I was going to write about something else today, but then I read this article.
To summarize it for you real quick, 61 percent of the food Americans buy is highly processed. That amounts to about 1,000 calories in the average daily intake, with refined breads, grain-based desserts, sugary sodas, juices and energy drinks weighing in as top picks.
Whoa. 61 percent.
I guess it’s not hard to believe with Lean Cuisines, 100 calorie packs and all the other garbage out there, but makes you think for a second, doesn’t it? I wonder how we’d collectively feel if it was reversed: if 61% of our diet was unprocessed.
I’m not going to rant here, because sometimes I think I bring this up too often. But I will say that hands down the single most effective change I’ve made for my health is to limit processed food. This choice has had significant impact, from weight loss and clearer skin, to more energy and a sharper mind.
Give it a shot. Why not, right?
… Oh wait, there are actually several reasons not to.
If we walk around the grocery store, it’s not spinach that catches our attention. It’s advertising from the big guys with the big bucks telling us we can’t live without their processed products. Then there’s having to actually cook the stuff, as opposed to grabbing a box of granola bars and calling it breakfast for the week. Let’s not forget that a bag of chia seeds will run us about $15, when we can just buy a frozen dinner for $5.99. Organic? Lol.
It can be tough to eat whole foods. But if you’re going to invest in anything in terms of time, energy and money, it may as well be your health, right?
I did a little Googlin’ and rounded up some tidbits I hope you find helpful. If you want to talk more about how to cut out processed foods, leave a comment for me below. This is one of my fave topics of all time, so don’t be shy.
For grocery shopping (via Greatist)
For quick, healthy dinners (via Women’s Health)
For blending a smoothie (via Lexi’s Clean Kitchen)
For salad combos (via Prevention)
For DIY salad dressing (via Kath Eats Real Food)
For cooking grains (via PopSugar)
For homemade hummus (via Shape)
This is awesome! I love all the guides on making whole foods more fun! Thanks!
I’m so glad you find them useful, Kelsey! I think they’re fun too. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Me too – love all the guides have been really giving this a go for the last couple of weeks – avoiding processed foods and have lost 6 lb with just a few adjustments and feel great …its the way to go … Don’t really do supermarket shopping anyway, I can get all I need locally from the veggie shop and butchers maybe a little more expensive but in the long it’s not as don’t come home with those specials!
That’s awesome, Karen. Congrats! Love that you have great whole foods options nearby – it definitely makes the process easier. Thanks so much for reading!
WOW!!! thank you so very much for putting this all together. This touches on everything I have been trying to put together for myself. My sister and I were just discussing how difficult it is to truly eat well in our Western culture; nearly impossible. Your work is a great platform for simplifying eating and getting the right foods into one’s diet. Blessings
Thanks so much, Trena! I’m glad you found this post helpful. It’s definitely a challenge to eat well in our culture, but it can be done. 🙂 Best of luck to you and your sister – feel free to email us anytime at [email protected]!