CLEAN EATING
What Does It Really Mean?
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO
Interest in the term “clean eating” is high; a search of the
hashtag #cleaneating on Instagram yields almost 45 million
posts, and a search for books on the topic returns more than
8,000 results. Clean eating was termed one of the top poten-
tially unhealthful celebrity diets in 2017 by the British Dietetic
Association, even though there’s no particular clean eating
diet.1,2 It’s a diet fad that’s been embraced by movie stars and
models, including Miranda Kerr, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jessica
Alba, as well as some chefs, journalists, and nutritionists.^3 It’s
clearly a trending topic, but there’s little agreement about what
it means, making it challenging to discuss and assess and
leaving the definition up to individual interpretation. To some, it
may refer to a way of eating, a type of diet, or a lifestyle, though
there remains confusion about its principles. Thus, RDs work-
ing with clients eager to explore clean eating must counsel
each individual differently after determining what meaning
they derive from the term and what outcomes they desire.
This continuing education course reviews the ambiguity of
the term “clean eating,” explores the various interpretations
that have emerged, and examines the evidence for and against
claims pertaining to clean eating. It also highlights the need for
RDs to determine what outcomes their clients hope to achieve
through clean eating and how to help them meet their needs
using an evidence-based approach.Aspects of Clean Eating
While the term may have arisen from good intentions for
more healthful eating, its usefulness may be limited by its
ambiguity. Dictionary definitions of the two words in the term
may offer clues to what it may mean to individuals, though the
following dictionary definitions don’t offer a great deal of infor-
mation about how clean eating might be achieved:- clean: “Free from dirt, marks, or stains (‘the room was
spotlessly clean’); morally uncontaminated, pure, innocent
(‘clean living’)”; and - eat: “Put (food) into the mouth and chew and swallow it.”^4
If taken literally, clean eating means consuming food free
from dirt. But it appears that it can mean much more than that
and suggests many different things to different people. An
article in Consumer Affairs, for example, states that the clean
eating diet is based on consumption of fresh fruits and veg-
etables and the avoidance of processed foods.^2 The British
Dietetic Association broadens the concept by suggesting that
clean eating means avoiding all processed foods and cooking
from scratch, eliminating refined sugar, and choosing foods in
their natural state.^1CPE MONTHLY
COURSE CREDIT: 2 CPEUsLEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this continuing education course,
nutrition professionals should be better able to:- Distinguish the challenges of defining clean eating.
- Evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks to
using the term “clean eating” with clients. - Communicate effectively with clients who express
a desire to eat clean, determine what outcomes they
desire, and counsel them about how to achieve their
nutrition goals.
Suggested CDR Learning Codes
5200, 5370, 6010
Suggested CDR Performance Indicators
1.1.3, 2.2.2, 4.1.2, 9.1.3
CPE Level 242 today’s dietitian august 2019