Why “Clean Eating” Has No Meaning
Posted by Dayne Hudson
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Comparing the Nutritional Benefits of a Clean vs Regular Treat
What does the term ‘clean treat’ mean?
Let’s consider what ‘clean treats’ means. Clean food, refers to consuming foods that are grown free of chemicals, pesticides and in the most natural way, which includes being raised naturally when it comes to meat.
It can refer to consuming only these wholesome real foods, nothing artificial, avoiding sugars, processed, packaged and man ‘tampered’ foods. The purpose of eating like this is to ensure you are consuming only natural, nutrient-dense foods which your body will utilise to function well.
The general goal of eating clean is that you should feel energized, have less digestive issues from chemicals and processed food, have better sleep quality, faster muscular recovery, reduced sugar cravings, reduced sugar crashes, improved focus and clarity, reduced headaches, clearer skin and less bloating.
A ‘clean treat’ does not actually mean low or zero-calorie, in fact, many clean treats are often quite a calorie dense due to their inclusion of nuts and oils. It is what nutrients you get out of these products that make them good for you in comparison to regular treats.
So how does a regular treat compare to a clean treat?
A chocolate bar is generally filled with rapid absorbing sugars which spikes your blood glucose levels in response to sugar, provide little to no vitamins and minerals to help your body function, leave you with a sugar crash and can have high levels of nasty fats which we simply shouldn’t be consuming.
While some of the major ingredients in a clean treat include; protein for muscle growth and recovery, healthy fats from nuts and coconut oil that help maintain fullness, low GI carbohydrates like oats to provide energy over a sustained period of time and naturally occurring sugars for sweetness like honey and rice malt.
All the ingredients come with their own vitamin and mineral profile like honey being high in Vitamin C, Oats high in Manganese and coconut oil high in Vitamin E.
The bottom line is by using real foods, not those built in a lab, you are receiving ‘real’ goodness and that also mean ‘real’ calories, which your body can use.
Defining a treat
In answer to a question I often receive; “Do you just eat them all?” my answer is; No. If I did, I would probably be quite a bit heavier.
We discussed the word ‘clean’ in clean treats, so when you consider the word ‘treat’, that is exactly what they are, a treat!
And by definition that is: An event or item that is out of the ordinary and gives great pleasure. Meaning you should not indulge ALL the time, just when cravings call or you need a pick me up.
Some great ways to enjoy clean treats can be as your small afternoon snack (e.g one 25 gram protein ball), your post-workout snack (aim for a recipe high in protein), your treat dessert or they are a great option to take into work for shared morning tea over muffins.
Formerly working as part of Bulk Nutrients R&D team for many years, Nicole Frain is a food scientist, personal trainer and a professional international cyclist.
She's applied her learnings at the national stage for bodybuilding, and has several qualifications in Food Science, Nutrition and Business!
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