In today's post about ultra-pasteurized milk I cover shelf life, nutrition, good and bad bacteria, types of pasteurization (htst vs uht), and labels.
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How to Grow Fresh Herbs (and save loads of money!)
Spending 2 or 3 bucks on a pack of fresh herbs at the grocery store every time you need a sprig of thyme or a few mint leaves can add up fast! Luckily, growing them yourself couldn't be any easier.
How to Grow Fresh Herbs (and save loads of money!)Continue Reading →
Video: What Real Food to Make vs Buy (Part 2)
I had the opportunity to share some more of my "Make vs Buy" real food tips on the Charlotte Today Show yesterday. Here's a copy of the video clip for you and also a summary of the products I discussed on the segment just below.
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Supermarket Real Food “Cheat Sheet”
Last week I made my feelings clear about “health food” stores and all of the organic junk food that they sell. I do love that these stores usually offer a wide variety (and high quality) selection of organic produce as well as a nice assortment of whole-grain products. But you still have to have your …
Kiran’s (Realistic) Quest to Cut Out Processed Foods – Part II
Last year I wrote about my family's quest to cut out processed foods. And though I feared daggers would be sent through my computer, the exact opposite happened.
Kiran’s (Realistic) Quest to Cut Out Processed Foods – Part IIContinue Reading →
Want to Cut Processed Food? Where to Start!
When it comes to figuring out how to cut processed food, the most important piece of advice I can give you is this: don’t overthink, just start. So today I'm sharing some quick and easy ways to do just that.
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Should We Rewash Pre-washed Greens?
A look at how organic greens are commercially washed, the case for and against rewashing pre-washed greens, and the proper way to wash at home.
Clean Snack Bars: RXBAR
There are so many snack bar options these days it can be downright overwhelming. But as we’ve mentioned in the past, many of these bars are simply glorified candy bars with some including almost a full day’s suggested amount of sugar – in just one bar! Also many have unnecessary additives most people would not …
Free Fall “Real Food” Meal Plan!
“Real Food” Meal Plan #5 is finally finished! This particular meal plan utilizes fall produce that’s available at some farmers’ markets this time of year and is available to email subscribers only (see instructions below). These meals plans are incredibly detailed so I’ve only been able to crank out a new one every few months or …
3 Products to Help Introduce Your Baby and Toddler to Real Food
This is a guest post by Kiran, our Sales Manager…to learn more about Kiran check out our team page! It's no secret that good nutrition starts from the very beginning. Many moms take a good look at their own health habits upon learning about their pregnancy and even take steps to improve their well being for the health of their baby. But often times…
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A Whole Foods Meal Plan (+ budget tips!)
I created a downloadable, printable 5-day Whole Foods meal plan utilizing recipes that are doable for busy families + 6 ways to save at WFM.
If You Can’t Buy Everything Organic (updated for 2017)
Not everyone can - or wants to - buy everything organic. In some cases, you simply can't find organic options, or you may just not want to foot the bill if it costs more. This is not a new topic here, but one that needed a little updating.
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A look inside a whole foods pantry
One of the frequent questions we get about eating real food is “what do you eat exactly?” Unfortunately so many people have come to rely on both processed foods and highly refined ingredients that most don’t know what they would eat without them (you may be one of these people!). I will be the first …
Too Many Names for Sugar: Which Ones to Avoid!
As I've mentioned before, added sugar is considered the most dangerous part of the Standard American Diet. These are all the names we found for added, refined sugar that you should look out for when checking ingredient labels.
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Food Marketing to Kids (and what you can do about it)
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that children are subject to a staggering seven hours of media each day in the form of television, computers, phones, and electronic devices. Personally, in our household, screen time is very much limited. But lets be honest, no matter how much you try to shield your kids from screens and everything that goes along with them, it’s virtually…
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For convenience: The best store-bought snacks
When your focus is eating whole foods you end up cooking a lot. There is just no way around it. And despite my commitment to our new diet, I occasionally miss the convenience of ready-made store bought foods. Not only do I have to make sure I cook a healthy dinner every night, but I …
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For convenience: The best store-bought snacks II
Today’s post is a follow-up to a store-bought snack list that I published last year. As dedicated as we are to eating real food and cooking meals from scratch, who doesn’t want a break from the kitchen? So here are several more of the “least-processed” store-bought snacks we could find that are great interspersed with …
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Why I Hate the Word Superfood
I get why the word "superfood" was coined for advertising....And this is yet another food trend you won't see me touting.
