Clean eating: the good, the bad and the unhelpful

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The term "clean eating" has accumulated more than 30 million Instagram hashtags.

 (Getty Images: GMVozd)

It's a lifestyle choice, not a diet, according to its loyal devotees.

But what makes "clean eating" any different from other dietary regimes, and more importantly, is it any good for you?

It's difficult to determine the potential benefits — and drawbacks — of the clean eating approach, since there has never been any agreement on what the term actually means.

"There's no universal definition or understanding of clean eating … It's kind of a self-defined way of living," said nutritionist Rebecca Reynolds.

The core principles of the movement align with standard nutritional advice: eliminate processed foods and refined sugar, stick to wholegrains, eat more fruits and vegetables, reduce salt intake, and cut back on alcohol.

So far, so good. Except clean eating is often taken to the extreme and can quickly become expensive and unrealistic, and in some instances, highly restrictive and non-evidenced based.

So what should you consider before jumping on the #cleaneating bandwagon?

Labelling food with judgements is unhelpful

Critics of clean eating say the term itself can be really unhelpful.

"The term 'clean' implies that there are unclean, impure, dirty things that you should avoid at all costs. To me, healthy eating is much more balanced and reasonable and doesn't demonise certain foods," Dr Reynolds said.

Some opponents say clean eating has become a needless form of moralising: people who eat "clean" food are virtuous and healthy, and people who eat "unclean" food are irresponsible and unhealthy.

"I don't think it's good to imply that if you eat 'clean' your body's going to be pure and you're going to live for 500 years. No matter how much cacao you eat, we're all going to die," Dr Reynolds said. 

Nutritionists agree there is no one right way to eat, and the idea of "righteous eating" ignores the many complex reasons behind the food choices we make.

"Black and white food rules can result in some stress, and potentially disordered eating," Dr Reynolds said.

Using language like "guilt-free snacks" and "cheat days" make it hard to have a healthy relationship with what you eat.

Be wary of cutting out whole food groups

While most of us could benefit from reducing our intake of kilojoules — especially those "discretionary foods" — it's important not to throw the good stuff out with the bad.

Some clean eating plans prohibit a range of foods that are widely considered nutritious (I'm looking at you #paleo). Often, people are encouraged to cut out whole food groups, such as grains, remove animal foods, or "go raw".

But such dietary restrictions can be nutritionally substandard if the foods we remove are not properly substituted with, for example, iron, calcium or protein-rich alternatives.

"If you are cutting out large numbers of foods or entire food groups, you do need to be careful that you're getting enough nutrients," Dr Reynolds said.

Gluten isn't always bad

If you follow #cleaneating on Instagram, you'd be forgiven for thinking gluten is the devil.

It is not, and there is no evidence to suggest that adopting a gluten-free diet provides any health benefits to people who do not have coeliac disease.

In fact, gluten-free substitutes are often low in fibre and have fewer nutrients, not to mention they are significantly more expensive.

For people with gluten sensitivity or irritable bowel syndrome, it can sometimes help to avoid foods like bread and pasta. But for everyone else, beware of going against the grain (pun intended) and being seduced by an expensive trend.

Healthy eating doesn't have to be costly

The ingredients list of many clean eating recipes — laden with chia seeds, goji berries and organic spirulina — might give you the impression that healthy eating is expensive

But according to molecular nutritionist Emma Beckett, it doesn't have to be. The so-called "superfoods" ubiquitous in clean-eating circles often don't warrant their price mark-up.

"They trick you into thinking that eating healthy is expensive, and it isn't. It doesn't need to be. You can get all those things you need from a variety of standard fruits and vegetables," Dr Beckett said.

Dr Reynolds agrees, and says the highly-stylised nature of #cleaneating portrayed online sets unrealistic expectations for busy, working people.

"I think it's a bit ridiculous. It makes me feel a bit sick when I look at all the people on social media, what they post, how stylised it is," Dr Reynolds said.

"It's unrealistic, particularly for people that don't have loads of money.

"You don't need to buy quinoa and have rice malt syrup. The wider public and the people who create lots of these diet plans don't understand the basic science of things sometimes.

Clean eating can become obsessive (and unhealthy)

Clean eating has been linked to an eating disorder known as orthorexia, which literally means a "fixation on righteous eating".

"When it becomes a problem is when [clean eating] has significant negative impacts on someone's life, whether that's with socialising or the stress associated with food preparation," Dr Reynolds said.

"I do think following certain eating styles can work, it's just the level people take it to."

While orthorexia is not recognised as a clinical diagnosis, experts warn that an obsession with healthy eating, and preoccupation with "right" and "wrong" foods, can have serious mental and physical health consequences.

So how do you best approach healthy eating without taking it too far?

A balanced diet is still the way to go
As diets come and go, and #cleaneating amasses millions of Instagram hashtags, the old adage of "everything in moderation" — with lots of fruit and veggies — still reigns supreme.

"A 'mostly-sometimes' balanced approach is the way to go. Mostly better foods, sometimes worse foods.

"Fruits and vegetables are so important. More of us need to eat more vegetables … also fruit, but mostly vegetables," Dr Reynolds said.

According to the World Health Organisation, health is "a resource for everyday life, not the object of living."

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