Below are the rules we followed during our original 100 Days of Real Food pledge. If you are taking the 10-Day pledge you will follow these same rules.
What you CAN eat:
- Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
- Lots of fruits and vegetables (we recommend that you shop for these at your local farmers’ market)
- Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese
- 100% whole-wheat and whole-grains (find a local bakery for approved sandwich bread and check the Understanding Grains post for more info)
- Seafood (wild caught is the optimal choice over farm-raised)
- Only locally raised meats such as pork, beef, and chicken (preferably in moderation)
- Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
- Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn
- All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation
- Also check out the Recipes & Resources page for a more detailed list of meal options including links to recipes
What you CANNOT eat:
- No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat”)
- No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda
- Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
- No deep fried foods
- No “fast foods”
Please leave a reply below if you have any questions about what is okay to eat during your pledge.
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How to Avoid Processed Food in General
If you feel that you have the will, but not the skill to do the 10 Days of Real Food pledge then here are some general lifestyle changes to consider instead…
- Read the ingredients label before buying anything. For years, if I even looked at food labels, I was reviewing items such as fat grams, calorie count and sugar content. While this may be important to some, the best indicator of how highly processed a food is can actually be found in the list of ingredients. If what you are buying contains more than 5 ingredients and includes a lot of unfamiliar, unpronounceable items you may want to reconsider before buying.
- Increase your consumption of whole foods especially vegetables and fruits. I am sure you’ve heard similar advice a thousand times, and I hate to tell you that it couldn’t be more true. This will help to displace the processed foods in your diet, and will actually make your food selections in general very simple. No more counting calories, fat grams, or carbs when your only concern is selecting whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry.
- Buy your bread from a local bakery. I actually used to eat white bread, but what I bought for my husband from the grocery store was what I thought was whole-wheat bread. When we finally checked the ingredients and found 40 different items on the list, including white flour and sugar, we decided it was time for a change. Why would there be so many on the list if it only takes a handful of ingredients to make bread? We since started buying our bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. Not only do they grind their own wheat every morning, but their honey whole-wheat loaf only has five ingredients – whole-wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and honey.
- In addition to your bread choice, when selecting foods like pastas, cereals, rice, and crackers always go for the whole-grain option. And don’t just believe the health claims on the outside of the box. Read the ingredients to make sure the product is truly made with only 100% whole grains – not a combination of whole grains and refined grains which is unfortunately how a lot of “whole grain” products are made. The white flour or other refined grain alternative is simply high in calories and low in nutrition.
- Avoid store-bought products containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and those “that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients” according to Michael Pollan. Despite the mixed research on if HFCS is really worse for you than good ol’ white sugar, it just happens to be “a reliable marker for a food product that has been highly processed”.
- Don’t order off the kids’ menu. The next time your family is out to dinner try to avoid the kids menu. Those selections are most often things like pre-made chicken nuggets, fries, and pasta made with white flour, among other things. Instead try assembling some sort of side item plate (like baked potatoes and whatever else your kid will tolerate) and/or try sharing some of your meal.
- Visit your local farmers’ market the next time you need to restock your fridge. According to Michael Pollan not only will you find “food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious”, but you will also find a selection of pesticide-free produce and properly fed meat products. It is also better for our environment to purchase locally grown products as opposed to the supermarket produce, which travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate.
- Lastly, to once again quote Michael Pollan, he says to “eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.” If you had to peel, chop and deep fry potatoes every time you wanted French fries then you might not eat them very often. Only eating “junk food” such as cakes, sweets, and fried foods as often as you are willing to make them yourself will automatically ensure the frequency is appropriate.
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I love the site, and am challenging myself to do the pledge. I have to get the junk out of the house and try some recipes before I go all in, but I AM going to do this for myself and my family.
I read through the comments, and I haven’t noticed anyone asking about diverticulitis. I care (and cook) for my mother who has this condition, which basically means that she cannot eat nuts, seeds, or many grains in whole form. For example, I have to skip over many multi-grain products because they include seeds and nuts that aren’t processed down into butters or the like.
This restriction, in combination with the limitations on snack type foods (mostly fresh or dried fruits, nuts, and whole wheat baked goods), is going to make it a bit more difficult for me to provide her tasty food that meets the requirements of the challenge.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
Eric, you could look at http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/category/snacks or similar sites for more digestible, “real food” ideas – using sprouted or soaked grain recipes might help.
