- Processed foods are an illusion, often appearing to be healthy (with claims like low fat, low carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains omega-3s, etc.) when these foods are in fact the very thing making a lot of Americans unhealthy, sick, and fat.
- Coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – four of the top ten chronic diseases that kill most of us – “can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food” according to Michael Pollan.
- Making smarter (and sometimes more expensive) food choices now may reduce your healthcare costs later in life.
- Why would one want to eat a processed food-like substance that is scientifically designed to never rot?
- The food industry has proven that it is not very good at seasoning our foods by adding way too much salt, sugar, and/or oil to almost everything.
- When you eat white bread and other foods made with white flour (which is a highly processed version of wheat) you are basically consuming empty calories with far less nutrition than the whole-wheat or whole grain alternatives.
- It is estimated that up to 90% of processed foods* in the supermarket contain either a corn or soy ingredient in the form of an additive under a variety of different names. Now how is that for eating variety?
- Cutting out processed foods could lead you to experience a variety of personal health benefits such as having more energy, losing weight, improving regularity, or just feeling healthier overall.
- Rather than counting calories, watching fat grams, or reducing carbs for “healthy eating,” simply eat whole foods that, as Michael Pollan puts it, are more the product of nature than “the product of industry.” It certainly is less complicated.
- It just makes plain old sense to fully understand what you are eating, be able to pronounce everything on the list of ingredients (if there is a list), and know exactly where that food comes from…don’t you think?
*Statistic courtesy of a food scientist interviewed on the documentary “Food, Inc"
Brianne Strong says
I am lactose intolerant and drink Almond Breeze unsweetened, original milk. I chose that particular brand because there are no GEI and it is still affordable. But it says there's "natural flavors". What does this mean? Everything I've read is so inconsistent!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Brianne. I agree, natural flavors is a bit confusing, not to mention misleading. Both artificial and natural flavors are made by “flavorists†in a laboratory by blending either “natural†chemicals or “synthetic†chemicals to create flavorings. Some even say that the artificial flavorings are safer because only safety tested components are used. My husband drinks almond milk as well and we try to make our own as much as possible...you can check out this recipe here...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/31/food-allergies-dairy/. Jill
Louisa Newman says
I just read the book 'The Science of Skinny' by Dee McCaffrey, organic chemist and nutritionist, after hearing her interview on NPR. That book has scared me away from eating anything processed or genetically modified. I just wanted to let you know that on page#139 she touches on "natural flavors" and says that they are safe and the term is used interchangably with extract, but she says the term "natural flavorings" refers to substances made in a laboratory and that they should be avoided.
Melanie Chisnall says
I found out earlier this year that I was gluten intolerant. This forced me to cut out all forms of wheat, a lot of sugar, and basically anything processed. I couldn't even eat tinned food. It was hard in the beginning, but now that we've grown our own vegetable garden outside and started experimenting with spices, it's become a lot easier and more fun. I have more energy and I feel great! Thanks for the info, enjoyed your post!
Katy G says
I know you've touched on this before, but could you revisit how to go unprocessed/non-GMO when you're at other people's houses? I have such a hard time with this, especially with two little kids. My husband's family does not buy into the organic/non-GMO/unprocessed way of life. We were just there for a party and there were no good options, and everything is at child's level. There are butter crackers with a huge ingredient list, Tostito chips (with GMO corn), non-organic baby carrots (don't taste like carrots and soaked in chlorine), generic cheese squares (with added growth hormone and food dye), a taco dip (most likely with MSG), a container of veggie dip with a long list of ingredients, shrimp with a ketchup dip, and little pieces of extra salty sausage (with who knows what kind of meat)...not to mention cake that's processed and dyed... I feel like I just don't know what to do with this. I obviously can't keep my kids from having any, and don't want to be rude either, so we let them have a minimum, reminding our oldest how her tummy hurt the last time she ate a lot of food at Grandma and Grandpa's. Is it rude to bring your own snacks? My husband commented on how people will bring whatever kind of wine they like to drink, so why not bring whatever kind of snack your kids should eat/plus like to eat. Is it also crazy not to know what to ask people to bring to your house for a party because you don't want to sound like you don't want their help, but you know that it won't be the kind of quality ingredients that you want your family to eat? I know it's easy to say, "well this is a special occasion, so it's ok..." but it's not ok, there are too many special occasions and I just don't approve of feeding my family garbage. What are your suggestions?
