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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Thanks for a great website and all the good content! Keep up the good work!
I noticed in these comments that there are some concerns about the safety of consuming soy. Personally, I never thought that soy is a problem since billions of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans have consumed plenty of soy products over thousands of years with no ill effects. But for a more scientific perspective, one of my favorite writers addressed the issue here: http://zenhabits.net/soy/ Check it out and decide for yourself if soy consumption is safe.
It was either Pollan or Planck who pointed out that newer soy products were more troubling, but soy in traditional foods were good to consume (i.e. tofu) I like to think of the rule of thumb that if its been eaten for 100′s of years it is good to eat! I don’t remember exactly but I think the traditional soy products are cultured/fermented and that makes a big difference. Alot of the newer products, ie. substitutes for meat, aren’t and may not be good for us.
Any thoughts on Raw Organic Blue Agave? I’ve been using it occasionally instead of honey. I’m seeing conflicting reports on it!
I also see a lot of conflicting information on agave so we personally do not use it. Seems the way it is being used in the U.S. is a little “newer” than honey and maple syrup.
What about dark chocolate?
It still has sugar in it… so that is a “no”
agave isn’t that good for you.. when they make it it produces high fructose.. but doesn’t spike insulin so that’s why so many think it’s ok.
you saw no white sugar, is raw sugar ok? it isn’t processed like white and is still natural.
Nope…raw sugar does not make the cut either.
Thanks for such a wonderful and informative blog! Someone actually pinned you on Pinterest, which is how I found you. I am trying to eat more whole foods and cut out processed stuff, and this is so helpful. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see you live in Charlotte (I do too) and have never been to Great Harvest Bread Co. After reading this, I am planning to stop by and check out their goodies!
Could you please set the articles up to be printed? Thanks.
Soy-like anything else is ok in moderation but has been linked to elevated breast cancer risk. There is a ton of products that have soy so reading labels is a must.
I have been talking to my husband about changing our diet to one ingredient foods (of course that doesn’t include home cooking) and only buying food with labels that we read and know. Then I stumbled on this website when searching for a recipe on whole wheat tortilla’s. I am so excited to read your posts and plan to take the 10 day pledge. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work.
Believe it or not, butter is actually GOOD for you (in moderation of course!). I’m a nurse practitioner, and I NEVER use fake margarine at all anymore!! And real butter tastes so much better!! Check it out at the Weston Price Foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better
dark chocolate must be great … butter too
Hi there, my family and I are on Day 3 of the 10 day real food challenge and we aren’t doing too bad! There are a lot of things to learn and keep a watchful eye for. But, in just three days I’m feeling INCREDIBLE! My mind is clearer and I have so much energy! I can even see a change in my daughter. She is calmer and more relaxed! She’s three years old and usually bouncing off the walls until we make her go to bed. Now it’s just the normal three year old energy coming out! Thank you so much for this information! It is life saving…it truly is!
I am only on day one, but I already have a question. Can we use date sugar? Thanks
Nope, just honey and maple syrup for this particular pledge!
I love this idea but I have a son that is gluten free ( no wheat) can we use rice flour ?
Yes, just make sure it is whole-grain (brown rice flour)
Bobs red mill also makes a wonderful gluten free flour out of various whole grains. We have used it in baking as well, with great success!
I did a no-processed foods challenge and the rules were stricter than yours. This challenge didn’t allow any dairy, pasta or bread. Quite frankly, I like that yours allows for these items! But what is your reasoning for qualifying these as non-processed?
I am interested in reading Michael Pollon’s “In defense of food.” My questions may be answered there…
Yes, I think reading his book would be helpful if you want to get into the details. I see no reason for organic whole-grain pasta made one ingredient to not be eaten during a whole food challenge.
PS – Ours was a “real food” not “raw food” pledge
I have looked for pasta with only one ingredient and cannot find it. Is there a specific brand that you buy?
I have since read the book, and watched the movie Food, Inc. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know why eating real simple food is important.
