After discussing my diet over the holiday weekend, I thought it would be helpful for me to dig in and explain more about my approach to clean eating.
First, I should probably point out that there are many definitions of “clean eating.” My starting point was this brief list of guidelines and these introductory articles on the Gracious Pantry blog.
I’m completely on board with the clean eating mandate to cut out sugar and white flour. As reported in this New York Times article, the foods that make people gain weight tend to be starchy and sweet.
If you haven’t read the study described in the above link, check it out. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it’s not just how much you eat. What you eat really does matter.
Then we come to the clean eating rules on meat and dairy. There doesn’t quite seem to be a consensus. Should you stick to lean meats and lowfat dairy? Or should the emphasis be on whether or not the food is processed? Or both?
I tend to look at this from a locavore slash home cook perspective. My guiding principles are as follows: eat the best quality possible and don’t be afraid of fat.
Eat the best quality possible. I get most of my meat and dairy products from a local farm. Generally speaking, local is always better. However, it’s important to note that you should investigate the diet of the animals that you’re eating (without getting too neurotic about it, of course: Portlandia: Is this chicken local?). Look for grass fed beef and pasture-raised livestock.
In Washington, DC, I’ve found that the best farm and service in terms of overall selection, price and convenience is South Mountain Creamery. For a splurge, I love meat (sigh, pork belly) from farms sourced by EcoFriendly Foods (sold at various Washington, DC farmers markets).
When buying from the farm, I do not limit myself to lean cuts. I buy anything and everything sold, including oxtail, pork belly, short ribs, veal marrow bones (for stock), ground lamb, whole chickens, pork shoulder…Learn to cook the whole animal. If I can’t get it from the farm, I choose organic or, at least, antibiotic free meat and eggs.
The same thing goes for my milk, cheese and butter. Whenever possible, I buy milk, cheese and butter from a local farm. Failing that, I’ll buy organic or the highest quality option available.
Don’t be afraid of fat. I’m not afraid to cook with a little butter or whole milk. Polenta just isn’t polenta without a couple of pats of butter added in at the end. But I use a variety of fats. I even bake with vegetable oil. I don’t so much rely on butter as use it for flavor, like adding a dollop of full fat goat cheese to my egg fritata.
I think my approach is sound, but I encourage folks to do their own research. Read comprehensive weight loss studies for what works and what doesn’t, and learn to and enjoy real food. Bon Apetit!