Sabrina says
Truth-feed the kids before heading out
Lie-tell the family your kids have specific food allergies and can't eat processed foods.
I always felt like the bad or rude person for pushing healthy foods for my kids. Why should anyone else overpower YOU, their mom into what YOUR children should eat. I know too many people with this same issue. And there are too many occasions to keep making exceptions.
grumblekitty says
Please don't lie to people about food allergies. A: people don't believe you, because they've seen the kids eat those things before, or they will someday. B: it makes life harder for those of us who actually do deal with food allergies, because it makes us all look like liars. This can actually have an impact on peoples' lives--allergy sufferers' stories are peppered with attempts by family and friends purposely, secretly feeding them allergens, either to test them or to "show them that they are wrong"--causing a range of reactions. Since death is a possible reaction to food allergens, this is a potentially dangerous situation.
Erin says
Do not lie about food allergies. My son has true life threatening food allergies. When people lie instead of being honest they give those who have real food allergies a bad name. Be honest with your family or bring your own food. My youngest has no food allergies and when we go places he eats as my oldest does.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Katy. Check out #11 on this FAQ...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Jill
Verona says
Hey I was wondering what you thought about soy milk and almond milk?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Verona. I think they're fine, but, make sure you select the unflavored, unsweetened varieties. You may also be interested in this post here on making your own almond milk...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/31/food-allergies-dairy/. Jill
Amber says
I am considering taking the pledge. One question- I drink La croix sparkling water- what are your thoughts on this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amber. I believe La Croix contains natural flavor. The information I have read on natural flavors is that they are no better (and in fact may be worse) than artificial flavor. They are still "manufactured", it's just that natural ingredients are used in that process. Hope that helps. Jill
Beth says
The words "natural flavors" scare me....if they have to give it a code phase, not sure I want it. I learned recently on a website I follow that "natural raspberry flavoring" comes from the anal gland of a beaver. YUCK! All that "natural" means is that it's origins are from nature, it doesn't mean it was something we are meant to eat. (And how did someone discover that tasted like raspberry anyways?!)
Brooke says
I've just come across this video about sugar - The Real Bears.
http://cognovant.com/the-real-bears-new-video-confronts-dangers-of-soda/
"Soda isn’t just bad for you—the cumulative effects of prolonged soda consumption can lead to health effects that are downright scary. A new video produced by the Center for Science in the Public Interest hopes to spread the word about the harmful effects of soda. Although reports showed that U.S. soda consumption is on the decline, a 2011 Gallup poll revealed that nearly half of Americans drink soda on a daily basis—and of those, the average intake is 2.6 glasses per day."
Tara says
I am planning to take the 10 day pledge and I'm in the process of convincing my dear husband. He is on board but he is an ex smoker and chews nicotine gum and also drink 2 beers per day. I've asked him to give up both of these for the 10 days and he seems adamant that he isn't willing to do so. Will this be a deal breaker in completing the 10 day pledge?
Thanks!
Emily says
Tara, I don't think there's any hard and fast rules about this. The point is to try and improve your health by improving your diet. If hubby's not on board with giving up his nicotine gum and his beer, it sounds like he's on board with the rest of it, and that's great! You seem ready and willing to forgo ALL ultra-processed food, and so I think you'll be sticking to both the spirit and the letter of the pledge. And it sounds like hubby's willing to stick to the spirit of it, at least. There are some boutique-style beers that are crafted in the old way, which I would certainly consider to be acceptable with the pledge. And if his body still needs that nicotine, then it's best not to mess with that.
Tara says
As an aspiring Holistic Nutritionist, you and I see eye to eye on cutting out processed food, Lisa! Here is a quick and easy home made coconut flour tortilla recipe in line with the core principals of your philosophy. (www.4321Texas.com) My family LOVES them! I thought yours might too... Thanks for your blog. I thoroughly enjoy it!
