Whole Foods (not the grocery store)

I recently pledged to this challenge at Eating Rules, called October: Unprocessed. The gist is to challenge yourself to a month without eating processed foods. Wilder goes on to explain what he means by processed, and it's a pretty inclusive definition: anything you can't make in your kitchen. Now, that would not be how we'd define it in this household, because we eat a lot of tofu. So, he encourages those taking the pledge to make their own exceptions, too. Although, the closer you stick to that basic rule, the more likely it is that you'll be sticking to what I encourage as a year-round rule -- eating a whole food diet.

At our house, I've begun to use the term "Nu Era Botanicals Approved" meal.  I apply this to other things (often to try to be funny), but it basically goes like so:

Poached eggs, served over spinach and tomatoes with turmeric, sea salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar?

That's a Nu Era Botanicals Approved breakfast!

It's approved because the bulk of the ingredients are whole foods, as opposed to parts of foods. To make an example of high-fructose corn syrup, (because let's face it, it's easy) all that it is is the isolated sugar found in corn. Corn, as a whole food would never taste that sweet or cause the major spike in blood-sugar levels that HFCS does.

When you realize this you can begin to regard whole foods as the moderators of our consumption. After all, isn't this the one rule everyone can agree on when it comes to the way we should eat-- everything in moderation?

Now, I wouldn't say everything. There are some things out there that should be avoided entirely and this is where the second word in my whole foods philosophy comes in. If you're eating it, it should be food. Trans fats, aspartame, MSG, any kind of food coloring, pesticides, and genetically-modified organisms are not food.

I love to share this list because it's a great jumping off point. You can build many a meal off of the Clean 15 list, especially if you're handy with a rice-cooker (or can cook rice on the stove like my talented boyfriend), and they are all whole foods!

It's also especially handy because it doesn't require you to make room in your budget for organic foods, though jumping into that game is absolutely Nu Era Botanicals approved!