Eat more whole foods to reduce the amount of processed salt, added sugar and fat that enters your diet – which may reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
However, adopting an entirely whole foods diet can be time consuming and restrictive; to achieve real change more gradually it would be more practical to gradually replace processed meals with whole food alternatives.
Fruits and Vegetables
Food experts agree that fruits and vegetables are integral components of a healthy diet, boasting numerous vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
Fruit and vegetables are key components of a balanced diet because they contain various plant chemicals with health-giving benefits. Aim to consume at least five types of vegetables and two varieties of fruit daily.
Vegetables can often be divided into categories according to which part is consumed for food: root vegetables such as beets and carrots are generally considered root vegetables; stem, leaf and leaf-stalk vegetables like asparagus and kale fall under this category, bulb vegetables include garlic and leeks; while head or flower-like vegetables include artichokes, broccoli and cauliflower (although botanists consider tomatoes fruits).
Grains
Grain products such as wheat, rice, oats and other cereal grains fall within this group, as do non-grass pseudocereals such as quinoa and buckwheat. Bread, pasta and breakfast cereal are made up of grains.
Consuming a diet rich in whole food sources that is free from added sugars, sodium and saturated fats may help lower your risk for certain diseases and boost immunity.
Most adults require between 5-8 ounce-equivalents of grain foods each day, with at least half of those grains being whole grains. Many refined grains have been “enriched,” meaning vitamins and minerals like iron, thiamin, riboflavin and folic acid have been added back in to reduce neural tube defects among infants. When selecting “enriched foods” make sure they specify 100% or “whole grain.”
Meats
Whole foods are unprocessed and free from additives; examples include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, fish and lean meats as well as dairy products. Aiming for an all-whole foods diet would be ideal, however gradually adding them can be achieved as you move along your food journey.
As many people choose vegetarianism or veganism for health, ethical, environmental or religious reasons, Whole Foods provides many choices including chicken, beef and pork products as well as rabbit meat in 2014. This decision sparked considerable controversy since domestic rabbits are commonly kept as pets; moreover, other instances have arisen regarding business practices, labor issues and product selection from Whole Foods.
Dairy
Whole Foods Market was first opened for business in October 1974 with a mission of offering fresh, natural foods at reasonable prices. Unlike its competitor health food stores at that time, Whole Foods had an employee-owned company and an enthusiastic staff dedicated to its success.
About 90% of Americans do not consume enough dairy in their diets and could benefit from adding low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt into their meals.
Many people avoid dairy due to concerns regarding the treatment of cows, its impact on cholesterol levels and carbon footprint. Furthermore, government policies involve milk purchasing programs as well as school lunch programs which mandate milk use; alternative policies could reduce environmental footprint and dependence on dairy products.
Other Foods
A whole foods diet is an approach to eating that you can maintain over time. The aim is to consume mostly natural, minimally processed food like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish, nuts and seeds, dairy products and healthy fats such as olive oil.
Although less processed, even whole food foods can still be altered nutritionally through methods like adding salt and sugar or through other means such as freezing or cooking; this can leave them lacking the essential vitamins and minerals they contain; this is why it’s so essential to consume as many of these whole food options as possible.
Faddish diets can often make people forget that simply switching up their lifestyle and adding in more whole food-rich diet is just as beneficial to long-term health as restrictive dieting regimens.
