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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.
Why does the meat have to be local but the seafood and vegetables don’t? What’s more “real” about local meat? I’d rather eat a chicken trucked over from Arkansas than asparagus flown in from Chile.
Where does it say to not buy local fruits and vegetables but only local meats. Doesn’t it say local farms for everything ? And local grassfed meats? Maybe I missed something? Have a wonderful day!
#s 2, 3, and 5 above (under what you can eat) re. veg and fruit, dairy/eggs, and seafood don’t specify local. #4 suggest finding a local bakery, but #6 specifies only locally raised meat.
If you are buying milk and cheese and eggs from non-local cows, what’s the difference between that and eating meat from said cows? I’d just like to understand the reasoning behind that.
Um… cows don’t lay eggs.
Certainly local everything would be great! I guess we were just prioritizing, but local/organic/wild caught/etc. would be ideal for everything if possible (it’s just unfortunately not necessarily realistic for most).
There are many reasons for locally raised meat from a strictly nutritional standpoint. This article does not explicitly state it, but I imagine the reasoning is based on the difference in diet and living conditions between industrial raised animals in feedlots and animals in farms, and how this goes on toe effect the nutrient content of their meat. For example, industrial beef cattle are primarily fed on corn and soybeans (as well as some animal by products) while local farms are more likely to raise their cattle on pasture/grass. Pasture raised beef will have less fat, but more importantly (as fat is not inherently bad) the particular fat content of grass fed beef (what’s called the “fatty acid profile” meaning the individual fatty acids which comprise the total fat content of the item in question) contains healthy fats while grain fed beef contains unhealthy fats. Grass fed beef contains a greater concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids (the same omega-3′s you find in fish), conjugated linoleic acid (a hard to find fatty acid that’s been suggested to reduce the risk of cancer and has shown to improve body composition) and less omega-6 fatty acids (these fats work against omega-3′s, so to speak). In addition, one of the health concerns of beef is that carcinogenic compounds, called nitrosamines, can form during the cooking process. One way to protect against nitrosamines is the body is with antioxidants (vegetables also contain nitrosamines, but they are not a problem due to their high antioxidant content). Pasture raised beef has around seven times as much Vitamin A and three times more Vitamin E than it’s grain fed counterpart. These vitamins function as antioxidants and will reduce the effects of the nitrosamines. Industrial raised beef is also less safe, as the living conditions (many cattle confined in their own manure) provide a breeding ground for bacteria (fun fact, there is 10,000,000 more e. coli 0157:H7, which is the one that kills you really quickly, The chicken from arkansas may have traveled less distance than the asparagus from chile, but the conditions in which animals are raised have, in my opinion, a greater measurable effect on the nutrient content. Oh ya, and the growth hormones too, I forgot about that.
As for fish, the specification is wild over farm raised, which could include local fish provided it is wild. The reasons for this are similar. The aquaculture system resembles the picture of beef cattle, corn and soy fed fish changing the nutrient content of the meat, such as resulting in a greater ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, which is not desirable.
Both of these situations also require, due to the unnatural diet, the use of antibiotics, and antibiotic resistant bacteria are never a good thing.
As for everything else, such as the fruit/dairy/eggs, it’s generally better to buy local.
Hi Lesley. I think where you can get local for any of it; the meat, fruit, vegetables and fish, is better. Buying local obviously has its’ advantages in that it is in season and more recently harvested. The vegetables suggest shopping at your local farmer’s market, so, hopefully you will be able to get local produce there. As for the fish, that will depend on where you live as to if you can get it local. But, wild is preferable to farm raised. Hope that helps to clarify things. Jill
I’d liked to know what twin, splenda etc. does too the body.
Hi Anne. I don’t know that I can comment on what they specifically do to the body, but, I know that Splenda, for example, is 600 times sweeter than sugar and, in some cases, artificial sweeteners have been shown to trigger overeating and hunger. Jill
I suddenly started getting migraines out of the blue. To three four a week. I tried to figure out what was causing them. Previously my only trigger was codeine. I had cleaned up my diet (so I thought) so I couldn’t figure it out. One morning I was making my protein shake asnt saw on the front Contains Sucralose. I had no idea what it was. I googled it, without going into a single website, saw from the brief blurbs, Sucralose (Splenda) and the word Migraine showed up a lot. Quit the shakes and the headaches stopped. I was getting it at the local vitamin and health food store.
