This post is going to be a list of foods I have either a) cut from my life or b) limited. I’ve been pushing myself towards cleaner eating and aiming to keep my body healthy. I’ve been really inspired by youtubers like Sarah Therese (for example) to push myself towards a healthier lifestyle.
Healthy eating is step one. I want my body to feel good and strong. I hope that one day, should I have kids, that my habits will influence good habits for them.
Now, I’m not perfect and I do indulge at times. This post lists foods that I have either entirely cut (like soft drinks) or am working on cutting (like dairy). It’s tricky to do, but not impossible!
I hope this post helps you push towards cleaner eating or at least inspired you to cut out some “not so good” foods!
So, what have I cut from my diet?
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Soft drinks
I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a soft drink. I don’t buy any canned or bottled soda for the house, opting instead for fruit juices or plain water. When I go out to eat at restaurants, I tend to order water, tea, or lemonade. In fact, I don’t drink much soda so when I do, it sort of hurts my stomach and prevents me from wanting to drink it again.
If I do opt for a soft drink (which is rare) I usually go for sprite or ginger ale as both are less likely to cause tummy pains.
Cutting out soft drinks has been amazing, actually. I don’t get as much acne as I used to, and it feels more refreshing to get water based drinks. It’s a huge cut back from sugar, which is nice, and I feel better with a lemonade or water vs. a soda. Soft drinks are kind of my enemy now and I’m glad I cut them out.
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Fried foods
The only time I eat fried foods is when I break and buy frozen corn dogs or I go out to eat and get fries. To be clear, I’m talking about deep fried foods. I still fry foods (like potatoes) on the stove. However, I don’t eat deep fried foods. I eat a lot of my meals at home and since I don’t own a deep fryer, it certainly discourages that form of food.
I do go out to eat every once in a while and indulge in fries, but again, it’s rare. I save a lot of money by limiting myself from restaurant foods!
Cutting out deep fried foods hasn’t necessarily been as mind blowing as ridding myself of soft drinks. But I can say it feels nicer to eat food that is fresh and colorful over food that is greasy and brown. Does that make sense? Again, if I do indulge in deep fried foods, it usually results in a stomach ache which discourages future attempts at eating those things.
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Fast-food
I admit, I still eat fast food SOMETIMES! But not nearly as often as I used to. I estimate that I (maybe) eat fast food once a week. Typically, it’s less than that. My boyfriend and I don’t live near many fast food restaurants as it is so that has helped us cut it out a lot. He and I have both partaken in a “no fast food for a month” challenges innumerable times.
He and I also feel our money is spent more valuably on ingredients for meals vs. a fast food meal. We also love to cook, so that helps!
I personally don’t enjoy McDonald’s, Burger King, or White Castle and he dislikes Subway (which is my favorite) and Starbucks. So we don’t get food from these places very often or at all. If I spend money on fast food, it’s rare. We might cave and get Wendy’s or White Castle once a month out of convenience. Or I’ll get Arby’s once a month when visiting my family. In general, we avoid fast food all together.
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Okay. I’m a huge sugar freak. I do indulge in candy or cookies a lot of the time at work. I’m struggling really hard to completely eradicate refined sugars from my diet! However! I have successfully cut down on cakes, donuts, and brownies!
All cakes, brownies, and cookies that I eat are made at home so I can control the ingredients that go into them. Even then, these sweets are rare in my house. I don’t buy little Debbie cakes or premade sweets like that. Every now and again I’ll allow myself to get oreos (which are NOT good for you) or packaged chocolate chip cookies, but again, it’s rare.
My boyfriend and I tend to make our own sweets or eat healthier alternatives (like fruits). I don’t remember the last time I had a donut or a cinnamon roll even though I know that I’ll still eat them on rare occasions.
This is another attempt of mine to cut out bad sugars. I’m still in the process of eliminating it entirely, but for now, I’m doing good.
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Dairy
Have I completely cut out dairy? No. I haven’t. I still drink milk because my boyfriend is obsessed with it. I prefer water, but hey, to each his own. Before my boyfriend moved in, I would go a while without milk or I would buy milk alternatives. With him here, he drinks most of the milk and I tend to use it when cooking.
I’m not sure if I prefer milk alternatives or not. Personally, I’d like to make my own nut milks (I think that’d be cool).
I drink milk (maybe) once a day or less. I don’t drink it with meals and only use it for recipes. I use it for cereal IF I eat cereal but that’s not always my go-to breakfast. I don’t use butter aside from baking and the same goes for cheese. In all honesty, I still utilize milk often but in small quantities. I simply prefer water for most things!
Cutting out dairy has been better for my gut and has helped me prevent acne. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to cut it out completely, but it’s something that I try to limit for both myself and the environment.
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Red meat
I really don’t like red meat. Is that weird? I never realized how little red meat I ate until I downloaded a meal tracking app. The app had a “no red meat” challenge and after a week, I realized I didn’t eat any red meat. It’s just not something I invest in or enjoy. I personally hate ground beef and only eat steak about once or twice a year. I only have bacon at restaurants (though I do love bacon) and have ham around New Years with my family.
I love ham and bacon, honestly. However, I don’t typically invest in them. Recently, I’ve been eating more fish which I enjoy. I think it’d be nice to cut out all red meat and only eat chicken and fish. Maybe cut out chicken one day too?
My boyfriend enjoys ground beef but I’ll only eat it in tacos (IF THAT). So, typically, red meat is not common in our diets.
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Frozen meals
Gosh. I have a weird love and hate with pre-packaged frozen meals. I love the convenience. Hate the quality. Love the price. Hate the ingredients. The list goes on. The only frozen meals that my boyfriend and I indulge in is frozen pizza and even then, we hesitate to buy it because it goes too fast and it’s not the best. I don’t buy frozen dinner entrees, lasagna, chicken nuggets, or corn dogs. If I do, it’s rare. (I know I keep saying this but it’s true! These things are only bought sparingly, maybe once a month or less!)
I can’t do the frozen pre-made dinner thing. The taste is often bland and it messes with my stomach now that I’m used to making a lot of dinners. I’ll admit, they’re super convenient! And I will get frozen veggies or frozen shrimp to add to a dinner. But I don’t buy the ready microwave stuff. Cooking dinners can take a long time and sometimes, pizza is worth the minimal work, but it’s not a necessity item.
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Alcohol
Okay, I’m young, alcohol is not something I buy a lot of. I still haven’t tasted a lot of it so I don’t entirely know what I like and what I don’t. (Most of what I’ve had, I don’t like). It’s not entirely cut out from my diet but I don’t drink it often. I can tell you now, that as a young adult, I’ve had two drinks in the last three months and that feels excessive to me!
Though I want to try more drinks and figure out what I like, I want to go to more parties, and I want to find what’s comfortable, I don’t think alcohol is something I’ll have often. It might remain as a once a month (or less) venture in my diet. And that would be totally fine with me!
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:
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Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what foods you’ve cut from your diet! Give me recommendations on how to truly cut out things like dairy! Or, let me know if you want a post on my dietary goals!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
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