I used to think we were fairly adventurous eaters and cooks. And even though I didn’t actually learn to cook until after college, once I did I quickly dabbled in everything from homemade egg rolls to pasta from scratch to my grandmother’s crepes. Nothing could have prepared me though for all the “new foods” that I had to learn about – and now can’t live without – once we made the switch to “real food.” I am constantly amazed at all the items on my regular shopping list that I had never purchased before we decided to cut out processed food…
- Whole-wheat flour
Other real food newbies likely “flirted” with whole-wheat flour on occasion, but no no…not me. I promise you that I had never before purchased or cooked with whole-wheat flour (because I hated anything made with it!) until the start of all this 2 years ago.
- - Oats
We used to eat boxed granola cereal, but it never occurred to me that you could actually make it yourself (and that it would be soooo much better)! The main ingredient in homemade granola is oats and the first time I made it I found myself saying… “Are plain ‘oats’ just oatmeal?” I’ve never been an oatmeal fan myself (and I’m still not, although I’ve since learned that my kids love it) therefore I never bought oats for any reason, but now I buy pounds of it every week and get worried if our supply is low!
- - Honey
Somebody must have bought at least one bottle of honey before our switch to real food because I remember a tiny bear shaped container of it in our pantry that was all crusted over and crystallized from lack of use (LOL). Now I buy this stuff in big jars and use it in everything from the granola we love so much to our sandwich bread. I’ll be the first to admit that “sugar is sugar” (even if it contains trace nutrients like honey) so we still aim to use it in moderation, but it’s quite a change from my white sugar days. And trust me I used to use A LOT of sugar…brown, white, and powdered.
- - Kale / Collards
I could not have picked Kale or Collards out of a line-up to save my life. And even a year into our real food journey I still couldn’t say that I had truly adopted these as part of our regular menu. But, today I finally feel like I am figuring out how to not only incorporate, but also enjoy these nutrient-rich leafy greens (and occasionally even get my kids to eat them, too)!
- - “Raw” nuts and seeds
To me nuts were greasy, salty and packaged in a blue “Planters” container. I admit I didn’t even know what it meant for them to be “raw” so I can completely relate when readers ask me where in the world to find such a product. (Answer: The bulk bins at health food stores!)
- - Pinto Beans
I wouldn’t have been caught dead buying – much less eating – pinto beans and now my homemade slow cooker refried bean recipe (made from dried pinto beans) is one of my most favorite lunches! This might just be the strangest transition of them all…because it’s so ingrained in my brain that I don’t “like” beans.
- - Whole Milk
Okay, I shouldn’t say that I NEVER bought whole milk because my kids actually drank it for a short period of time when they were babies, but it is most certainly a beverage I didn’t drink myself (probably since I was a baby). I was a skim milk girl all the way, and I admit that I was a little “scared” to make the switch, but I am so glad I did! Now I know what “real” milk tastes like, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. (Note to the raw milk advocates…it’s illegal here in N.C., although I am not sure I’d drink it anyway.)
- - Coconut Oil and Ghee (a.k.a. Clarified Butter)
These are both unrefined “cooking fats” that I didn’t even purchase until long after completing our 100-day pledge, and to be honest I had no idea what to do with either one! I am finding that ghee is nice to have around because you can use it like butter, but it has a much higher smoke point so it doesn’t burn as easily. Also, there’s apparently not much you CANNOT do with coconut oil…just check out the reader comments in my post about it!
- - Lara Bars
I still call these “granola bars” out of habit even though I know there’s no granola in there, but that’s because they replaced my very regular consumption of “Quaker Chewy Granola Bars” (in the old days of course). My favorite Quaker bars were the peanut butter chocolate chip, but sometimes I would go for the variety pack to switch it up. J Now I instead have a stash of Lara Bars (the cashew cookie only has 2 ingredients!!) as the “just in case” snacks in my purse.
- - Kiwi
This might be a little random, but the point here is that it is never too late to try and “like” new foods. I am not sure why, but I never ate kiwi before last year (that I can recall) and one day my 4-year-old asked if we could buy one. I certainly wanted to embrace her little adventurous food streak (and set a good example about trying new stuff) so I said “yes.” And I am so glad I did because now that I’ve figured out that soft = ripe…I absolutely love kiwis! Who knew?!?
