Eat Real Food

Eat Real Foods.
Yes, it really is that simple.

I often hear people say, I am trying to eat healthy and I usually respond by asking what does "healthy" mean to you? "Healthy" varies person to person, but one thing remains true, eating "healthy" is not eating processed foods all day long.

What constitutes as processed? food that has been cooked, canned, frozen, packaged or changed in nutritional composition with fortifying, preserving or preparing in different ways. Any time we cook, bake or prepare food, we're processing food.

For example, you may love a gluten free, low sugar protein bar for breakfast and enjoy pairing your salad with almond based crackers. While these foods may be healthier compared to alternatives, they are still processed.

Any food that is not in its most simple form, is a processed food. This includes the cult favorite Banza pasta, Simple Mills crackers, and Tjoes cauliflower gnocchi to name a few.

Why does this matter? For optimal health, digestion, and energy, our body needs the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats found in real, whole, unprocessed foods. Processed foods lack optimal nutrition, and often contain more sodium, sugar, and filler ingredients than can cause irritation and inflammation. I'm lookin at you, guar gum. 

I challenge you to remove some processed foods from your diet to make room for more real food. Instead of an afternoon bar for a snack, opt for veggies, fruit, or a handful of nuts. These are all stellar, real food options. Most people rarely hit their daily veggie intake goal of 4-5 servings a day, I am guilt of this too!

Here are some other great snack ideas - 
Edamame
Hard boiled eggs
Celery with almond butter
Plain greek yogurt with nuts
Turkey lettuce wraps
Cucumbers with EVOO and celtic sea salt

Until next time, 
Morgan