Do’s and Don’ts When Starting With Clean Eating

If you are brand new to clean eating, you might be getting a little overwhelmed with all 
the information out there. There is a lot to learn, from what you can and can’t eat, to 
how much, how to read labels for ingredients, and when to exercise. Here is a simple 
list of some do’s and don’ts that will help you navigate this new healthy lifestyle. 

Do’s

First up, let’s talk about what you can do while you are clean eating. These are some 
easy tips and guidelines to live by to help eating clean work best for you.

Eat Breakfast Daily – With clean eating, you want to have enough fuel to get you 
through the day, so make sure you are having breakfast each morning. Having a protein 
shake, smoothie, or oatmeal is totally fine. Just put something in your body within the 
first hour of waking.

Eat More Frequently, Smaller Meals – To keep your metabolism up and increase fat 
burning, eat smaller meals, but more frequently. Instead of three larger meals a day, 
split up your calories and other macros into 5-6 meals a day, including a snack or two.

Meal Prep and Plan – It is vital that you are fully prepared for anything that might come 
up, which starts with planning all meals and snacks. If you plan on going on a hike or 
traveling, have plenty of clean eating snacks you can bring with you.

Choose Natural Fruit Sources – Instead of having added sugar in your diet, go for 
natural sugar sources, like raw honey or fresh fruit.

Don’ts

There are also some common mistakes people tend to make while eating clean. Here 
are some of those important ‘don’ts’ to keep in mind.

Eat Packaged Foods – One of the simplest ways to eat cleaner is to avoid packaged 
and processed food. This means skipping all those bags of chips and crackers, 
packaged cookies, and processed carbs like white rice and white pasta. Stick to stuff 
you can make or bake from scratch.

Drink Empty Calories – There is no reason you should be drinking soft drinks and 
sugary fruit juice during the day. These are definitely not clean, have no nutritional 
value, and are just adding on the calories and fat you don’t need. Instead, stick to water, 
tea, some coffee, and juice you make at home.

Skip the Healthy Fats – While you want to avoid excessive amounts of fat like from 
butter, margarine, and red meat, other fats are healthy and can keep you full. Don’t 
forget to add in healthy fats like nuts, seeds, coconut oil, and avocados.


