How to Start Eating Clean for Beginners (Healthy List)

How do you start eating clean for beginners? It sounds easy, but it is not. It means reverting the years of eating a certain way quickly. Guess what? It is not supposed to happen quickly. You learn and take baby steps until clean eating becomes your lifestyle. It will take time, and you will feel better about yourself every step. Here is a simple guide on how to start eating clean for beginners. 

What Is a Clean Eating Diet?

Eating clean foods is an excellent step towards improving overall health and well-being. When asked to define my diet style, I say I eat clean. And I don’t mean I clean the food before cooking because I certainly do 😏. I suggest opting for not processed (or minimally processed) and natural foods – fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, lean cuts of meat, fish, less sugar, and less salt. And most of all, trying to achieve a balanced diet, varying the ingredients, and cooking from scratch. So, my philosophy is to enjoy everything in moderation. In this article, you will find some steps to help you start your clean eating journey. 

If you asked my kids to explain how our family eats, they would say Mama likes healthy stuff and doesn’t allow candy. But when they go to the store with Grandma and Grandpa, they say they are permitted to have a lollipop – as long as they don’t tell Mama (yes, Grandma and Grandpa told me). What is my point? It is hard in today’s world to maintain a healthy diet. Why? Because there are so many unhealthy options out there. Nicely packed and tempting. Tasty. Cheap and readily available. We can’t resist, let alone our kids. Of course, the kids will reach for the flashy-pink-unicorn-wrapped candy whenever possible. 

How to Establish Clean Eating Habits for Kids 

I was banging my head for so long to figure out how to eliminate all this nasty sugary stuff from my kids’ diet and finally realized one thing. I cannot 🫤. Our home might be free of processed and unhealthy stuff, but friends’ houses might not be. Or grandparents’. Or worse, the school isn’t. My mission is to teach my kids what food is good for them to make wise choices. If they had a lollipop at a friend’s house or with grandparents, it is not the end of the world. But after the fact, I always stress why it was unhealthy and hope they will remember it next time. The truth is –  they do remember and make wise choices the next time they are challenged with unhealthy choices. And when it comes to making them eat more veggies, this is my approach to the subject. 

We cannot bubble-wrap our kids to avoid unhealthy diet exposure, but we can teach them to make wise decisions from a young age. What’s even more important is to lead by example. We don’t want our kids to drink sugary beverages – we should not consume them ourselves. Do we want our kids to eat more spinach and broccoli? We should not agonize over the mention of spinach and broccoli. It is simple. They copy what we do. 

Where to Begin

At the beginning of my health and fitness journey, I did a lot of Jillian Michaels workout videos. I highly recommend it. She knows how to get our butts kicked. I also read a book she wrote, Master Your Metabolism. In this book, she said something that stuck with me all these years – focus on eating things that grew in the ground or had a mother. Straight-to-the-point advice! You want to steer clear from processed food and artificial stuff because they are full of chemicals (just for the record, I am a Chemist, so I know what I am talking about 😏). 

Once you get used to it, a clean eating lifestyle becomes easier to follow. And eventually, it will become your lifestyle. Here are some steps to help you get started on your clean eating journey:

​Clean Eating Master Principle – Educate Yourself

Understand what clean eating entails and what clean means. There are many pieces of advice on the internet against the clean eating diet, and people get the wrong impression that this clean diet lifestyle is not attainable and somehow wrong. They don’t know that eating clean foods is precisely how nutrition is supposed to look, without nasty chemicals in the food supply and tasty fast food choices (yes, I said tasty, and that’s because of chemicals added to enhance the taste of fast food and make you crave more).

Clean eating generally involves consuming whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods closer to their natural state. Learn about different food groups, macronutrients, and their benefits. My blog post, An Easy Guide to Nutrition Basics, is an excellent place to start.

Clean Eating Principle 1 – Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Raw or cooked, it’s up to you. Both options sound great. What I am not fond of is canned fruit or veggies. And not because of the food, but because of the cans. It is a regular practice to coat the insides of aluminum cans with synthetic chemicals. They act as a barrier to protect the metal from corrosion when exposed to food. 

For decades, the chemical was BPA (bisphenol A). The bad news is that it can leach into the food. For a long time, scientists fought over the safety of BPA. Mainly because it mimics the hormone estrogen in the body and, upon exposure, can lead to various cancers (breast and prostate) and disrupt fertility. BPA is since been banned, and there are other chemicals in use. The bad thing is that they belong to a similar family of synthetic chemicals, which might also be endocrine disruptors (think twice when you see BPA-free products in the store). 

