Whole foods are foods that have not been processed beyond minimal levels to retain essential vitamins and nutrients, such as fruits and vegetables, intact whole grains, legumes, nuts or seeds.
Always opt for food with short ingredient lists and easily identifiable ingredients, and opt for natural products over processed ones; for instance, an ear of corn in its husk would be preferable over canned corn with unknown additives.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and research indicates that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables may lower risk of chronic disease.
Botanically speaking, “fruit” refers to any part of a plant with seeds that is either sweet or mild in flavor; in the kitchen however, food may either be considered fruit or vegetables depending on how it’s prepared and used.
Tomatoes, botanically fruits, are often considered vegetables when consumed as part of salads or stews. Even the US Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that tomatoes should be taxed as vegetables even though they’re technically fruits.
Meats and Seafood
Meat in culinary terms refers to the flesh of land animals such as cows, pigs and chicken. Seafood on the other hand encompasses fish as well as shellfish such as crabs and shrimp; from a nutritional standpoint seafood tends to have lower calories and saturated fat content and higher omega-3 fatty acid levels than meat products.
Though Whole Foods doesn’t specifically cater to vegan or vegetarian consumers, many stores sell organic and free-range meat products, along with an impressive variety of seafood – such as wild-caught salmon which often costs less than domesticated varieties.
Whole Foods has long been known for its steep prices, earning itself the nickname of “Whole Paycheck.” But some shoppers have discovered ways to make grocery trips more budget-friendly; TikTok user @mohawkandtheman uploaded a video with more than 961,000 views that shows her exploiting Whole Foods prepared family meal platters to create two meals out of just $26 spent; she fills four plastic 2-compartment meal prep containers with salmon, green beans, and potatoes from each prepared family platter she purchases from Whole Foods!
Dairy Products
Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and butter belong to the whole foods family and contain high levels of calcium, which helps build strong bones.
Protein provides satiety-promoting qualities and can assist weight loss by keeping you feeling full for longer. Plus, they’re loaded with other important vitamins like potassium and magnesium!
Diets based on whole foods consist of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, milk and unprocessed meats; foods containing added sugars, salts and fats should be excluded.
All foods, even those marketed as whole, undergo some level of processing; even those considered “whole foods,” like roasted pistachios or bagged lettuce washed for salad are subject to processing; however, those which undergo minimal or moderate processing fall under the purview of whole food diet.
Grains
Whole grains are seeds that have not been refined, containing all three parts – bran, germ and endosperm – of its kernel in equal proportions as it would exist naturally in its original state. Food labeled as whole grain must include all three parts as found in its source grain seed.
Refining grains removes their bran and germ, leaving only starchy endosperm with limited amounts of protein and carbohydrates; while their germ contains vital B vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
When purchasing food with whole grains, check the Nutrition Facts label carefully to identify any potentially problematic ingredients, particularly ones such as saturated fats, added sugars or sodium. Look out for items labelled as having “whole grain” at or near the top of their ingredient lists; and try to include various grains such as ones fortified with folic acid such as brown rice in your daily diet.
