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The concept of clean eating (otherwise known as a wholefoods diet) can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with it. But the simple truth is that the diet is just focused on eating fresh produce - plant-based foods and animal products such as eggs, meat, fish and poultry. Eating more wholefoods is an easy attitude to adopt with a few minor tweaks to your existing routine, including the four suggestions below:
1. Replace processed snacks
While muesli bars and power balls may parade as healthy bites on the run, the convenient store-bought snack option is almost always overloaded with additional preservatives and sugars. Do your research and look for brands that are focused on providing healthy snack alternatives - those like Bear-Nana Bites from Naturally Nood who promise their fruit and nut options to be free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives which makes embracing wholefoods as easy as can be. Perhaps instead of buying your snacks for the week you could also try replacing them with cut up vegetables on some days (such as carrots or capsicum) or start getting creative in the kitchen and make your own using wholefood ingredients like nuts, grains, and fruit.
2. Make a move to wholegrain
Carbohydrates aren’t the enemy, but there are certain carbohydrates that are better than others - avoid refined grains where possible or foods such as white bread, and white rice. Brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain bread and whole-grain pasta are alternatives to typical white variations that will provide much longer lasting energy and higher amounts of fibre.
3. Eat organic
‘Fresh is best’ is a mantra at the heart of a wholefoods diet. But beyond choosing to purchase food that doesn’t come out of a can, it is encouraged that you enjoy foods as close as possible to their original form. Organic crops are those that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, certain types of fertilisers and hormones. Shopping organic can often be feared but it needn’t be - organic food is now both common at any kind of produce market, as well as within a dedicated section at most supermarkets.
4. Prepare your own meals
Preparing your own meals, rather than stopping for takeaway or store-bought options is one of the best ways to ensure that your diet is wholefoods-based. Cooking for yourself prevents any additional ingredients being added unbeknownst to you, as well as any that may come from a can or a packet. Taking the time to make your own is particularly relevant to dressings, sauces, and dips that are often laden with unexpected amounts of sugar and preservatives. Instead of relying on shop-bought variations, it takes only a little more effort to concoct your own homemade versions to garnish your favourite meals.
What are your suggestions for incorporating more wholefoods into your diet?