Here’s an example of what I can find at Earth Fare: http://www.amazon.com/bionaturae-Organic-Whole-Spaghetti-16-Ounce/dp/B001IZM7QQ?tag=knowledgepdco-20
Here’s another, but this one is not organic: http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Whole-Wheat-Penne-13-25-Ounce/dp/B00260357W?tag=knowledgepdco-20
First of all, thank you for taking the time to put out all the information you do; I love reading your blog and I admire what you’ve done for your family and followers. Second, I want to start this with my husband after the Thanksgiving holiday, and I am wondering if you have any thoughts on whey (or other) protein powders/drinks? We tend to use those at least 5 days a week as well as various protein bars before/after workouts.
I just bought at Kroger Jay Robb’s egg white protein vanilla powder. It is sweetened with Stevia and all natural and clean. It was 22$
I am not so sure about “protein powders” (what are the ingredients?), and I think there are different types of whey (more processed vs. more natural). For protein drinks how about something like this instead (you could throw in some spinach too)?
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/11/recipe-pbj-smoothie/
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/18/recipe-peanut-butter-banana-smoothie/
I have read that most all protein bars and “muscle powders” are made from processed soy proteins which can actually be bad for you, especially if eaten daily.
We also have a wheat, dairy and egg allergy so we do most of the guidelines already listed here. We don’t follow the guidelines for sugar as I already have to alter recipes so much to deal with the allergies.
Paige asked if rice flour is okay. I would assume it is okay to use rice flour, according to these guidelines, as long as it is brown rice flour. Check out other things such as quinoa, amaranth, barley or other gluten free grains that would work.
I am concerned that you listed barley in your list of gluten free grains. It is not gluten free and neither is spelt. Just wanted to let you know..=)
Hello, My husband and I are going to start the 10-day challenge starting with dinner this evening and I am working up a meal plan for the next 10 days. I love risotto but abrio rice is white rice, do you have any suggestions for a alternative? Also what about sandwich “toppings” such a mayo and mustard. I am assuming that they are processed but what do you find works? Thank you!!
For risotto we just use brown rice and it works great! I recommend the “instant” variety (which is still 100% whole grain) because it doesn’t take as long. Also for sandwich toppings there are some simple mustard options available, but for mayo you’ll have to make your own (or skip it). Good luck!
I stumbled upon your website/blog when looking for Whole Food Snacks. I’m so glad to have found a community out here as I begin a whole foods change as well!
Excellent issues altogether, you simply received a new reader. What would you suggest about your put up that you simply made a few days in the past? Any sure?
Great to find your page. I’ve just finished reading ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ about the far-reaching affects of the food business, written by Felicity Lawrence and am about to start ‘Not on the Label’. Have you read these? Thank you for your hard work here – it’s a message that needs to be spread far and wide.
You can make your own chocolate, by over a double boiler or metal pan over a pan of boiling water, melt coconut oil, stevia, and raw or dark cacao or cocoa. Put in mini cupcake wrappers and freeze for a bit till hard.
also, for the risotto question. Lundberg farms just got a new product on shelves, brown rice couscous. In various flavors. You can also use their brown short grain rice for this purpose. I found them at Kroger.
I follow the “Clean Eating” from Tosca Reno’s books. Here’s my grocery list this week:
Ezekiel bread
Avocado’s
Kashi cereal
Ak-Nak crackers
Brown rice cakes
Expeller pressed olive oil
Frozen chicken breasts
Spinach
Dark choco chips
Spelt flour
Whole wheat flour
Egg whites
Apples,mango, kiwi
frozen fruit
Jay Robb’s egg white protein powder in vanilla w/stevia
Sweet potatoes
Grilled chicken breasts (in bag)
Locally grown/processed lean ground beef
Whole wheat noodles/pita/lavash
Brown rice Mai fun noodles
Spaghetti sauce Newman’s own
has anyone got the “yonannas” whole fruit “ice cream” maker. It makes whole fruit into ice cream. I have seen it just recently advertised on tv to be in stores this season. I was thinking of getting one for xmas for the family. We LOVE our ice cream, but if it could be made out of bananas and other fruits we’d buy it!