Barbara Johnson says
What do you know about Maltodexterin? Any info you can give me would be helpful. Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Barbara. According to Wikipedia, maltodextrin is produced by cooking down the starch from rice, corn or potato starch. It sounds to me like the process of making it would indicate that it is not a natural substance. It is a common food additive in many processed foods. I would avoid it. Jill
Shannon says
What are your thoughts on Nutella? I know it has sugar in it but is only made from a few ingredients. Thoughts?
Darragh says
Go to trader joes and get a more natural version of nutella, there are almond and cocoa spreads with more natural ingredients than the processed garbage nutella gives us. Processed sugar and preservatives are present in Nutella and these are things that our health would benefit from staying away from.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Shannon. Nutella's ingredients include palm oil, skim milk and artificial flavor (amongst others) according to their website, so, I would not consider it a real food. Jill
Catherine says
There is a website that has a clean version of Nutella that you can make at home. I'm not sure if we are allowed to mention other websites/food blogs on here, so I won't say the name, but if you google it, I think you can find it.
IT Solutions says
I don’t go along with everything in this excellent write up, Absolutely real Stuff. But you do make some more better stuffs.
Todd says
Isn't cheese still a processed food even if it's organic in nature? I'm just asking out of curiosity of your thoughts on the subject.
Stephanie says
I was wondering that too, and some cheeses have color added. I think that with dairy, organic is definitely a must, just because of the diet and meds. they give cows, but it is still processed. I know people that make their own cheeses and butter. I think I will just stick to organic, and let someone else do the milking and churning. ;)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Todd. Yes, cheese does still undergo some form of processing. But, if you think about it, cooking is also a form of processing. I think the point is to avoid "highly processed" foods. Jill
Sarah says
Plus, we just found out that my husband is severely allergic to soy. It's kind of forced me to not be so lazy and start making everything from scratch!!! God has been kind to us, even though it doesn't seem like it when my husband ingests soy and gets the equivalent of a 24-hour "flu"!!!
Taelor says
I was very pleased to find this website. I was just diagnosed with hypoglycemia and have been used to eating processed foods in large quantities. This makes the adjustment easier and I appreciate it. More protein, very limited sugar and no processed foods... bring it on! :)
Tammy says
We've been on the Feingold Diet for about 6 months for my son's ADHD. Cutting out all dyes and additives/preservatives has made an amazing difference in him and has helped me with anxiety issues I was having. I thought I'd take try to take it a step further which is how I came across your blog. Thanks for all the great information! Wish us luck! :)
office 2013 product key says
Great article. It's very unfortunate that over the last ten years, the travel industry has already been able to to fight terrorism, SARS, tsunamis, influenza, swine flu, and the first ever real global economic downturn. Through all this the industry has proven to be effective, resilient as well as dynamic, finding new approaches to deal with hardship. There are often fresh complications and opportunity to which the industry must once more adapt and respond.
Eat What God Made says
At 45 I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired. In desperation I cut out all processed foods, all sugar, all preservatives and began eating organic veggies and fruits. Within weeks my thyroid was working again, my migraines have vanished, I am sleeping like a baby (no more insomnia) - the list goes on and on. Amazing how our bodies simply heal when given the right nutrients - and absolutely disgusting what passes as "food". Thanks for doing what you do.
Meghan says
I am going to start by taking the Ten Days of Real Food Challenge, starting on the 7th. I do have a question though. It's recommended to eat a certain amount of calories a day and not to go over or you'll gain weight. why is it that when you're eating "real food" you don't have to count anything?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Meghan. I would check out this post...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/24/not-cleaning-your-plate/ as well as this one...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/29/mini-pledge-week-8-stop-eating-when-you-feel-full/. Jill
Amber says
I try to eat as many 'real foods' as I can. I make all my own bread, and I am still in college
Jen says
Hi all,
I Â am completely in agreement with the importance of eating real food. I find myself very overwhelmed by the task of making everything my family (of 5) eats from scratch. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to accomplish feeding my family good, healthy meals while working full-time.Â
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jen. It is definitely challenging cooking it all from scratch, but, I find that it's more doable if I plan ahead. If possible, try and make stuff on the weekends to use during the week. Try and cook enough so that you can have a night "off" and use leftovers. Perhaps involve your kids to aid in teaching them more about healthy eating/cooking. I also find that if I schedule my meals out at the beginning of the week it helps me not feel so unprepared. Hope that helps and best of luck. Jill
Ashley says
I am wondering...have a lot of people lost a good bit of weight by going to "real food?" I have had 2 kids in 3 years (including pregnancy with first) and I have some extra weight I want to shed ASAP.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ashley. I always tell people it will depend on what your diet was like before switching to whole foods. Just be careful to still continue to pay attention to portion sizes. Best of luck to you. Jill
Michelle says
My husband has given me a challenge, and I am hard pressed to find the info I need. He wants proof that what we ate in the late 1970’s to early 1980’s is not the same ‘food’ we are eating today. Even though I have told him that at that time food manufactures had to label food as ‘imitation’ and not what is acceptable now as ‘processed food’ or no label at all. He said he would stop fighting me on every food choice I have been making and help me stop the in-laws from giving our kids so much junk. Please help!
