Is What You are Eating Really Food? A Fun Twist on What Food Is and Isn’t

By Erika Fehrenbach Prell

Hey there, DreamChaser...so glad you are here! Living your best life is a continued journey of mind, body, and soul wellness. Today, we are going to chat about real food, as in whole and unprocessed food, but with a unique SoulShine twist.

There are so many healthy reasons to make an effort to swap out processed foods for whole foods. To simplify your life, here are my 5 Real Food Best Reasons:

1. More Nutrients: The more processed the food, the less nutrients there are. Whole food also has less salt and sugar. 
   
2. Saves Money: Believe it or not, whole foods are often less expensive than processed foods, especially during the summer season when vegetables are in season!
   
3. Kick the Cravings: One source of cravings can come from what is missing in your diet. These missing nutrients are often lost when food is processed, leading to excess snacking and calorie consumption. Eating nutrient dense food interrupts this cycle. 
   
4. Fiber Booster: Fiber...the unsung hero of our nutrition! Whole foods are full of this important health need.
   
5. Time Saver: Fresh meats and vegetables cook faster than processed foods. Looking for time and health? Boom, mic drop.
   

That, DreamChaser, is why you should care about eating real food. Now, let’s talk about what I mean by real food. I already hinted at it, unprocessed and whole foods. We have all heard that before, right? At least, I know I have. But, school is always in, even for the pro. Recently, a good friend of mine described real food in a unique way...it was one of those “ah-ha” moments for me.

Before you put the food in your shopping basket or cart, ask yourself this simple question to determine if it is real food or not. Was this once alive? Real food was once alive, either as a plant or as an animal. The more removed, or processed, from being alive or that original state, the less it is food. This is a simple way to cut to the chase when making choices at the grocery store! Here are a few other tips to get you away from processed junk and back to real food:

1. Label Scan: The more words on the label, especially long words that you can’t pronounce, the less likely it’s real food.
   
2. Pass on the Can: When it comes to vegetables, ditching canned is a great first step. Fresh is best, then frozen.
   
3. Stay to the Outside: Food on the outside of the grocery store is freshest. As you move to the aisles, you get your processed foods. See if you can fill your cart with options from the outside first.
   
4. Brown is the New White: White foods like all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, white rice and many pastas are highly processed. Switching to whole wheat flour, cane sugar or sugar in the raw, brown or multigrain rice, and fresh or grain pastas brings in more nutrients and fiber.
   
5. Exchange Game: There are several simple exchanges you can make to up the real food game in your diet. Besides switching from white to brown foods, here are some more simple exchanges:
   

-Ground turkey instead of beef (in highly seasoned meals like chili, soup, or tacos, even picky eaters won’t notice the exchange)
-Fresh vegetables instead of canned (try sauteing in extra virgin olive oil to preserve those nutrients)
-Fresh, lower sodium deli meat instead of pre-packaged (even better, roast chicken or baked ham instead. Have some for the evening meal and save some for sandwiches)
-Bakery bread instead of packaged bread (remember, go for the whole wheat!)
-Fruit instead of fruit juice
-Fresh, whole grain, or quinoa pasta instead of boxed pasta
-Brown or multigrain rice instead of white rice (or, try a super grain like quinoa)
-Oatmeal with fresh fruit instead of sugar cereal (steel cut oatmeal is an even better choice)

Living your best life means caring for your whole self - mind, body & soul. This is true wellness! Your food is the fuel behind all of this. Making intentional choices towards better food choices is the best decision you can make and choosing real food is the foundation to build on. It is easy to get overwhelmed or confused on where to start when it comes to nutrition and getting healthier, which results in doing what is easy or familiar. Switching to whole, real food is worth the effort. Start with these simple suggestions and ask yourself the simple question, “was this once alive?”, and you will be well on your way!

Shine On!