Barbara Mintz and other licensed dietitians and doctors are very pleased with the news that Americans are now finding it cool to eliminate processed foods from their diets and change them with fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

Mintz, vice president of healthy living and community engagement for Barnabas Health thinks that phrases such real food and clean eating are silly, but still rejoices to the fact that more and more people are finally getting it.

Clean eating has finally gotten recognition last year, but health professionals say it's not just some sort of a fad that should be outmoded.

Over the years, Americans have been eating fast-food or easy-to-prepare meals, with nutrition being compromised at the same time. Consequently, health experts and doctors are left with seeing more patients complaining of sluggishness and inexplainable fatigue.

Dr. Monica Bais, an internist in Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, stated that these health complaints are mostly linked to what we eat or consume from scratch.

"it's very exciting because people are becoming more aware of what they are putting in their bodies," Dr. Bais said.

So, what exactly should our plates look like now that we are becoming more conscious of what we're eating?

Bais said, "half of your plate should be vegetables, quarter should be protein and a quarter should be starch."

Bais also asserts the "naked foods" approach where it's better when the amount of time it takes for your food to get from the farm-to-table is less.

"The closest you can stay to the natural product, the better you will be," she added.

Below are tips provided by health experts to start eating clean:

• Stay in the areas around the outside of the grocery store while shopping. These areas are where fresh meats, dairy and vegetables are kept around.

• To fill half your plate with vegetables, eat five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit. Fill your car with color by making sure you have a rainbow assortment of produce. Vegetables and fruits with different colors have different nutrients which our bodies need to be healthy.

• Clean eating doesn't necessarily mean completely forgoing meats and dairy. In order to have a balanced diet, protein matters. Choose lean meats such as fish, turkey or chicken with 3 to 5 ounces of servings, while red meats should be limited to 3 ounces of serving.

• Inspect the ingredients or read the labels, especially when buying something in packaging. Be wary or steer clear of food that contains fructose or partially hydrogenated oils. Or simply put back if you are not familiar of the ingredients that says in the package.