We use our food processor to make ice cream with fruit. We freeze bananas and put them in with a little peanut butter, plain yogurt and berries. It is perfect!
I’m lactose intolerant and usually do soy, but since I found out it has been linked to breast cancer, I want a different alternative. Will Rice or Almond milk fall into the non-processed category? Love your site btw!
According to the clean-eating diet, Almond Milk is not considered processed. It is used in place of regular milk.
I use coconut milk. SoDelicious is a great brand. They make ice cream, too. When I was diagnosed with massive amounts of food allergies, coconut products like coconut oil and coconut milk were absolute lifesavers. I get raw coconut oil and use it as a substitute for butter when cooking.
Thanks for such great information! We have been slowly reducing processed foods for a couple of years, but this is just the jolt we need to kick them for good!
For those asking about sandwich toppers, we like to use guacamole or toasting them with a little cheese gives them good moisture, too!
hi! I love your site, and am so happy to see so many people responding positively to it! I myself am Paleo, and eat whole, natural foods exclusively. I’d love you to check out Wildtree. We are an all-natural food company that specializes in grapeseed oil, dressings, marinades, and culinary blends. Our products are additive, preservative, msg, HFCS, dye, and nut free. While we do offer packaged meal starters that are spice, vegetable, and rice blends, we also offer the most wonderful spice blends and flavor infused oils that fit right in to your challenge. Please let me know if you’d like to try any of our products.
Cheers to a healthy kitchen!
Best,
Courtney
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Hi your website is so helpful. Wanted to start eating healthy again and just pledge for the 10 day challenge. Feeling motivated!
My wife Pinterest this and we plan to do the 10 day plan. (Thanks, no more Braums Jalepeno burgers (smile)).
I wanted to also post an article on GeoEngineering and What they are Spraying, since it also deals with pollutants in the air and on our crops.
http://getridoftoxins.com/?p=357
I try to eat by http://www.deflame.com
No grain but wild or brown rice.
No sugar except honey, pure maple syrup, or Stevia.
Only veggies, fruit, grass fed beef.
Nothing processed.
Stay on the outside of the grocery store..
Eggs, butter, yogurt, meat, fruits, and veggies.
Are there any exceptions to the 5 ingredient rule? I love Bob’s Red Mill Muesli (11 ingredients) and Amy’s Organic Chili (13 ingredients). The ingredients are all real foods – whole grains, nuts, dried fruits, organic veggies and spices, etc. – so would these be an exception or should I avoid them completely? If I took (i.e. had) the time to make them myself, they’d contain all the same ingredients…
The 5-ingredient rule was just to draw the line somewhere especially with so many different people following along…so that is up to you how you want to proceed with those products!
Lisa,
I just happen to come across your site, and must say i love it! We are in Canada however, and I’ve been trying to find out if there is anywhere in ontario where you can actually purchase fresh milk from farms.
I was also curious to know if “whey protien” powder would be acceptable within the rules…
I was already putting locally grown honey in my coffee (trying to help with allergies), its actually very good.
To search for local farms try eatwild.com and/or localharvest.org…hopefully they offer some Canadian resources! Also, if you are looking to add extra protein try nuts as a snack or try putting nut butter in a smoothie.
I’m thinking of starting this pledge, but my main obstacle is the sugar aspect. The thought of using maple syrup or honey in my coffee sounds gross. Any suggestions?
Try some of the homemade coffee creamers from Deliciously Organic: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/homemade-coffee-creamer/
This website is amazing! I stumbled upon it through a pinterest post and am so glad I did. Thank you, thank you for putting all this information in one place!
You really make it appear really easy with your presentation but I to find this topic to be actually something which I believe I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely large for me. I am looking forward for your subsequent submit, I will attempt to get the hold of it!
the brand of pasta is Allegra…the ingredients is 100% durum wheat and semolina….is this a “yes” or “no” product….thank you
It would be a “yes” if the only ingredient were “100% durum whole wheat” …unfortunately semolina is refined.
