Isn’t it wild to think about just how much our food has changed over the last 30 years? From microwave meals and fad diets to confusion over the safety of industrial agriculture and conflicting nutrition opinions among trusted professionals, “healthy eating” can be difficult to define and even harder to stick to.
We are all human, yet each one of us is truly a unique individual with different dietary requirements, given our ancestry, lifestyles, health goals and values. This means that optimal diet plans—such as the ideal ratio of protein to carbohydrates and from what sources—may vary a great deal from person to person, and that’s OK!
However, there IS one general guideline that everyone should follow for optimal energy, immunity and cognitive function: Eat a wide variety of whole, unprocessed, REAL foods! Whole foods are truly the single factor linking ALL healthy eating plans: DASH, vegetarian, paleo, omnivore, etc. Nobody disagrees that we all need more whole, real foods in our diets—every day!
Whole Foods Rule!
So, what is a “whole food” anyway? Whole foods resemble their original form in nature and are free from extensive processing and additives such as preservatives, oils, flavors, colors and sugar. Whole foods still contain the life-sustaining antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber that are missing from overly processed convenience foods and conventional “fast foods.”
REAL whole foods deliver the best nutrition bang for your buck and directly support the health of every cell in your body, which reduces the need for expensive multivitamins and other pill-form nutrients.
Ready to ditch the deluge of dietary supplements and start feeling great again? Begin nourishing your body and soul with more whole foods, starting today!
4 Fun Ways to Incorporate More Whole Foods Into Your Diet
1. Replace vs. Erase. Because going cold turkey can be tough!
• Replace the empty carb calories found in refined white flour bread or bagels with the more nutritious, sprouted whole grain varieties.
• Can’t kick the sweets? Replace processed sugar with whole food treats, such as dates, frozen grapes, homemade fruit-only popsicles or homemade soda made from 8 oz of sparkling water and 2 oz. of antioxidant-rich juice, such as pomegranate.
Try these truly tasty recipes from our blog!
• Tropical Immune Refresher
• Poma-Green Spritzer
• SoTru Fruit & Seed Balls
2. Use the right tool for the job. Sure, there’s beauty in simplicity, but kitchen tools and gadgets make eating veggies more fun… especially for kids! A few of our favorites include:
• Collapsible veggie steamer – A light steam will soften difficult to digest veggies, such as broccoli and cauliflower, while bringing out hidden flavors. After steaming lightly for 3-5 minutes, add a bit of coconut oil or grass-fed butter, mix and enjoy!
• Mandoline slicer – It’s lightning fast, easy to use and fun! This tool will help you prep a week’s worth of salads in just 15 minutes flat.
• Spiralizer – Make crunchy veggie “noodles” to enjoy in salads and with pasta sauce. Get one that comes with both the noodle and the ribbon blade, so you can make your own dehydrated fruit snacks!
3. Get saucy. Sauces, marinades and dressings can transform an otherwise bland meal into a flavor explosion! There are literally hundreds of healthy eating cookbooks, including sauce-only cookbooks that await you for free at the library!
4. Make smoothies your #1 go-to fast food. Smoothies are the most ideal form of processed food, as blending breaks down tough plant cellulose and unlocks every delicious nutrient. Treat yourself with the perfect, on the go, whole food-based meal daily!
• Prepare a TRU’ly fantastic tasting, nutrient-dense smoothie with one of SoTru’s fermented plant protein blends. Each and every ingredient is sourced from REAL whole foods, then fermented for maximum digestibility and nutrient absorption.
Try the SoTru Blueberry and Super-Greens smoothie recipe—It’s chocked full of yum!
SoTru is a fun, easy and delicious way for ALL of us to get more whole foods in our diet—kids and family too!