More about real food

This is a great question. Real food costs what it costs - yes, it can sometimes seem like a lot especially if you are on a budget with little room to deviate. BUT the inexpensive food is most times NOT FOOD. It's chemicals and additives that may or have been proven to negatively affect your health (mood swings, weight gain, reduced energy level, gastrointestinal problems, etc.) and buying this type of "food" financially hurts the farmers.  

Eat whole foods. Eat real food. Cook at home.You'll soon find that you are not spending that much more. You are likely to even save money; one reason is that your unhealthy food cravings will disappear in time. Processed foods are very addictive. From NaturalNews.com, "Your body processes whole foods much differently than it does refined, processed, and heavily-modified "junk" foods. Processed foods tend to overstimulate the production of dopamine, also known as the "pleasure" neurotransmitter, which makes you crave them constantly. Your body ends up not being able to resist the temptation to continue eating junk foods in excess, which can lead to obesity and other health problems."

Another reason you'll save money (and our natural resources) is because making a batch of chili, for example, can be cheaper per serving than buying cans. No waste. It's healthier. And home-cooked tastes better!

Read about the other reasons to never eat processed food again. 

You can find lots of articles online about money-saving grocery shopping ideas. Here are two to get you started:

What to Eat When You're Broke
Healthy Eating on a Budget

Whole Foods

I actually mean whole foods (foods with only one ingredient) not the store.

If you are trying the mini-pledges listed here (Commit to a Healthier You), then today starts:

Week 5: Try two new whole foods –

Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before.

This should be a fun week, because you're not trying to cut anything out of your diet. You're adding in the good stuff! If you haven't started the mini-pledges, take the week 1 plunge today and see if you can eliminate (or reduce) processed foods from your diet. Commit to a healthier you with foods that fuel your body!

I just took a break to eat my breakfast and it reminded me that natural peanut butter is a whole food! If you've never tried real peanut butter, then do that this week. You can buy it in jars (the ingredient list will say PEANUTS), you can make your own or check at your grocery store because some have a peanut or almond grinder in the store. You can even take your own jar (get it weighed first)!


Here's info from the 100 Days of Real Food blog, about whole foods:

Some examples that you’re hopefully familiar with are apples, potatoes, brown rice, whole-wheat flour and spinach. Some other whole foods that are a bit less common are as follows:

• Quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah”)
• Barley
• Parsnips
• Kale
• Collard greens
• Steel cut oats
• Papaya
• Brussels sprouts
• Black-eyed peas
• Chickpeas
• Bok choy
• Swiss chard
• Radicchio (pronounced “rah-DEE-kee-oh”)
• Spaghetti Squash
• Watercress
• Dates
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Pomegranate (and having the juice in a martini does not count!)
• Fava beans
• Lentils
• Spelt
• Pine nuts
• Star fruit

Action Item: On your next visit to the grocery store, pick out two new fruits, vegetables or grains to try. If you have no idea how to cook or eat or peel them, go online for recipes and how-to videos. Or call your Mom! No excuses.

For Further Reading: What Exactly Are Whole Foods? and The Benefits of Healthy Whole Foods

Commit to a Healthier You

Trying to fuel your body with healthier foods, but not sure where to start? Or how to start? Or when to start? Well, I can tell you when to start... NOW.

I read an article from EatLocalGrown.com written by the creator of 100Daysof RealFood.com, Lisa Leakes. She presents manageable steps or pledges for cutting processed foods from your diet. The link to the story is also at the bottom of the page.

If you feel overwhelmed at times with conflicting information (foods ads, news stories, research, friends' recommendations, this blog, etc.) and not sure how to process all that data, these mini-pledges have simplified the information into manageable changes to answer your "where?" and "how?" questions.

These are all topics that I've hit on in previous posts, so if you've been following along I hope you've already marked off a few of these items.

14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges

• Week 1: Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal – Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.
• Week 2: “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
• Week 3: Meat – All meat consumed this week will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). Meat consumption will also be limited to 3 – 4 servings this week, and when it is eaten meat will not be presented as the “focal point” of the meal. Instead meat will be treated as a side item or simply used to help flavor a dish.
• Week 4: No fast food or deep-fried foods – No fast food or any foods that have been deep-fried in oil.
• Week 5: Try two new whole foods – Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before.
• Week 6: No low-fat, lite or nonfat food products – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”
• Week 7: 100% Whole grain – All grains consumed must be 100% whole-grain.
• Week 8: Stop eating when you feel full – Listen to your internal cues and stop eating when you feel full.
• Week 9: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
• Week 10: No refined oils – No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.
• Week 11: Eat local foods – Eat at least 1 locally grown or raised food at each meal. This includes, but is not limited to: fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, nuts, meats, and sweeteners like honey.
• Week 12: No sweeteners – Avoid all added sweeteners including, but not limited to: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice.
• Week 13: Nothing artificial – Avoid all artificial ingredients including, but not limited to: sweeteners, flavors and colors.
• Week 14: No more than 5-indgredients – Avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients

Action Item: Tomorrow is the first day of May, so why not start your first mini-pledge today and get a head start. Print this out, save the page on your computer, put reminds in your task list... just make the pledge to eat foods that fuel your body!

For Further Reading: 14 Steps to Cut Out Processed Foods

Another good read that might help you in your journey is 12 Healthy Eating Lessons We Can Learn from the French. And this website, 100 Days of Real Food, is an excellent resource for other reasons (recipes, motivation to change, etc).