Is it okay to use those drink packets for water??
like crystal light?
Definitely not…those drink packets include sweeteners (among other things) that don’t follow our real food rules.
Hi there, I am starting the challenge in a couple of days but have a question:
I recently found a fake meat product made from grains which does include more than 5 ingredients, but they are all good ingredients, is this ok for a protein source? Here are the ingredients…I am not sure what the yeast extract is naturally flavored with, but I would assume it may be ok?:
Field Roast brand.
Ingredients: Vital wheat gluten, organic expeller pressed palm fruit oil, filtered water, garlic, expeller pressed safflower oil, tomato paste, onions, carrots, celery, naturally flavored yeast extract, mushrooms, onion powder, barley malt, dried red bell pepper, black pepper, sea salt, spices, irish moss (sea vegetable) extract, balsamic vinegar, shitake mushrooms, porcini mushroom powder and yellow pea flour.
Sorry- I just found my double post!
Also, just read above and saw the answer to this question!
Sorry again!
Teresa
Wheat gluten is not the “whole grain” from wheat so the first ingredient is refined and therefore against the rules.
Wow…I didnt even realize! This will be good for me!
Thanks for your help!
Sorry if this is a re-post, but I dont see my question!
Is it ok to eat a product with more than 5 ingredients if all of the ingredients are natural? I recently found Field Roast ‘meats’ and like them as a protein source. (I am a vegetarian that is allergic to soy)
Here are the ingredients:
Ingredients: Vital wheat gluten, organic expeller pressed palm fruit oil, filtered water, garlic, expeller pressed safflower oil, tomato paste, onions, carrots, celery, naturally flavored yeast extract, mushrooms, onion powder, barley malt, dried red bell pepper, black pepper, sea salt, spices, irish moss (sea vegetable) extract, balsamic vinegar, shitake mushrooms, porcini mushroom powder and yellow pea flour.
I was so excited to find your website and I can’t wait to get started on changing my diet! I am a little confused about cheese though. I am unsure of what kind of cheese is considered to be a whole food. I’m sure the processed sliced “cheese products” are not but what about things that pre-shredded cheddar or mozzarella? (Like Sargento) Or the packaged hunks of cheese that they have such a great selection of at Earth Fare?
For cheese you want to go for blocks as opposed to pre-shredded (due to the anti-caking agent that’s added to the shredded stuff). Also, organic is best and cheese that’s made from grass-fed cows would be ideal (if you can find it). I hope that helps!
I’m interested in the 100 day pledge for my family and curious about coffee. I like to drink two small mugs of coffee in the morning and usually add flavored creamer which is not natural at all. The alternative I would think would be milk and sugar but since you don’t allow sugar, what would you use to sweeten coffee? Thanks!
OOps, Sorry! Just saw the answer
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I’m switching over to real food and was curious about your thoughts regarding canned tuna.
If you can find wild-caught tuna that would be a good choice…check out http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/
Thanks so much! Love this website so much and your recipes are fantastic. Appreciate you sharing this with everyone.
What do you think about maple sugar? I’ve never used it but have started seeing it in recipes.
It’s probably a little better (less processed) than regular sugar, but no matter what sweetener you choose it should be used in moderation.
Nice blog, but it made me feel ancient. We have just always lived this way….
We have a 13-month old and I cringe at the processed stuff we feed him (even in teeny tiny amounts, like veggie sausages and graham crackers).
I would like to try the 10-day pledge, but my issue is that we keep Kosher. I don’t know how much this would impact my food selection abilities. Has anyone experienced this?
Only eat organic soy. 91% of all soy is genetically engineered which can lead to all sorts of bad things. Watch Food Inc.It is so sad how they can take food that is supposed to wholesome and nutritious and turn into something that is pretty much toxic. You think you are making smart choices, but because they don’t label foods, you really have no idea what you are eating.