Lisa says
I would recommend both Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Also, if you haven't already you two should watch Food, Inc. together!
Landon Hall says
So glad my sister is so involved in healthy eating! She looks and feels great! I used to eat real food and have slowly lost motivation; so this excites me!
Paula Pinter says
Thanks for your outstanding work on healthy eating!
I have also been using an excellent book called You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith.
She had a very entertaining TV series a few years ago which brought out the exact same issues you have... This series made me think about all the bad stuff I was eating (sugary things,white bread,etc).
Changing my food choices and adding more veg and fruits cause me to lose 24 lbs in about six months time. I eat more nuts and much less meat.
lauren kelly says
Such great information. Thanks for sharing!
Kathy says
I have been following this site for awhile now. It is very interesting. I have thought alot about these very things over the years. I am now 55 years old. On the most part I have made most things from scratch. Sometimes have fallen off the road but jumped back on. Mainly because we dont like pre made food. I have been very upset lately, because I recently went to a fast food restraunt and took some (honey). Something masde me read the package and it said (HONEY SAUCE) what is that? I am outraged that our USDA would let the industries that are supposed to be feeding us change something so simple, or let them be using this stuff and calling it food. I have not studied any of this but do know that our bodies dont know what to do with synthetic food we put in it. So what does it do with it? It stores it somewhere. Our body can't use it, it dosn't know what it is or what to do with it. I'm just very sad about our future food supply and how our bodies with will respond.
Justyna says
My journey started a couple of years ago when we moved across the country. In Nebraska we drove past a small (but seemed huge to us)feed lot. It broke my heart to see the cows squashed like sardines and stuck in mud. When we settled in, I began to do some research, but didn't really think too much about it. We moved again and then I got pregnant with my fourth boy and my first son was diagnosed with Aspergers. I soon learned how sugar, food dyes, MSG and other things affect him. Now, only four months in and I've never felt - or looked - so good. The only weight I've gained is baby and people tell my skin glows. Last time I had a high-risk pregnancy and this time, I can honestly say I've never felt better. No acid, no blood pressure issues or morning sickness and I have a ton of energy! My Aspie's moods are so much better. He rarely has an emotional outburst and is finally making friends! My husband is losing weight without trying and my other two sons just seem to be happy all the time. The best part is that we're all craving fruits and veggies like never before. The extra cost is so worth it and we'll never go back.
Sara says
I love what you're doing and how you are empowering others! I have been on this real food journey for 6 years and feel great! I started my own experiment based on your chic fil a post. My sandwich is a week old and doesn't even smell bad. Surprise surprise
ModernPioneerMom says
I recently wrote a history of processed foods in the U.S. over the past 100+ years on my blog. Pretty interesting to see how all this got started!
Tina says
Hello. I'm so interested in learning ALL I can in changing the way my family and I eat....We are a family of 8...That's myself, husband, 4 kids, and my parents, whom we moved in with to take care of. I need to learn as much as I can for quick and easy ways of eating, what we need to be eating to be healthy...Diabetes highly runs in both sides of our family, as does heart problems, asthma, and being over weight. I am so excited to have stumbled onto this website, and can't wait to start following some of the recipes, and would love to get advice from anyone to make this transition easier. :)
Thanks so much for taking all the time to do this research and share with the rest of us. I too get so upset about the foods that are allowed to be fed to our families, and what is or isn't in our foods. I look forward to hearing from anyone with good advice to get started.