The Best Store Bought Snacks for Kids (that aren’t highly processed)
When it comes to school snacks and lunches, we hope for the least amount of processing. Here are some of the best store bought goodies we could find. There is also a Yumbox giveaway!
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Organic Valley Farm Tour
I'm proud to be partnering with Organic Valley this year because it's a company that truly has its heart in the right place. And there's no better way to see that than to spend the day with one of their very own farmers, George Teague and Family.
What (should be) in your sandwich bread?
If you feel like you are doing the right thing by buying and eating “wheat” bread from your grocery store – you could be wrong. And if you are buying white sandwich bread or some sort of Whitewheat bread (like I used to buy) you might really be in for a surprise! Have you checked …
Prepackaged Snacks for School
The other day my brother asked my opinion on some organic prepackaged snacks they were considering buying. He said that for their busy family (which includes two working parents and two kids, ages 8 and 4) it is important for their school snacks to be individually wrapped. After reviewing the list of ingredients he emailed …
Food: Bad, Better, Best
Since it is not always ideal or possible to make the most optimal food choice here’s my take on some of the options… Bad Better Best Why Bag of crunchy deep fried potato chips Bag of crunchy nuts that were oiled and salted in a food factory Raw nuts Nuts are a nutritious whole food …
Guest Post: Kombucha + Kraut are Real Food!
If you’re trying to cut processed food out of your diet, two of the most common challenges are drinks and condiments. Fortunately, people have been using fermentation to make delicious drinks, such as kombucha, and much more since before recorded history.
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Interview with Michael Moss, Author of Salt Sugar Fat
Today I'm talking with Michael Moss, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2010, and was a finalist for the prize in 2006 and 1999. He is also the recipient of a Loeb Award and an Overseas Press Club citation. Before coming to the Times, he was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I read…
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5 Ways To Know If Your Food Is Processed
Today my hope is to provide some direction for those confused about what processed food is along with some resources to help reduce it.
Understanding grains (corn, wheat, multi-grain, etc.)
First and foremost I must get something off my chest. Just because a box of something at the grocery store or even a bagel at the bakery says “multi-grain” does not mean it is a healthy alternative. Multi-grain simply means the food is made with more than one grain and has absolutely nothing to do with whether any of …
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Video: A Tour of my Real Food Refrigerator
As part of my pantry and kitchen video tour series, here is what you'll find inside my refrigerator!
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Natural Food Dyes for Holiday Cookies
This year I wanted to make fun and cute holiday cookies with my daughters without resorting to the dreaded artificial food dye. I admit that in January I went through the trouble of making my daughter’s 6th birthday cake from scratch with freshly ground whole wheat and local eggs from the farmers’ market, but then …
How to Fit Real Food Into Your Busy Life
If there is something you REALLY want to do in your life, it will somehow get done. I've seen this played out many times before and was excited to recently see this phenomenon very clearly put into words.
How far does your produce travel?
Produce from your local grocery store chain (whether it is organic or conventional) travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate. There are several reasons this is a cause for concern: In most cases, the farther your produce travels the less nutritious (and tasty) it is by the time you eat it. …
How to Find and Avoid Trans Fat
Trans fat is considered to be the worst type of fat in our food supply. It's pretty scary stuff known to increase our risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in both men and women in our country. Here's how you can avoid it.
Why Sugar in Fruit Is Not “Bad” (+ Nutrition Label Change)
Naturally occurring sugar - like the sugar in fruit, is a real food we should consume. Current nutrition labels make identifying "added sugars" challenging.
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5 Food Labels Not as Healthy as You Think!
There are so many mixed messages coming at us from food manufacturers these days, it's no wonder things can be confusing at the grocery store. Here are some common ingredients and terms found on food labels that we are led to believe are healthy (by the people who stand to make a profit, mind you) and the reasons why that's not always the case!
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Grinding your own wheat is not crazy after all (including video)
A little over a year ago, when we first cut out processed food, a facebook friend told me she was grinding her own wheat for homemade breads and other recipes. I’d honestly never heard of such a thing and had no clue why anyone would want to grind their own grains in the first place. …
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Whole Food Snacks for Kids and Adults
Now that we have established what you shouldn't eat anymore, let’s talk a little about what real food you can eat (and feed your children) come snack time.
