Why "Clean Eating" Is Total B.S.

The "clean-eating" craze — which can attribute a lot of its popularity to food photos and social-media hashtagging (#CleanEating's cousin is #EatClean) — is one that's been bugging me more and more lately, so I feel like it's time to clarify a few things. Namely: What does "clean eating" mean?

First, allow me to explain that the phrase began with good intentions: It used to imply eating lots of whole, real foods — veggies and fruit, whole-grains, animal and plant-based protein, nuts, seeds, and oils. It also meant that what you eat should be as close to nature as possible — minimally processed, not packaged or originating from a factory. Cooking at home and finding good ingredients were encouraged.

I do love that the original concept seemed to be a call to action for understanding the traceability of our food — begging the question, where does it come from? So, if clean eating as a mindset reminds you to read labels, check sources, and understand what's what about the food you eat, I'd absolutely encourage you to keep that part of it up​. 

To be clear: As a registered dietitian, it's absolutely not my style to bash anyone else's way of eating — ever! Whether it's a food trend you're trying, a healthier eating strategy, or a new diet, RDs like me are pretty gung-ho about the fact that our evidence-based opinions on what you eat are irrelevant unless you are actively seeking our advice (in which case, email me anytime: askjackie@goodhousekeeping.com). 

But these days, I'm worried that the phrase has taken on a new, misguided meaning. The implication is that if you're not "eating clean," what you eat otherwise is dirty or unhygienic, and that's simply not true.

It has also been attached to a health and lifestyle claim. That is, if you're not "eating clean," the reverse is true: You're probably sloppy, lazy, and making yourself sick. It's morphed from a sense of awareness about food into a diet-driven caste system. Not only does the phrase establish a hierarchical model for eating well, it's yet another medium for food-shaming.​ 

The piece of this (#clean, #vegan, #glutenfree) pie I dislike the most: It disregards the lack of access — including a lack of time or money — that many of us face when it comes to finding perfect, farmers' market fresh food. Frankly, it's elitist. Instead of educating ourselves about food, we're simply buying into the attempt to be thin (above all else), green-juice loving, yoga-practicing, perfect pictures of health.

The other frustrating thing about "clean eating" is that the phrase misrepresents scientific evidence on food ingredients. More and more marketers refer to their food products as "clean" or having "clean ingredient labels." But if your product is 90 percent full of a trendy version of oil or sugar, it's still not providing consumers with healthful, educated choices. Don't believe me? Agave is no better for you than any other version of sugar; coconut oil is still a mostly saturated fat (even when your kale salad is doused in it); cold-pressed juice is still a concentrated source of sugar (and not very nutritious); and that vegan chocolate pudding is still dessert — not breakfast.

My bottom line is this: There are too many things that already make many of us — especially women — feel bad about ourselves. Nobody needs to take on the extra baggage of clean-eating too. But in a world with countless claims on products — especially food — it's hard to know how to make the best choices. 

So, below are five important things to keep in mind when making healthful — not just healthy — food choices: 

1. Veg out. Repeat after me: Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables. When you can figure out how to make eating more veggies work for you, the obsessing about "clean vs. dirty"  becomes irrelevant. Just find a way that works for you and your family to eat more veggies, and do that. It doesn't mean "eat veggies only" or "all the time." It means make more of your meals veggie-based, and the other components of a truly balanced diet will fall into place.

2. Think "transparent" over "clean." You know what I love about candy? It may not be ideologically aligned with #CleanEating, but it accurately represents itself (no one bought a candy bar thinking it was anything other than a treat!) and allows for a bit of indulgence.​ Transparent is a word I wish would take off, because it essentially means being what it claims to be. Is your candy bar a candy bar, or is it pretending to be an energy bar?! If it's the latter, put it back and go for the real thing.

3. Eat food, not food claims. Brands make a lot of money by putting "health" claims on their products — some of which are totally legit ,while others are ridiculous. (Why are "eggs" suddenly "gluten-free?") We derive better health from food, not simply from the nutrients that food contains (bananas are not only good for you because they contain potassium, for example) or the "free from" claims placed on a food label.

4. Stop thinking of all packaged food as the enemy. It's easy for experts (myself included!) to give advice on packaged foods by saying things like, "look for a short ingredients list or ingredients you can pronounce," but there are some important exceptions. The best example: 100 percent whole-grain bread that is stuffed with tons of 100 percent whole-grains — that ingredient list can barely fit on the package! Plus, quinoa and amaranth (two of-the-moment ancient grains) are downright unpronounceable for some​.  

And there are some truly exceptional packaged foods that are doing their part to make it easier and simpler to eat well. Sometimes, we need to eat fish out of a can, take some dried beans or peas on-the-go, squeeze peanut butter out of a packet, or put a hard-boiled egg on a stick. When it comes to produce: This also means frozen, canned, and conventionally grown, are a-OK too.

5. Embrace indulgence. Remember that indulging is a part of a healthy lifestyle. Obsessing about ingredients, reading about eating a "cleaner life," and checking food labels constantly is not. Because really, what is life without a good ol' burger, a piece of cake, or French fry once in awhile?