Unbeknownst to many, the term “whole foods” doesn’t always refer to a store! And, for that matter, the majority of the foods shelved at that infamous and controversial store are not themselves “whole foods.”

Whole foods are foods that:

1. You can easily recognize as having been grown or raised.
2. Are still comprised of all of the original parts that are edible.
   For instance: fruits and vegetables, nuts/seeds, whole eggs, whole milk, honey,
   meats, beans/legumes and whole grains (brown rice, whole rolled oats, quinoa,
   farro etc.).
3. Don’t have an ingredient list.

I promote these foods because:

1. They do not and should not contain any laboratory-made or man-made additives, preservatives, fillers or flavors.
2. There is no hidden (or added) salt, fat or sugar in a whole food.
3. Cooking with and eating whole foods gives you more control over what you put in your body.
4. They are simple, tasty, identifiable and (when combined properly) provide all the essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates) that your body needs.
5. There is also, often, a minimal amount of packaging involved when eating whole foods. They don’t have to be individually wrapped, or put in a plastic box inside a box etc. You can often find them in the peripheral borders of a grocery store and in the bulk section. This means, you can benefit your health AND decrease your negative impact on the earth by minimizing the packaging waste you use.

Personal perspective: I also see whole foods as important because cooking with them and consuming them strengthens our relationship with, and respect for, the earth.

I’ve experienced that in general Americans are extremely disconnected with most aspects of the foods they eat. Many people don’t know (or recognize) that almost all food originates at some point on a farm (except sea animals and plants – and even they are more often farmed these days).

Many people don’t know how to cook or prepare meals and rely mostly on their microwaves to heat or cook their pre-made dinners. There are kids who think that soup only comes from a can and are intrigued to learn that you can make your own soup!

This disconnect, I think, is a contributing factor to our country’s growing nutrition-related disease state. Overall, people are spending less and less time or energy on the age old process of preparing their own food. They don’t know (or care) where it comes from before it got to the store, and they don’t know how to cook it from scratch. People want the cheapest, fastest and tastiest food they can get and this is a very new concept for the human body.

In the past, humans have spent many hours of our days, weeks, months and years growing, gathering, hunting, preparing and eating the foods that sustained us. Finding, preparing and eating food was one of the most important things a human would do in a day.

Today, Americans older than 18 are spending (on average) 33 minutes/day on food preparation and cleanup (USDA Economic Research Service). One of the most important activities we do for our bodies every day and we spend a fraction of our waking day on food preparation and eating.

I think we are missing an important connection between the time and energy we put into the food we eat and the energy and vitality that food then gives us. Choosing to buy, prepare, and eat whole foods is a choice that I believe is valuable, important and life changing.

There’s much more to be said and read about whole foods and I can direct you to other sources of information if you are curious.