The best solution is to ditch canned food and focus on whole foods like fresh veggies and fruits. You can always include fresh fruits and veggies in smoothies. Check out these fantastic recipes using veggies and fruits.

• Healthy Fruit Smoothie
• Beet Salad with Feta Cheese
• Easy and Tasty Avocado Toast with Tomatoes
• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce
• Spinach Pasta
• Easy Vegetarian Sweet Potato Soup with Zucchini & Carrots
• Easy Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
• Oven Roasted Potatoes and Carrots with Onion and Zucchini
• Easy Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Sea Salt
• Healthy Beet, Carrot, and Apple Salad with Walnuts
• Easy Oven-Baked Potato with Green Onion and Sour Cream
• Baby Potatoes Recipe
• Fresh Mango Smoothie with Kefir (Mango Lassi)
• Easy Adrenal Cocktail Recipe

Clean Eating Principle 2 – Switch to Whole Grain

I covered the difference between white flour and whole wheat flour here, so this is a good starting point to learn why whole wheat is better for us. But the idea is the same for other grains, such as rice and oats. Remember always to choose the least processed products because they have the most health benefits. Check out these fabulous recipes that use whole grains:

• Simple Homemade Whole-Wheat Olive Bread Recipe
• Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe 
• Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes with Kefir
• Healthy & Easy Whole-Wheat Waffles Recipe
• Easy and Healthy Shrimp and Grits with Prosciutto
• Salmon Asparagus Pasta
• Easy No-Bake Protein Balls with Peanut Butter and Farro

Clean Eating Principle 3 – Eat Lean Cuts of Meat. Eat More Fish.

Or better, try limiting meat consumption. For instance, instead of eating meat daily, you can go twice a week for meatless days. And eventually, you’ll get to the twice-a-week meat days. There are great protein-rich veggies (beans, lentils, sweet peas, spinach, brussels sprouts). 

Fish is an excellent source of lean protein and is often rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with various health benefits, including heart health. Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, and trout, are exceptionally high in omega-3s. These fatty acids can help reduce inflammation and support brain health. Incorporating fish into your diet can be a great way to diversify your protein sources and boost your nutrient intake. When selecting fish, try to opt for wild-caught varieties, as they may have fewer contaminants and a more favorable fatty acid profile than some farm-raised fish.

On the days you decide to eat meat, go for lean cuts without fat (at least 90% lean). Choosing lean cuts can help you reduce your intake of saturated fats linked to various health issues. Some examples of lean cuts of meat include skinless poultry (chicken and turkey), loin cuts of pork (such as pork tenderloin), and lean cuts of beef (such as sirloin or round steaks). Trimming visible fat from meat before cooking can further reduce the fat content. And always follow the rule of the healthy eating plate with ¼ protein source (meat) on your plate. Check out these tasty recipes using fish and lean meats:

• Easy Crispy Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets Recipe
• Lemon Butter Chicken Risotto in a Dutch Oven
• Whole Branzini with Veggies in Oven 
• Baked Cod with Fried Rice
• Easy Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce Recipe
• Salmon Asparagus Pasta
• Creamy Chicken with Spinach in White Sauce
• Easy Turkey Bolognese with Jar Sauce (Turkey Ragu Pasta)
• Easy Baked Feta Pasta with Smoked Salmon (Tik Tok Pasta) 
• Best Air Fryer Salmon Bites with Garlic Recipe

Clean Eating Principle 4 – Consume Dairy and Eggs in Moderation

Dairy products are not harmful to you if you moderately enjoy them. I prefer fermented dairy products like kefir and yogurt instead of plain milk. The reason is the probiotic bacteria in them that are good for our gut health.

I suffered from constant constipation as a kid, and my parents never figured out why. I was born and raised in the 1980s when cow’s milk was essential for a healthy diet. It wasn’t until my first daughter was born almost seven years ago that we understood why I had issues and linked it to hereditary. She started having constipation issues when she was old enough to switch from breast milk to cow’s milk, around one year old. Our pediatrician suggested that the cow’s milk made her constipated and suggested changing to fermented dairy products – kefir, yogurt, greek yogurt, and cheese. 

The same pattern repeated with my second daughter when she started drinking cow’s milk, so I stopped offering straight cow’s milk and instead based our dairy consumption on kefir, yogurt, and cheese. However, I use milk for cooking here and there, but not much.  