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Please share any new-found “real food” that you now love in the comments below!
I promise, if you could get raw milk you wouldn’t go back. I used to despise milk. Would only drink it if it came out of those little cartons at school. However, now that we have raw milk, the other stuff just isn’t the same and I love milk.
I agree with Amy! Raw milk is so much better and healthier for you. Stronger teeth, stronger immune system, and many, many more benefits. Check realmilk.com for resources. Where there is a will, there is a way! I hope that you have ditched that microwave!
Thanks for sharing this, real food while sorting out some tummy troubles here for two of our kids is one of this New Years goals… I’m excited to try some of the recipes here- have been thinking about making granola all week but hadn’t searched out a recipe as yet! Also- are the Quaker brand of rice cakes not considered real food? I didn’t see them on your cheat sheet- which I printed out and take grocery shopping now. Cheers.
Hi Tina. Good luck with the tummy issues. I would need to see the ingredients on the quaker rice cakes to comment…I’m not familiar enough with that product. Jill
Love this post! I’ve already begun to buy some of these things on my quest to eating all whole foods. Like you though I never would have imagined eating these things before! What kind of whole milk do you buy?
Thanks so much for this lovely post!
Hi Gretchen. We use the Homestead Creamery milk. You can get it delivered through Lakeview Farms (http://www.lakeviewfarmshomedelivery.com/) or at Earthfare and Whole Foods. Jill
If you are a little further up the Eastern coat (I’m 45min West of DC). You can try Holy Cow Delivery for milk and other farm goods. They have a list on their website of places they deliver. They also deliver meats, cheeses, granola and a whole host of other fresh products. I love that we’ve made the switch to healthier milk and meats. And I love supporting local businesses! http://www.holycowdelivery.com/
We drink the Homestead Gold Cap too! The creamery is just a half hour south of our house. I used to take the kids when they were little and the loved seeing where their milk came from. Keep up the good work.
We use Coconut Milk (Unsweetened shelf stable cartons) for almost everything that calls for milk. Cereal and all recipes. Our 5 year old has really never had any other “milk”. Our teen doesn’t like Coconut Milk on her cereal, so I buy unsweetened almond milk for her.
Throw some raisins, oatmeal, vanilla extract, and salt in a food processor and viola you have a clump of lara bar “dough” to shape however you’d please!!
Hi
Where do you find/buy the unsweetened coconut milk? I have only seen in in the ethnic food section in a can and it is quite expensive and sweet. (I live in the Northeast)
Thanks
Virginie
Virginie,
I get our unsweetened coconut milk at our local grocery stores. In one store (Shaw’s) it is in with the “health food/vegetarian food” section. In the other grocery store, it is near the coffee, alongside the almond milk and (if you can believe it) canned goat’s milk… and we live in NH. It comes in a hermetic carton (like shelf-stable cow’s milk.) Try Shaw’s. They are all over New England.
Hi Virginie. I buy it at Whole Foods or Earthfare. Native Forest has a good one that is unsweetened. Jill
Another excellent post. You are helping lots of people and that’s a wonderful thing. I am concerned about the milk. I think pasteurization is big time processing and destroys the benefits of an otherwise healhty food. When I drank milk I drank raw goats milk and it was delicious and very very health promoting. Sometimes even drank it straight from the pale. Have you been to the website “notmilk”? It is worth checking out. IMHO–drinking pasteurized milk is JUNK FOOD, might as well eat at McDonalds.
Hi Chris. Here is a little more information about Lisa and her family’s choice of milk…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/06/07/milk-101-whole-raw-organic-low-fat-etc/. Jill
It’s on my New Year “goals” list. (recently started a 30 day green smoothie challenge to help!)
Kale is on my list too! As well as Almond Butter and Chia Seeds. Never thought I would have bough them before I started my smoothie challenge, but now I love them!!
Homestead Creamery Milk! YUM-O!
Thanks for sharing that article with me about milk. I am surprised that even though we are buying organic milk from a local dairy it still isn’t good.