I totally agree! I can’t throw out everything I have in my house right not but when it’s gone I’ll be starting this
What about fats? Olive oil, mayonnaise and butter?
Here are a few posts with some answers…
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/04/17/real-food-condiments-do-they-exist/
Ha! The ad on your page is for McDonalds! Just struck me as funny! But anyway, this seems very interesting and I’m hoping to slowly move this way with my family.
I noticed this too! Seems inappropriate, but may be beyond their control
Thanks for letting me know…we will have it blocked.
Lisa, I know from starting on my real food journey recently that there has been a lot of back and forth on agave and whether it should be used. I just found this site: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/ that explains that agave nectar is basically made the exact same way of HFCS! I had no idea… when they keep mentioning “raw”, it’s just another way the food industry tries to confuse us!
We are going to start the challenge this week, and looking through our pantry, we have lots of bad food. Instead of throwing it out, I’m going to donate it to the local food bank. I know it’s not good food, but someone will be able to use it rather than just throwing it out. I’ll update on how our 10 days went when we are done. Thanks for the wonderful articles, I am amazed on how much I really didn’t know about the foods I feed my kids, and am going to change it starting now.
Good definition. I also think that it’s good to look for products which are high in fiber and protein, both of which make us more satiated. Most processed foods lack fiber and protein, so they quickly make you hungry again.
What do you commonly use to replace sugar in baking recipes and perservatives? I have found it in lots of bread recipes of different kinds as well as some better versions of apple butter i would like to try to make homemade with out adding sugar? also what is the position on brown sugar? I would assume it is the same as white sugar and should not be used. Any suggestions would be great we start our challenge in a little over a week.
Basically “sugar is sugar” whether it is brown or white or organic or honey etc. and all should be used in moderation. If a recipe calls for 1 – 2 tablespoons sugar I just omit it all together. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar I usually experiment and start with 1/4 cup honey to see how it goes. Good luck!
Silly question. What if I am unable to find locally raised meat (and there’s no way we can go 3 days let alone 10 without any meat)? Also my kids can’t take peanut or tree nut items to school (one has peanut/tree nut free class, the other is only 6 and forgetful about adequate handwashing all the time so its a precaution on my part because of one of the 2nd grade teachers having a peanut allergy) so they take lunchmeat sandwiches. I always buy the Hormel natural choice lunchmeats because they have no preservatives and stuff. I know I can come up with other ideas but sometimes that’s easiest with a 3 month old to take care of and a hubby that works 12 hr days. I know it sounds like a lot of excuses but I’d really like to do the 10 day challenge. I’m going to give us some time to get ready first and we’ve already started making some changes. (Organic meats, dairy, fruits and veggies as much as possible) Thanks.
First of all check out both localharvest.org and eatwild.com to see if you can find local sources for meat. If you can’t I suppose organic would be the best alternative. Also my daughter goes to a peanut/tree-nut free school so I can relate! I’ve only sent sandwich meat a couple times this year (it was Applegate Organic) and I have shared a bunch of lunch alternatives on the blog (like smoothies, soup, cream cheese & jelly sandwiches, etc.). Here’s the link to the school lunch category: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/category/children-adapting/school-lunches/ I also regularly post my kids lunches on facebook as well: http://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood
I hope that helps…good luck!
You said there’s no way you can go 3 days, let alone 10, without any meat. My husband is this way, but I can generally satisfy him by cooking meals that include eggs, cheese or beans.
He loves my “chinese rice” which has fried egg mixed with rice, peas and corn. With cheese, an omelette with cheese is heavy and satisfying. Grilled cheese is also a great replacement for a luncheon meat sandwich (we don’t buy luncheon meat, although sometimes I miss ham).
I either treat beans like I would a veggie (throw them into stirfries), or when we make tacos or other dishes heavy in ground beef, we can usually replace 50% of the “meat” with kidney beans. In these cases I like to use FULL FAT ground beef so that the fat can flavor all of the ingredients in the mix and make the meal “meatily” satisfying.
I also think looking at Bento lunches will be an alternative too.
