For example, a plain potato is a whole food, but a bag of preservative laden potato chips is not.

Because whole foods do not contain the chemicals, hormones or preservatives added by man, they exist in their purest state, with the highest levels of vitamins and minerals.

Some foods that health experts consider whole deviate slightly from this formula. Steel cut oats and plain frozen vegetables, for example, are considered very healthy whole foods, but do undergo some processing. "Eating clean" emphasizes whole food and encourages the elimination of processed food. Other aspects of Reno’s diet (which she considers a lifestyle) that have become associated with whole food eating include five to six smaller meals throughout the day, including lean protein and complex carbohydrates in every meal, and engaging in an active exercise plan.

Jillian Michaels’ book "Master Your Metabolism" stresses the elimination of non whole foods as critical for health, because of the hormone disruptors and toxic additives found in processed food such as trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.

A common factor in these diets is minimization of processed foods such as Cheetos and the incorporation of as many whole foods as one’s pantry can hold. All maintain that as long as one is in a moderate calorie deficit, eating clean will result in weight loss, but more importantly, good health.