:)
Lisa says
Tina - Welcome to the blog...this page has some getting started tips! https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/start-here/
Libby says
http://www.rodale.com/health-effects-high-fructose-corn-syrup
An interesting article on one aspect of health issues due to high fructose corn syrup.
Lisa says
Just subscribed and looking forward to different ideas for recipes etc. We're not new to "real food". My husband is a trained chef and our 7-year old has always ate the same thing we do at every meal. As my parents both grew up on farms, they raised my sister and I to eat fresh whatever we could. We always had something planted in what little space we had. The same holds true for my own family. We have herbs and some veggies as we can get room. My son LOVES to cook with us and that is partly where I credit his "open-ness" to food. I can tell you I didn't know what Kale and Quinoa were at 7, but my son does and he loves and loves them! It takes a little more effort (more frequent grocery shopping) but a little price to pay for clean eating.
Kari Kelly says
Thank you so much for such a WONDERFUL resource! My new husband and I are about to start your 100 day challenge. I am already on day 5 and seeing fantastic benefits.
Shauna Farver says
Great post, thanks! Highly processed foods are also often very high glycemic.
Wil says
Just wanted to say thank you for doing what you are doing. Four years ago I had a heart attack at 34 years old. It was a huge wake up call... Exercise and diet have become major priorities in my life since then and the closer I can get to the plant, tree, dirt or bone my food comes from the happier I am. Ive found it difficult to find recipes and options to keep variety in the diet... I think that your blog is going to be my new best friend! By the way, Ive known Ashley Eller for years now, she is amazing! Glad to see her get a shout out in your canning article! keep up the great work! :)
Tina Monji says
I'm really interested in this, but my husband would never be; we've talked about it plenty. but, I would love to know about yogurt. We love it in our house, but I don't recall ever seeing an unsweetened fruit flavored yogurt available. I've shopped at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, plus the chain stores. Do you buy unflavored and add your fruit/sweeteners? My kids probably wouldn't miss the sweet, but the extra flavor, they would. Also, when baking I find 100 % whole wheat products to be heavy and not rise as well. Is it different with whole white wheat? Or do you just get used to the denser cookies? Thanks!
Tina
100 Days of Real Food says
For yogurt I buy plain and mix in my own berry sauce: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/03/recipe-berry-sauce/
And here is a post about making the transition to whole-grain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/03/real-food-tips-6-ways-to-ease-the-switch-to-whole-grain/
Good luck!
plattergirl says
My family and I have been making changes for about 6 weeks now. I am so excited to have found your blog. What a huge help it has been to me over the last few weeks! Thank you so much. Is there a recommended book list somewhere on your website? I want to read as much as I can that will help me in our quest to live cleaner healthier lives. Any recipe books you can recommend? Thank you again for your commitment to this site....it is really great!
100 Days of Real Food says
I have a few books on this list here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/#books
Summer Elam says
My family and I have been eating real food for two months now. The interesting thing is that I'm actually consuming more calories than ever before (real butter, real sour cream, whole milk, etc.), but I'm still losing weight. When I would count calories and eat "fake" food and less calories than I am now, I couldn't seem to drop the extra weight. Maybe it's because my body is able to process real food better? Or more nutrients are being used, thus I'm not storing all the extra crap? Hmmmm, I wonder...
Claudia says
This website is fantastic, and I totally prescribe to your way of living! However, have you ever thought about not buying foods packaged in plastic (this includes buying things from a bulk bin and putting them in plastic produce bags)? I think it's important to improve our health while simultaneously looking out for Mother Earth. Reducing (or better yet, ELIMINATING) plastic packaging is key if you want to be a good steward of the earth. Reuseable cotton or muslin sacks with drawstrings are virtually weightless and make great substitutes to plastic bags. :-) Just thought I'd throw that out there!
100 Days of Real Food says
No, I have not gone down that path yet although I do recognize the benefits!
sarah w says
Well for one I love this site. And I am going to do the 100 days of "real food". I am 20 years old and I want to change the way I eat now because when I have children one day I want them to have the best of everything and I think food is the most important. I am going to try and get my mother on the band wagon also. She did a low carb diet and most of the food she ate was fresh but the shakes and bars they offer are so processed it is scary. I can't wait to make this life change and keep it going. Thanks