I’m curious about salsa…I looked at the large container that I recently bought and opened. The list of ingredients is long BUT they are all almost all the veggies in salsa…no sugar. I can’t remember what the other 2 ingredients are. Do you think this is acceptable. I know you have the 5 ingredient rule, but only 2 are not veggies…
Thanks, KIM
PS- I’m slowly discussing this challenge with hubby and hope that I can convince him to join me for 10 days!
The 5 ingredient rule is really just to draw the line somewhere with so many different people taking the pledge.
Hi there!
Do you have any other recommendations for bakeries? The closest Great Harvest Bakery is over 30 miles away from me. I know that cutting out bread would be the hardest part of the 30 day pledge, but I do not want to cheat just because I couldn’t find the proper substitute. Thank you!
Check for Ezekial bread (in the freezer section) and Trader Joe’s has some decent options as well. As far as local bakeries you’d probably just have to do a search or ask friends because there are probably some small family-owned places I wouldn’t know about. Good luck!
I love this blog. Just discovered it trying to do some research on processed foods. You make it so much simpler and attainable than most others.
When you refer to “naturally sweetened coffee” what do you mean?
If you mean honey, what kind? Is there any kind of good agave nectar as a replacement for honey?
I realize alcoholic drinks should be consumed in moderation, but which ones are the worst and conversely which ones are on the better side?
Kathleen – Yes, naturally sweetened can be with honey or maple syrup. There are some homemade coffee creamers on Deliciously Organic that might help: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-coffee-creamer/
And the “best” kind of alcohol would be red wine (based on traditional diets) and organic if you can find it…in moderation though as you said!
My soon to be 4yr old son’s birthday is coming up and I was wondering what to do in place of a “birthday cake”. Any suggestions?
Here’s a chocolate cake recipe! http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/05/recipe-whole-wheat-chocolate-cake-with-easy-whipped-cream-frosting/
Jan. 1, 2012 my husband and I started The 14 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. It’s very similar to what you are doing. Today is april 17, 2012 and I have lost 31 lbs and my husband has lost 36 lbs. We started out doing it to lose some weight and get healthy but it’s become more than that! it’s a satisfaction of eating whats true and natural and not filled with lots of preservatives or refined sugars. I just found your blog but will keep reading how ya’ll did! thanks
My boyfriend and I are preparing to make the switch to real food. One of the first things we’ve decided to do is go to our local grocery store and figure out what foods we love are acceptable and if the stores carry alternatives. One question we had was whether the 5 ingredient rule held if the packaging had a “less than 2% of…” disclaimer. We plan to begin our pledge in about a week, so this info is vital!
Thanks for inspiring us to lead a healthier life
Yes, even “less than 2%” counts as an ingredient…sorry if I just made things harder!
I am sure I can do most of this quite well as I am already buying or growing our food with careful deliberation, that is with one exception… I am a big coffee drinker, but really cannot stand it without sugar. I have tried other sweeteners and nothing works as well as sugar. I already use maple syrup in hot oatmeal, and honey in tea when I drink it…but I cannot imagine honey or maple syrup in coffee… sounds nasty.
Any suggestions?
Check out these homemade coffee creamers from Deliciously Organic: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-coffee-creamer/
I am considering making a recipe for egg drop soup: http://www.foodrenegade.com/egg-drop-soup/ – it looks great except I always have used cornstarch as the thickener. I am sure I can’t use cornstarch and call it “real food”, can I? Would arrowroot powder be OK? (If so, I hope I can find it at Walmart… not too hopeful.)
Food Renegade is a good site…nothing processed at all. Cornstarch is highly refined so therefore not “real food”…arrowroot would be a better choice. Good luck!
Hello! I just found this page and I am so excited! I am on day 2 of cutting out all “fake” foods! I am excited to read what you have posted and get some great ideas! I already feel better just after 2 days of not using the terrible coffee creamer and Mio in my water!
Hi
I eat Gluten Free, have you noticed people who eat gluten free having problems? Also, is Stevia allowed? I use it at home already and it’s supposed to be all natural.
Thanks! I’m hoping to start my family either this week or next and blog about my adventures each and every day (:
There are definitely lots of “real” gluten-free foods. Both Deliciously Organic and Elana’s Pantry and good resources for recipes. Also, we don’t recommend Stevia in the powdered form (pretty highly processed stuff). The stevia leaves themselves are fine if you process it yourself.
