What the Heck is “Real Food”?
Nutrition experts go on and on about consuming real or whole foods, in combination with all the other beautifully phrased things we should be doing on a daily basis to be “healthy”. That’s great and everything, and I’m not at all saying I disagree with those recommendations, but what exactly do “real” and “whole” foods mean?
If you’re someone truly looking for the answers to this question, chances are you are trying to bring intention around food into your life. You not only want your eating choices to be intuitive, but the connection to and enjoyment with your food is becoming a priority. And that’s exactly where you should begin.
“Real” and “whole” foods simply represent foods hunted on or foraged from the land, in their most natural forms. (Margarine was not a fat from a hunted animal, and Doritos were not carbs foraged from the earth -- for example.) Getting our foods directly from the earth, as close to their natural states as possible, is how we can incorporate them into daily life.
It’s obviously not practical to hunt and forage on a regular basis in this modern world. We have jobs and commutes and screaming children who just threw a hunk of mashed strawberries at the wall.
Tip#1: When you’re grocery shopping, at the oh-so convenient grocery store, stick to the departments located along the perimeter or border of the building. This typically includes the fresh produce department, frozen or refrigerated packaged meats or deli counter, seafood counter, pickled vegetables, dairy (if you can tolerate it) and aged cheeses, and sometimes frozen fruits and veggies. The perimeter also occasionally includes the bakery and hot food items, which, depending on what you permit and/or tolerate in your daily diet, can hold space in a whole-foods diet.
Tip #2: When possible, choose the best quality foods you can afford. This means looking for grass-fed (and finished, if possible) red meats, pastured chickens and pork, and organic/non-GMO fruits and vegetables. Depending on where you get your groceries, the better quality items aren’t always going to be an-arm-and-a-leg more expensive than their conventional counterparts, which is great! However, if the higher quality items are too much for your budget right now, don’t sweat it. The ultimate goal is to remove any foods not taken directly from the earth and replace them with ones that were, organic or not.
Tangent: I get a lot of questions about the “taken from the earth” thing. Like hummus. Some store brand and most homemade hummus recipes include pretty decent ingredients (tips and tricks to reading food labels will come in a future post). But hummus has to be made and combined and “processed” in order for it to be what it is. Does this count as “taken from the earth”? My opinion is yes, given that the ingredients are acceptable. Traditional cultures have been making these minorly processed concoctions for centuries, using local foods and a bit of imagination. Homemade will always be best for things like this, but double-checking labels while you’re at the grocery store is always a close second-best option... and we have to make room for the comforts of modern living too. End tangent. :)
There are many other tips and tricks to help you get the benefits of real, whole foods without spending a ton of cash at your local grocer:
You could grow your own food! Marvelous, isn’t it?! But really, gardening is a bit of work, but once you get the hang of it, and prepare the proper setting for it to thrive, your homegrown food could feed you all spring/summer/fall long -- even longer if you live anywhere but the midwest (like I do)! And it doesn’t have to be big. It could be planters along a counter or windowsill inside your living space. It could be a six by six box garden. It could be a fresh herb container. The options are endless, choose what works for you.
Along those same lines, you could can (this is a verb, not a typo) or culture your own food varieties (potentially even your homegrown veggies!). This requires a little money up front to buy the materials, but once you have them, you will likely never need to replace them. There are free tutorials online or detailed books you can buy to help you decide which equipment is best for your vision. If you want to go a step further and are familiar with kombucha, it’s super easy to make at home. I can help you here, just reach out!
This is a little more energy-intensive, but if your state or locality allows it, you could try hunting (or foraging)! Go with a friend or family member who has some experience and learn as much as you can. It’s also a great time for some mindful introspection. Or, if you already are a hunting or fishing expert, encourage your loved ones to accompany you and get some bonding time in, too! The ability to teach is the greatest determinant of expertise.
Attend some local farmer's markets or sign up for a CSA. Oftentimes you can save some big bucks buying local, and it provides you the chance to speak directly to the person or people growing or raising your food -- read that again. That’s hugely important and a great way to find connection to your food. Local farmers often use organic practices but can’t afford the USDA organic certification. This is something you’d only learn by talking directly with them. You can ask questions, make friends, even find potential job or internship opportunities. Even if, for whatever reason, your local farmers can’t afford organic practices, eating local foods means consuming microbes local to your area, which can strengthen your immune system year-round (given that you live and remain living in the same area, but even then, it’s still a benefit). Win-win on all levels.
Dig in to your cultural history and start trial-and-erroring some traditional dishes or ingredients. We’ve all got plenty of history coursing through our veins, it’s about time we embraced it with open arms! Learn about your family’s past and traditional cuisines, and try to mimic them at home. At the very least, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, devote time to your loved ones, and have fun trying new foods or combinations. You might even end up saving money in the long run!
There are four easy words to live by when it comes to trying to eat healthy whole foods:
Variety -- get #AllTheColors on that plate!
Quality -- buy the best-sourced foods that you can afford (we will discuss food quality terms in an upcoming post)
Local -- saves fossil fuels and money while bringing you closer to your food
Seasonal -- human evolution stemmed from eating what was available at the times of year they could be naturally found… do your homework and give it a try!
Real foods. Whole foods. These abstract ideas can be made concrete with just a little time, energy, and imagination. If you’re dedicated to getting yourself even remotely healthier than you are right now in this moment, you can always turn to nutrient-dense, properly prepared, whole foods to get you there.
#RealFood #RealFoodMovement #WholeFood #Unprocessed #PGMW #AncestralHealth #Culture #NewIdeas #Social #Community