So I am wondering even if I make the change for my family I am lactose intolerant and can not drink milk. I usually drink rice or almond milk. I don’t even know if these are considered whole foods or not. They are organic and original flavor. Is this my best option or is there a better option?
I have one more question about it. Is it better to get the homogenized milk or the cream on top kind? We can get either option but I don’t know if it makes a difference.
Hi Esther. Lisa and her family drink the non-homogenized. It’s one less thing that has to be done to the milk. In terms of non-dairy, I realize there are only so many options out there (my husband is dairy free). When selecting the almond and rice milks, just be sure to use the unsweetened, original flavors. We also use coconut milk for baking, etc. Native Forest makes a good unsweetened one that is a good substitute for things like yogurt and heavy creams. Here is a recipe for almond milk if you’d like to make your own…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/31/food-allergies-dairy/. Best of luck. Jill
My fave new “real” food is sorghum flour, closely followed by quinoa flakes, chia seeds, and all sorts of dried beans. Oh, and buckwheat groats are a huge staple now, instead of barley (we follow a whole foods diet with 22 food allergies and celiac disease).
This might seem like a silly question, but I have been “flirting” with Whole Wheat Flour for a few months but haven’t made the jump because I was unsure of how to use it. Is it the same as white flour? Do you just use it in it’s place? I wasn’t sure if you had to add anything to make it rise or whatnot.
Hi Mandy. No, it’s not a silly question
. Whole wheat flour will be more dense than all-purpose, so, it’s not as easy as a 1:1 substitution. You should probably take a look online at the many suggestions that are out there, but, you will likely have to reduce the amount of whole wheat flour in your recipes that call for all purpose. You will probably also have to adjust the amount of liquids in your recipe. There are a lot of recipes on this blog that Lisa has already adapted if you have not had a chance to take a look…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/. Good luck. Jill
I have not yet tried the coconut oil and ghee myself, though I’m eager to see how you use them! I’ll have to search your site for some ideas there. Thanks for sharing this list again!
I love all of your posts and thanks partly to you (and other sites you recommend) I have switched to almost all unprocessed food! I am still learning though, but am so much closer to eating all ‘clean’ than ever before! thank you for that! One thing I have a question about is nutritional yeast.. Anyone use this? How does it work? What does it compare to?
Hi Rachel. It is often used in vegan cooking. Here is an article about it and how it’s made…http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/nutrional-yeast-not-just-for-vegans_n_1420734.html. Although it’s natural, I suppose reading this it does take a little bit of processing to get it to the form it is sold in the stores. Jill
before starting with the process of eating real food, I already bought 7 of the above products. Good news that made me happy
My new found real food is yogurt. I have never liked any brand of yogurt. I have a real sweet tooth and I don’t care what they called it cheesecake, or boston cream whatever it was a texture thing. Then one day reading a favorite homesteading magazine I found out I can make it at home in my oven!!! Yipee! Its easy and fresh and with a small drizzle of honey its perfect. If I run through a cheese cloth I have the “best greek yogurt” Who knew it was processing problem all along.
I’ve made the switch back to whole milk recently due to my 20 month old switching to milk after turning a year old. Buying the 2% and whole was just a hassle, so we just made the switch. It tastes so much better, and with the added bonus of Vitamin D! I forgot that whole milk is fortified with D and it’s so good for us!
Try raw unpasteurized honey. No, for those who are worried, it’s not dangerous, and it does not need to be regrigerated. It’s actually got antibiotic properties. It has tons of nutrients and raw enzymes that are very good for you. Do a search, you can find lots of information. I buy it all the time now and our kids love it.
Just don’t feed honey to those under 1 year, their immune systems can’t process things that older people can.
Thank goodness I live in Pennsylvania where raw organic milk is legal. I grew up on a farm and love raw organic foods.
In my teens – 30′s I ate lots of processed foods and always felt awful, not knowing why. Since I have gone raw organic, my joint pain has been relieved, I feel refreshed and invigorated in the morning and lost my belly fat.
I am 55 and feeling great!
I apologize here is the correct link:
http://www.realmilk.com/safety/does-raw-milk-kill-pathogens/