Hi, Love your site! Do you use Organic white whole wheat or regular white whole wheat flour from King Arthur’s? I seen both on there web site?
Thanks so much!
I like the King Arthur “organic” white whole wheat.
I was inspired to start a whole foods diet after watching “Forks Over Knives” the other night. After searching for some recipe ideas on Pinterest, I was happy to come across your blog. It looks like you have some great tips and recipes for a real foods diet. I’m really excited to begin living a healthier eating lifestyle with my husband!
I am so glad to have found your blog! A friend introduced me to it. My 4 year old son has been having some major behavioral issues (losing self-control, anger, violence), and I am almost fully convinced it is somehow related to food. It seems like an overwhelming task to totally revamp his (our) diet and try to figure out triggers, but the information and meal ideas here should help. I do have a question about fish. You said wild caught is better than farm-raised. I’ve heard the reverse because of the possibility of the fish being contaminated with mercury. Considering that you believe it’s still better to eat wild caught? Thank you for all this great information!
Hi! My family and I have been additive free (which means eating real food) for two months now. My daughter’s chronic stomach pain and constipation are gone, my husband’s teeth are completely healed (they had deep pockets for no reason and were a mystery to the dentists), and my anxiety is greatly decreased. I use a book that fits in my purse when I go shopping. It’s called, “Food Additives: A Shopper’s Guide to What’s Safe and What’s Not”. It’s a lifesaver and I highly recommend it!!!
I am so excited to find your blog! My husband and I have recently decided to make a change in our life to more whole foods and less processed foods. We have a family of 5 and I feel this might be a little challenging financially, but I am willing to take the challenge. Currently we are all healthy and I plan to keep it that way- hence the reason we are making changes now verses later. I look forward to following you on your challenges as well as facing my own challenges!
Thanks for sharing this, Lisa! I try to limit my (our) intake of processed foods, but have never tried eliminating them. I’m not sure what my husband would think. Maybe he’d be willing to try the 10-day challenge.
Just recently found your blog and I’m loving it. I’ve been talking about it with my extended family. They are very interested, too. Thanks so much for putting all this information together and making it easy to understand.
How do I sweeten something cold with honey or maple syrup? It just clumps up.
Thanks again.
Thanks for helping me spread the word! What are you trying to make with honey and maple syrup?
I’m confused about additives. There’s a few that still show up in organic foods. The main one is maltodextrin. I’m almost certain it would be something to cut out, but the research I’ve done it has only confused me.
Maltodextrin is made from corn…I would recommend avoiding it if you can. There is a lot of organic junk food out there so you have to be careful and always read the ingredients!
I just found your site and love the idea. We’ve been eating real food for awhile,and the only thing I’m wondering about here is how you can consider boxed pastas and things like triscuits to be real food? Your slogan says zero processed foods. I understand if you don’t eat 100% real food, but why do you say no processed foods if your recipes actually call for, well, processed foods? Also, I’m wondering if you soak your grains? Thank you.
We technically avoid all “highly” processed foods because as I’ve learned even cooking is technically a form of processing or changing your food. And our general rule is to only buy packaged foods with 5 or less whole ingredients. Whole-grain boxes of pasta are usually 1 or 2 ingredients (100% whole-grain) and Triscuits only have 3 ingredients (also 100% whole-grain). Also, we do not soak our grains. Hope that clears some things up!
I just watched Forks over Knives. What is your opinion of cutting out all animal products from our diets? Thanks!
Christy – I think it’s hard to say that eating “vegan” was the only reason those in the movie experienced such amazing changes in health. The guy at the beginning of the documentary was drinking tons of red bull and of course cutting out junk like that (when he went vegan) would make a difference! I think there is lots of overlap though too…processed food is bad and real food (including produce/veggies) is good! We don’t plan to change anything as a result of the movie. It’s hard to imagine animal products – that have been a part of our world’s history for centuries – to not be “okay.”
Watch the movie Fat Head (either on Hulu or Netflix)…he gives his experiences with Fat, and he also talks about a bunch of different food myths. It was totally eye-opening for me and my husband!!!
If you are using/processed the leaves yourself then it’s fine otherwise I would avoid the commercial stevia/truvia stuff.
Was this in reply to my questions? I’m confused…
I was looking forward to the answer to Kathleen’s question…