But one thing is essential to remember here. Stick to plain kefir and plain yogurt. Everything else has added sugar; you do not want this as part of your diet. If you enjoy fruit yogurt, mix plain yogurt with real fruits, and voila! Here are some recipes where you can incorporate yogurt or kefir:

• Easy 10-Minute Strawberry Yogurt Recipe 
• Easy Healthy Yogurt Breakfast Ideas (Benefits of Breakfast)
• Banana Chia Pudding
• Fresh Mango Smoothie with Kefir (Mango Lassi)
• Easy Overnight Chia Seed Pudding with Fruit
• Simple Overnight Rolled Oats with Chia Seeds
• Easy Overnight Chia Pudding with Kefir
• Healthy Banana Avocado Berries Smoothie 

Clean Eating Principle 5 – Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water. Don’t aim to drink three glasses of water in the morning and three in the evening to meet your daily need (and nothing in between). Instead, sip water frequently throughout the day in smaller quantities. Just imagine what shock your body will be when you drink three glasses of water at once, and yes, you will pee most of it. Give your cells frequent hydration since they will use just how much they need.

I am a big advocate of not drinking any juices. Water is the best, and almost any juice has added sugar. If you like juices, go for natural ones. But remember that eating fruit is better than drinking it because you get the fiber lost during juicing. If you like juices, then try to make your own from natural food ingredients:

• Easy Adrenal Cocktail Recipe

Clean Eating Principle 6 – Enjoy Coffee and Tea in Moderation

I love coffee, and I believe that coffee deserves a separate post – stay tuned. Another thing to keep in mind is what you add to your coffee. Coffee creamers contain chemicals you don’t need – thickeners, artificial sweeteners, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and fillers. If you really can’t have your coffee black, try adding a little milk if you can tolerate it and maybe some cinnamon powder on top for flavor. Here is a great coffee recipe you can make at home:

• Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha Copycat Recipe

Clean Eating Principle 7 – Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women should be limited to one drink or less a day and men to two drinks or less daily.

Clean Eating Principle 8 – Watch Out for Salt and Sugar

There is salt and sugar hidden in many consumer products. Learn to read labels to see where it is hiding. I will cover this topic separately, but until then, there is one thing you can do today: control how much is in your daily diet by cooking your meals from scratch. It is as simple as introducing small changes to cut the amount of salt and sugar you use in your everyday cooking. 

Clean Eating Principle 9 – Stay Physically Active

If you like spending time in the gym, that’s great! If you are not fond of crowded gyms (my hand raised here!), there is so much you can do at home. You don’t need expensive clothes, pricey athletic shoes, or all other bells and whistles to get you going. Any comfortable shoes, T-shirt, and shorts will suffice. Go for a walk around your neighborhood. If you feel strong for running, go for it. Do some stretching; there are great videos on YouTube to get you going. Believe it or not, even vacuuming your house is a good workout. Or gardening. 

I really like doing yoga whenever possible, and after much trial and error, I found SaraBethYoga to be my go-to Youtube channel. 

Clean Eating Principle 10 – Stay Clear of Processed Foods (Junk Food included)

Go to the fruits and vegetable section first in a grocery store. Load your cart with all this great-looking fresh produce and unprocessed foods. Leave space for dairy, eggs, and lean protein in meats and whole grain bread. Avoid boxed and ready-to-eat foods because this is where salt, sugars, and chemicals are hiding. Always look for nutrient-dense foods, and pick healthy oils such as coconut, avocado, and olive oil. Avoid unhealthy fats, artificial ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, sugary snacks, and unhealthy food in general. 

Final Thoughts

• Always remember that a clean eating lifestyle is not a short term type of thing. And it certainly is not one of the restrictive diets you maybe followed before. Trust me, you’ll eat plenty, but this time it will be nutritious foods in natural form: no nasty chemicals, ultra-processed foods, or excess sugar. You don’t have to make drastic changes immediately. Start slow, follow your cues, and always remember why you are doing it – to increase your energy levels and establish healthy eating habits for better health. 
• Practice mindful eating by savoring each bite, paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues, and avoiding distractions during meals. 
• Stay Consistent! Clean eating is a long-term lifestyle change. Be patient and stay consistent with your choices, even when faced with challenges. 
• Pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating. Eating slowly and mindfully can help you recognize when you’re full. Remember, the key is to make gradual changes that you can sustain over time. 
• Everyone’s journey is unique, so find what works best for you and enjoy nourishing your body with clean, wholesome foods. Set Realistic Goals. Start with small, achievable goals. This could be incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your meals, reducing sugary snacks, or drinking more water. Gradually build on these goals over time. 

If all this seems to be too much information at once, here is an eating clean for beginners checklist you can download and print. Stick it on your fridge as a reminder to take good care of yourself!