The other day I bought a So Delicious Coffee creamer at the recommendation of the clerk at the HFS. After using it for a few days I got the container and looked for ingredients. I thought it was just Coconut. I was shocked to see Titanium Dioxide which is a whitener that everything I’ve read says is carcinogenic. Except the So Delivious site which says it is naturally occurring and is not a carcinogen. I can’t remember the other chemical that was in it…I poured it down the sink.
Bottom line, be vigilant. Trust nothing and no one where your food is concerned, read the labels.
I started using splenda as an alternative to aspartame. I quit splenda and moved to stevia years ago. I found as of recently that organic stevia is better as the more popular stevia adds multidextrine which is just another sugar.
Here’s some info on what I found about splenda just before I quit:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15287390802328630
http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/bowen.html
http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx
I googled splenda with various terms to find this info; there is more out there…
And reasons to stay organic:
http://justlabelit.org/about-ge-foods/
http://www.organicitsworthit.org/learn
http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/aboutus.cfm
This is great site to find local farmers and their websites generally state whether they are organic or not:
http://www.localharvest.org/
Hope this is helpful to all,
Also, Splenda and all the other un-natural sweeteners are a chemical. They are made in chemical plants. Your liver processes these chemicals. The job of your liver is not only to rid itself of chemicals but to rid itself of excess fat. If your body is too busy trying to rid itself of all the chemicals that go in, there is less energy for the liver to get rid of the excess fat.
What are the names of the chemicals?
Wendi,
Everything is chemicals. Rocks, your tongue, the air you breath, distilled water.
The job of your liver is to filter out chemicals that enter the blood, and to store fats. Sucralose (the component of splenda that is different from other things you might find in your food) is absorbed only 40% by the body, which means 60% gets excreted (the term for this is non-nutritive). Sucralose mostly acts by binding to your neurons (in this case your taste buds).
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15287390802328630#preview
There’s a link for you if you like, it includes the only study of Sucralose that has been published in which negative side effects have been found. Notably, there were no liver problems.
Would you have a good web site for gluten free? My granddaughter has celiac disease. Everything seems to have soya or wheat in it. I was buying garlic powder and the really cheap stuff has silcon in it! and, the soya, wheat, possibly nuts etc.
Hi Anne. I would take a look at Elana’s Pantry (www.elanaspantry.com) as well as Deliciously Organic (www.deliciouslyorganic.net).
http://livingglutenandgrainfree.com/
What about using erythritol as an alternate sweetener? It is a sugar alcohol that comes from the fermentation of certain plants (fruits and even fungi) but I’m not sure if it is more “processed” than wine. I’ve just heard about it recently, can you tell me your opinion?
Hi Danielle. I am not readily familiar with erythritol. The little bit of research I read suggests that it is made by fermenting the natural sugar found in corn. Like other sugar alcohols, it’s biggest side effect is said to be intestinal issues (bloating for example). I would personally choose to avoid it and, on the occasion that I need sweetener, choose to use something less processed such as honey, maple syrup or even a little bit of sugar. I always tell people, however, to make the decision that is best for them. Good luck. Jill
Try to avoid having more than 14g of erythritol (or any sugar alcohol) per day. They have laxative effects which can be quite vexing.
Some people find that they also seem to cause migraines.
How is fried unprocessed if you do it yourself?
Well, really, anything home cooked is “processed” in the sense that you put it through a process to make it into something. I think what the article writer means by “processed” is processed in an overly complex way in an industrial setting which is more sensitive to the needs of storage and the supply chain than it is to the needs of the person eating it, not to mention the farmer, animals, or environment.
It’s an interesting point you make, though. “Processed” is not a black-and-white thing. We all process our food. It’s a question, surely, of working out what you yourself are comfortable eating. Sites like this are valuable because they make us think about it.
Great reply!
