Opinions on Clean Eating are divided. Some are completely convinced of this, while others do not expect any success from the diet. We at Verival are convinced that if you do it right, you will do well with it. Therefore, in this post, we will introduce you to the most common mistakes in clean eating so that you can avoid them in a targeted way.
What is Clean Eating?
For those who can't remember: Clean Eating is a diet that avoids processed products as much as possible. Instead, fresh and unprocessed foods take their place.
This means: instead of processed meat products, protein-rich legumes are put on the plate; instead of ready meals, people cook for themselves.
Plant-based foods such as vegetables and fruits form the basis of clean eating. Protein-rich legumes, fiber-rich seeds and vitamin-laden fruits and vegetables ensure natural satiety and provide you with plenty of micronutrients .
Unsweetened dairy products such as natural yogurt, as well as meat and fish products in organic quality, supplement the diet if necessary.
How healthy is Clean Eating?
Clean eating , when done correctly, can be very healthy. The focus on natural and low-processed foods ensures a high nutrient density and is therefore extremely beneficial to health.
The following list summarizes the key benefits of clean eating:
- Less highly processed foods
- Less sugar, salt and unhealthy fats
- Higher nutrient density
- Plenty of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals
- Fiber for healthy digestion
All this ensures that you can increase your well-being and at the same time prevent numerous common diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.
But clean eating doesn't just have advantages – if you don't know enough about it, you can easily make one or two mistakes.
So, below, we've mapped out the six most common mistakes when it comes to clean eating to save you from them.
6 Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to clean eating, mistakes are, in principle, easily avoidable. However, they occur as frequently as in other diets.
Relying on the wrong foods, eating too much or too little, or even excessively controlling eating behavior are the most common mistakes. Reason enough to take a closer look at these mistakes and offer opportunities to avoid them.
1. Wrong foods
Probably the most obvious mistake is relying on the wrong products. This may sound like a mistake that shouldn't happen, but it happens time and again.
To avoid this mistake, we have compiled a list of the most important clean foods below:
| Clean Foods | Reason for inclusion |
| Fruit and vegetables | High nutrient density; plenty of vitamins and minerals with a low amount of calories at the same time |
| Legumes (e.g., lentils and beans) | Healthy fiber, minerals and protein-rich |
| Nuts and seeds | High in fiber and protein as well as healthy fatty acids |
| Vegetable fats | Healthy fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins |
| Whole grains | Complex carbohydrates and high fiber |
| Pseudocereals (quinoa, bulgur, etc.) | Complex carbohydrates as well as fiber and protein-rich |
| Unsweetened dairy products (natural yogurt, etc.) | Mineral-rich and full of proteins |
| Eggs, fish, and meat of organic quality | Protein-rich, partially containing healthy fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids |
Foods to avoid instead include packaged cheese, charcuterie, and sweet and salty snacks. Although the reasons for this are manifold, it is mainly due to the artificial colors and flavorings contained, which are intended to improve the taste experience. An overview can be found in the table below.
| Foods to avoid | Reason for exclusion |
| Ready meals (e.g., canned ravioli) | Lots of salt, sugar and artificial ingredients |
| Packaged Cheese | Often contains artificial colors and flavorings |
| Sausages | Plenty of salt, unhealthy fats and artificial ingredients |
| Soft drinks | Plenty of sugar or artificial sweeteners |
| Nutella, jam, etc. | High in sugar, few vitamins and minerals |
| Sweetened dairy products (fruit yogurt, etc.) | Sugary |
| Snacks (e.g., chips or salted sticks) | Lots of salt, high in calories and low in nutrient density |
| Biscuits, cakes and sweet baked goods | Lots of fat, sugar and hardly any fiber |
2. Eating too little
A potential danger of the Clean Eating approach is to give your body too few calories . Although this leads to significant weight loss at first and can therefore appear quite desirable, in fact, this should not be the case under any circumstances.
Because if you want to change and lose weight in the long term and sustainably, you should not focus on short-term weight loss . Like so many diets, this carries the risk of the yo-yo effect .
Instead, it makes sense to consume an amount of calories that will satisfy you in the long term and still allows you to lose weight in a targeted and healthy way. This is usually the case with 200 to 400 calories below the so-called maintenance calories.
Anything above your calorie requirements will lead to an increase in weight. Anything that is too low will result in excessive weight loss – but that is not sustainable.
3. Too many calories
Switching from habitual eating habits to clean eating can be a big change for some. Avoiding sweet snacks and salty treats can be challenging , especially at the beginning.
First of all, the taste buds and the reward center in the brain are used to receiving plenty of delicious food. On the other hand, the stomach is accustomed to large portions – which means that satiety only sets in late.
Both can lead to consuming portions that are too large. This can ultimately lead to excessive calorie intake and weight gain.
Since this should be avoided when eating clean, you should therefore keep an eye on your energy intake. It is best to pay attention to normal-sized portions and plenty of fiber as well as complex carbohydrates to promote your satiety naturally and to avoid excessive calorie consumption.
You can also use a calorie calculator, but this poses another danger, which we would now like to introduce to you.
4. Excessive control of eating behavior
Obsessive control of eating behavior carries risks of an eating disorder. As a result, you should be careful to create conditions in which you feel comfortable . Always having the calorie calculator at hand gives you a good feeling at first, but in the long term, it can do more harm than good.
To avoid excessive preoccupation with your diet, it makes sense to thoroughly educate yourself first. This may sound paradoxical, but in the end, it makes sense. Because if you get involved in the topic of clean eating from the beginning and set the most important framework conditions for yourself, you can always fall back on this knowledge later. This can help you avoid questioning everything.
Finally, preparation can save you from constantly having questions in your mind during your dietary change and from constantly dealing with the topic. Because once you are familiar with the concept of clean eating, it is actually quite simple.
5. Restricting too much
If you restrict yourself too much, you run the risk of only being able to sustain the change in diet in the short term. However, since clean eating is about a long-term and sustainable diet , you should avoid this mistake.
Therefore, it is advisable to keep some products in your daily diet instead of forcing yourself to omit them completely. Because especially the first phase in dietary change is very challenging .
If your body is used to receiving chocolate regularly, complete abstinence from the start may be too much of a restriction. This can cause you to revert to your old eating habits after a short time.
In such cases, it is probably better to gradually reduce consumption. Another option is to replace the “forbidden” product with a permitted one.
For milk chocolate, these could be sweet dates or other fruits. However, the principle of replacement should not be overused.
6. Blindly replace "forbidden" foods
For example, if you simply replace chocolate with dates, it can happen that you do not eat healthily again. Because dates are not bad for you in principle – but in too large quantities, it can be a different story.
Therefore, the same applies when replacing food: pay attention to the amount you eat. After all, the dose makes the poison . Although dates are much healthier than a bar of milk chocolate, this can no longer be said in excessive amounts.
Because dates also contain sugar – and you should only enjoy it in moderation. Otherwise, there is a risk of high blood sugar fluctuations, food cravings, and ultimately unwanted weight gain.
Thus, the following guideline applies when replacing: reduce first, then replace. This will help you avoid excessive sugar consumption and prevent severe blood sugar fluctuations.
How to Succeed in Clean Eating with VERIVAL
Clean eating is easiest when it tastes good and you don't feel like giving up something. You can achieve this by eating a varied diet. The best way to start is with breakfast.
One serving of Verival Porridge corresponds approximately to the framework conditions of Clean Eating. At the same time, there are countless variations of the oatmeal, so that the daily diet remains varied.
For example, you can top your porridge with nuts one day, healthy flaxseeds the next, and fresh berries the third – so clean eating is easy!
