Eat Whole Foods
I think the general public is very confused about what is “processed food” and what is “whole food.” Most likely, it’s because of slick marketing on the part of the processed food people, trying to convince us that their laboratory concoctions are actually healthy.
“Made from REAL fruit.”
“All natural.”
“No Trans Fat!”
What does all of that mean? No one knows, really, so don’t knock yourself out trying to figure it out. Today, rather than trying to define a “processed food,” let’s concentrate on “whole food.”
What’s a whole food?
* If the food came from the ground or has a mother, it’s a whole food.
*A whole food has had nothing added to it or taken from it. It is in its simplest form, the way God created it to be.
*In a grocery store, you find most whole foods on the perimeter of the store.
*When you look at the ingredients, there should be only one.
*When you look at the food, it should look like the food in question.
*The more ingredients you see, generally, the more processing has taken place.
*If the ingredients list contains any chemicals, preservatives, artificial coloring or flavoring, it is absolutely not a whole food.
*Many whole foods have limited or no packaging (think produce and meat).
*Most whole foods can be purchased from a farmer’s market.
From there, it starts to get a little complicated. For one, not all processing is unhealthy. For example, cheese, butter and plain Greek yogurt are minimally processed, but they are all foods that you could safely work into a healthy diet. Unless it’s Velveeta or spray cheese in a can. That’s not whole food, by a long shot.
Also, you can't always look at the number of ingredients. Salsa may contain several ingredients, but if it’s a fresh salsa, it should contain only a variety of chopped up vegetables and herbs. All healthy, whole foods…just chopped up and mixed together.
You can also find many whole foods (fruites, veggies, meat and fish) in the frozen food section--right next to the Eggo Waffles and Pizza Pockets.
Then there are degrees of processing. And this is where it gets muddy for most people, even me.
So, I’ve compiled a little list of foods at various stages of processing.
Fitness Friday Girl…bringin’ it to the people.
Examples of Whole Foods vs. Processed Foods
Apple=whole food
Apple Sauce=minimally processed food
Apple Pop Tart=processed food
Blueberry=whole food
Blueberry Jam=processed food
Blueberry Flavored Gummy Treats=highly processed food
Brown Rice: whole food
White Rice: processed food
Rice Crispy Treat: highly processed food
Corn: whole food
Organic Corn Tortilla: minimally processed food
Fritos: highly processed food
Oats: whole food
Nature Valley Granola Bars: processed food
Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie: highly processed food
Throughout this series, we will discuss some particularly stellar (I love the word “stellar”) whole foods and ideas on how to work them into your diet. But today, know this:
No matter what your fitness goal, a diet rich in whole foods is an absolute necessity.
Unless your fitness goal is to be overweight and sick. Then, by all means, get crazy with the Little Debbie snacks.
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How bout these ladies right here?
great post! i grew up on a farm so basically for me if it doesn't look like something i grew up with i'll pass! you post the most wonderful info and cover it so interestingly, thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm linking this on my FB group page "Spring into Summer Healthy & Beauty" as one of our goals is to include a raw fruit or veg to each meal or as a snack.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great way of breaking it down for understanding.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite sentence is, "No matter what your fitness goal, a diet rich in whole foods is an absolute necessity."
I completely agree!
Love me some Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies....brings childhood right back to me.
ReplyDeleteI also love feeling good and fitting into my clothes, so I haven't purchased them since vacation!
Thanks for explaining the whole/processed concept. I'm learning that food prep is much simpler and healthier when just sticking to the basics. Brown rice, chicken and broccoli w/ an orange for dessert....delicious!
*with* exception, I mean.
ReplyDeleteYou have actually made me feel better. A majority of my choices fall in the first 2 sections, which exception to the oreo cookies and brown sugar & cinnamon pop-tarts. But don't tell. :)
ReplyDeleteLove this post! Although, Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies... *sigh* I love those things! Fortunately I haven't had one in years! LOL
ReplyDelete