Hi Tanya. The answer is somewhat dependent on whether or not you are completing the 10 day challenge. If you are following the 10 day pledge, then, no deep fried food is allowed. But, if you’re asking beyond that, then, you’ll have to make that call and decide what’s right for you. At a minimum, I would use one of the “acceptable” oils. You can see the post on oils here…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/14/mini-pledge-week-10-no-refined-oils/. Jill
I am just running across this from a pin on pinterest. i am very intrigued and exploring this…i just wanted to say THANK YOU for keeping the beer and wine in there!
that made me smile!
Happy Eating!!
D.
I absolutely love this. You make it sound so simple, as it should be. The food industry has worked very hard to confuse us with terms like low-fat and low-cholesterol. I am just now getting around to reading Michael Pollan’s In Defense Of Food. I really love how he puts it “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Back to basics! Forget the trends and just eat real food not processed look-a-likes.
Thank you for your accessible wisdom!
If only. If only making my own junk food would stop me eating too much of it. But when you love cooking as much as you love eating, it ain’t necessarly so…!
I am SO there! I make my own marshmallows, and cookies, and snack cakes, even occasionally deep fried polenta (so awesome).
I’ve found that having a little bit of self control is pretty required if one grew up knowing how to cook nearly anything they could think up.
I would also like to know where I can find a Stevia plant. Did I read the above post wrong, the Stevia/Truvia in the stores is also something to avoid?
Hi Shawnda. Yes, the powdered form that you purchase in the store goes through a “process” to get it to that state. I don’t know about where to purchase a plant. Jill
dairy products are one of the most poisonous groups of foods out there! dont eat them if you want to be healthy!
why no deep fried foods? it seems a bit arbitrary. you can make homemade nutritious deep fried foods if you are using nutritious oils (like coconut) and whole foods (like fresh potatoes).
just because the nutrition “experts” in america are against deep fried foods doesn’t mean they are actually bad. many dietary “experts” also recommend diet soda, which is certainly not a health food.
Since most deep fried foods are not made the way you’ve described we’ve ruled out that entire category (as opposed to having exceptions to the rule).
I would like to do the 10 day real food challenge but I have a few questions.
What about using Xylitol as an alternate sweetener?
Are there any cold breakfast cereals allowed on the real food plan?
Is Organic 70% Dark Chocolate (Trader Joe’s Brand) okay?
Hi Jeannette. Xylitol is a sugar substitute and would not be allowed…only honey and maple syrup are used during the 10 day challenge. As far as breakfast cereals, there are some Arrowhead brand cereals I believe that only contain one ingredient such as puffed wheat or millet. You might want to try the homemade granola though…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/04/recipe-granola-bars-cereal/. As for the chocolate, unfortunately it contains sugar no matter what the percentage cacao so would not be allowed on the pledge. Good luck. Jill
What about raw cane sugar, is that allowed?
Hi Chrisis. No, raw cane sugar is not allowed. It is still processed. Lisa and her family only used raw honey or maple syrup during the 100 day pledge. Jill
We really like rice in our house, but i do not like the crunch of brown rice. What do i do?
try yellow rice?
Hi Amber. The brown rice should not have a crunch. Perhaps you are not cooking it long enough? It cooks much longer than white rice. Jill
We make it in our rice cooker. Should I double cook it? Or double the water?
Brown rice is generally 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water per 1 cup of rice. It does take longer to cook as well – roughly 30 minutes as opposed to 20 with white rice. It should have a nice nutty flavor, but not crunchy. Hope that helps!
Hi Amber. Does your rice cooker have a brown rice setting? I know mine does and it cooks it much more slowly. Like another reader said as well, it should be about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice. Hope that helps. Jill
I’ve decided to take the 10 day pledge starting tomorrow, but I have a few questions. I am a high school student and I bring my lunch to school everyday, so I was wondering what kinds of non processed foods would be good for school lunches? Let me know if you have any ideas? Also would store bought bagels be considered a processed food?
Thanks
I enjoy a good salad for lunch. What you put in it is up to you (lots of fresh romaine and spinach for me). A dressing can be olive or grape seed oil. i use a annie’s pomegranate vinaigrette. I’am not sure if it passes the 100days smell test. If you need something more add a meat or bread.
