obesity and diabetes.
Eat More Complex Carbohydrates
Include in your diet more whole grains such as quinoa, whole-wheat flour, brown rice, corn, barley, and oats, among others. Unlike refined carbs, complex carbohydrates are high in fibre and digest slowly, making them more filling. This helps reduce your calorie intake for the day, thus contributing to weight loss.
Cut Out Sugar
Added sugar isn’t allowed in a clean meal plan. This is because added sugar in foods and drinks is known to increase the risk of a range of health problems such as obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases of the metabolic syndrome.
Let There Be Lots of Green Vegetables
Green vegetables are not only low in calories and carbohydrates but they are also packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants, fibre, folate, magnesium, vitamin K, iron, calcium and potassium. Green veggies also offer various benefits such as reducing the risk of obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Try Meal Prepping
This is a practice of making whole meals ahead of time. It is usually meant to save time, but it can also come in handy when following a clean meal plan. With meal prepping, you help ensure that you always have fresh, healthy meals every day, which keeps you from making poor food choices when you are too busy or too exhausted to cook. There are many ways to make meal prep easier, but if you find that it’s not your thing, you can always sing up for ready-made clean eating meals to be delivered to your home.
Benefits of a Clean Meal Plan
Considering the fact that eating a healthy diet plays an important role in achieving overall health, it makes sense that eating clean would support a healthy lifestyle too. Some of the benefits of the clean eating diet are:
Reduced Inflammation
Clean meal plans focus on an anti-inflammatory approach. It includes recipes with foods that can help reduce inflammation and thus reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
Less Sugar Intake
By being focused on enjoying more whole food options, you’ll be eliminating more boxed foods. The fewer boxed and processed foods you eat, the lower your sugar intake.
Long-Term Weight Loss
One of the greatest benefits of a clean diet is that it naturally helps support weight loss. With less inflammatory options and more plant-based, fibre-rich clean foods, you will find yourself losing weight a lot easier and more effectively than with other diets.