Whole foods are ones that haven’t been processed too much and haven’t changed from their original state. Items that are brought home to cook are examples of whole foods. It is essential to regularly eat whole foods because they have a more comprehensive nutritional profile than processed food items. Additionally, whole foods do not use artificial sweeteners and usually have no or just natural sugar.
What is included in a whole food diet?
Minimally processed plant foods are the focus of a whole food diet, which may contain minimally processed animal items. These consist of:
- Apples, berries, citrus fruits, grapes, dark leafy greens, peppers, cucumbers, and carrots are examples of whole fruits and vegetables.
- Barley, buckwheat, brown rice, and quinoa are examples of whole grains.
- Plant-based lean proteins include options like tofu, beans, and nuts. Meat, fish, and poultry are some examples of animal proteins.
- Peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, sunflower, flax, and pumpkin seeds are some examples of nuts and seeds as whole foods.
- Some healthy fats include avocados, almonds, olive oil, and olives.
How to consume more whole foods
If you want to switch to a whole food diet from a highly processed diet with nutritional foods, you have to learn and steer clear of your comfort zone. One can learn to spot highly processed food items like fruit-flavoured beverages and premade sauces in plastic containers and swap them out for whole foods like homemade vegetable sources and just whole fruits. People who want to follow a better diet with good and nutritious food items, we’ve got you:
- Make a plan
You can have better control of your diet if you just make a few small steps before meals. Make a grocery shopping list and a plan for the whole week. Write everything down in a journal about what you are going to eat for your breakfast and dinner, and what you are going to pack for your office lunch.
- Get ready in advance.
You can avoid using processed and convenience food when you are hungry by just having some ready-to-eat meal preps in advance. After you get your groceries, make sure, at least once or twice a week, you do some meal prepping for snacks. If you have quick, easy, healthy snacks near your hand, it will be easy to avoid ordering or munching on something unhealthy.
- Try a variety of foods.
When we talk about whole foods, they come in a vast number of varieties. If you don’t want to risk your groceries, you can just ask your friends or family for tried-and-true tasty recipe ideas. Don’t just stick to a few things for the whole week; try different things. Eating the same thing every day will be very boring, so you can just keep some alternatives handy.
- Slowly swap out foods.
You can find it a lot easier to transition to a whole food diet over time if you gradually replace processed food with better options one by one. It will be really difficult to sustain if you just throw everything away from your pantry and replace it with whole foods you haven’t tried much in your life. You will feel like you are in a foreign land. If you want to go for the long term, take small steps. Do not hurry, or emotionally, it will make you crave for more unhealthy junk food. On the first day, start with the meats in your refrigerator; the next day, try lentils and vegetables. In a couple of months, you will have a new kitchen.
- Maintain a food journal
I am telling you this is very real fun if you write what you are eating and plan in advance about what you are going to do. It will keep you motivated, and if you read them more than once, it will be stuck in your head. You will be encouraged to stick to your whole food diet by just monitoring your improvements and failures in your diet and health. In a few days, you will definitely see the difference, like indigestion or bloating.
Adopt a Balanced Nutrition Strategy
Make sure you eat enough whole foods to fill your macronutrient and micronutrient requirements. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the three macronutrients; no matter what, do not take these lightly. Combining these three macronutrients will help you maintain your body’s ideal state and advance general health.
To maximise your health benefits, you can eat food that contains fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. There are alternative protein sources other than me if you just want to go with a plant-based diet. Plant-based protein sources like potatoes, almonds, spinach, tofu, and soy milk. Eat foods high in unsaturated fats.
Eating natural foods is easy, and you can start by cutting out processed foods and beverages, which are mostly fast food and totally unhealthy. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and effective stress management will help you get the best out of your health. Take care.