Hi Ashley. You should check out all of our posts on school lunches (I’m including the link to the school lunch topic under blog topics)…http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/category/children-adapting/school-lunches/. As for the bagels, I’m not sure there is one that would fall under “the rules” that is store bought. Jill
Hi,
I was wondering if Jasmine rice is considered processed food as well. Thank you!
Hi Silvia. As long as it is brown jasmine rice it would be fine. Jill
Where would I find easy recipes that are corn, dairy, and chocolate free. I heard that a whole food diet would be the best way to go so I am researching that. I want to eat more than fruit and vegetables. I am looking for snacks and good breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas. Can any one steer me in the right direction ?
Thanks for your time.
Michele
Check out Engine 2 Diet on Hulu. It was a good starting point for me.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/406563
or go to their website
http://www.engine2diet.com/
Hi Michele. I don’t have an easy way to suggest that you are able to search our recipes within your parameters, but, I believe many of them will be ok for you as long as you substitute something for the dairy. As you probably already know, it is always easier to avoid certain foods when you are making them yourself versus buying pre-packaged foods. I hope you’ll take some time to look through the recipes and find some that will work for you. Best of luck. Jill
Hi there! Great blog! How do you shop frugally in the winter months for produce that’s local? I live in PA so farmers markets don’t exist in the winter. I garden but by January, we run low on our canned goods. I am a stay at home mom and can’t afford to buy everything organic so I stick to the clean 15 but its usually not local. Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Earth Babe. Glad you are enjoying the blog. I do find that in the winter I buy less local, although, I do try and stick to US produce. Jill
shane ellison the peoples chemist talks about what splenda does to the body, if you google it.
Your post really helped me. ….Thank you….
Have you done any research on decaf coffee? I’m pregnant and am craving coffee all day! I drink my 8oz of organic coffee in the a.m. b/c I just really want it! Even though I’d rather not drink caffeine! Anyhow I’m thinking that since caffeine occurs naturally then decaf probably isn’t good b/c there has to be some processing to take it out. Just curious if you had any knowledge about decaf? Thanks!
Hi Amber. No, we have not done research, but, your assessment of the process to make the coffee decaf is what I was thinking, although, again, I’ve done no research to support that. I might suggest checking with your doctor if you are concerned. Best of luck. Jill
What about agave as a sweetener?
Thank you so much for your website- it has such great information. I might have missed it, and if so I apologize, but I was wondering about Sprouted Bread (Ezekiel)- is this considered okay?
Hi Shannon – yes, the Ezekial brand products are great. If you are doing the pledge, however, I’m not certain they would fall within the guidelines (I would double check the ingredients). Beyond that though they are a great option. Jill
I am thinking of trying this soon, and if it goes well, doing it as a 40 day Lenten project. Since I homeschool, I think the kids and I will do this as a school project for our trial run, and they can help me research where to get our stuff until the farms open fully in April. We live in a rural farming community, so much of this we do already, but certainly not all of it.
Unless you are eating from the tree or eating meat “caveman” style all foods are processed in some way. Cooking is a process. There are several people who have posted argumentative and unnecessay comments here. I applaud you for making the effort to do this for your family. I am a chef, culinary instructor and a mom. As much as I would like to make whole wheat “goldfish” for my kids our busy lifestyle makes it nearly impossible. I buy as much as I can find that is local and organic. I don’t buy anything with HFCS or artificial sweeteners. I do make our own granola bars and a few other things and came here to look at your “pop-tart” recipe. I would love a recipe for a cereal bar. My kids have refused to eat the 3 different recipes I’ve tried so far. Also, canning is a “process” – do you allow for canned beans, etc.? I have enjoyed your blog and will return! Thanks!
You are kind of nitpicking on the use of the word “processed” here. In this topic, “processed” refers to foods that have undergone chemical “enhancements” (like being fortified or bleached), foods that have been made in factories with machinery and foods that contain chemicals.
Home canned beans would be fine, store bought canned beans (in my version of this type of eating) would not… considering how easy it is to make beans, even when you work (crockpot) it’s a waste of money to purchase pre-cooked beans.
Hi Cindy. We don’t have a cereal bar recipe. As for canned beans, I try as much as possible to use dried beans, but, there is the occasion that I sometimes have to use canned. Hope you continue to enjoy the blog. Jill