Weather your goal is to make a lifestyle change, incorporate healthy food into your diet or to just test the water these tips can help you get started.

Pick a Date
When my husband suggested we cut out preservatives from out diet for 2 weeks the first thing we did was give ourselves time to prepare a select a day to start. Since we were only striving for two-weeks we looked at the calendar for two weeks that were free of events that centered around food so we could be loyal to out plan. This gave us two-weeks to prepare, but I suggest taking your time to understand the preparation required to be successful. After the two-week trial I never looked back, but it did take me some time to create a REAL FOOD kitchen to make the lifestyle change so that it was manageable.

Stop looking at nutrition labels
The only concern is making sure you are not putting chemical and editable synthetic substances into your body. That information is not on the nutrition label so stop focusing on calories, fat, and all the added “vitamins and nutrients” that are probably a source of the problem.

Look at Ingredients only
Check the ingredients to determine what you can eat. If it does not have a label, it is what people call a “Whole Food.” It is an ingredient e.g. fruits, vegetables, nuts. Believe it or not Whole Foods carries a lot of garbage.
If there is a label, make sure each ingredient is food. Can you pronounce it? Have you heard of it? FYI – Citric acid is a cheap alternative to citrus fruit juice. Read more about what to watch for here.

When I started out, I put a giant black X on all the items in my kitchen that were not REAL FOOD. I was shocked by how many of the supposed “healthy brands” were packed with bad ingredients despite the labels touting high in protein, low in fat, low in sugar and other nutritional benefits. Here are some violators to steer clear of.

Find alternatives to most consumed items

• Milk/Dairy Alternative: Milk is not orange so cheese should not be either. Buy white cheese and shred it yourself. While I am not dairy-free I do not care for the taste of milk, but the almond and oat milk I was drinking contained thickening agents (yuck) so I found alternatives that were just almond or oats with water and salt.
  
• Bread: For store bought bread, switch to Killer Dave’s Organic 21 Whole Grain. They make hamburger buns too. REAL FOOD Sourdough bread is easier to find but ALWAYS look at the label. It should just be flour, salt, water, and enzymes. Izzio is a good brand and can be found at Wholefoods. If you make your own bread avoid “enriched flours” and anything. The only ingredient in flour should be wheat. I use King Authur Organic Flour, but another good option is Jovial Organic Einkorn Flour. I have not tried to make my own sourdough, but it is on my list.
  
• Meat/Fish: Organic, grass-fed, regenerative if possible. Check your local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, or a subscription service like Butcher Box and Wild Alaska Company.
  
• Fruits/Veggies: Shop for seasonal organic fruits at veggies at local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, or find a local CSA.
  
• Eggs: Pastured Eggs are highest in nutrients
  
• Rice: Get and Instant Pot and make your own in 10 minutes.
  
• Beans: Find canned beans with Salt as the only other ingredient.
  
• Dressings: There is no way around it you must make your own, but it is easier than you think. Click here for my favorite dressing recipes.
  
• Snack: Crunch on raw veggies, fresh fruit and dry roasted and salted nuts (no oils). Dried/dehydrated fruit is a great option if you are craving something gummy (in my former life I loved Swedish Fish). Check out my list of REAL FOOD Kid-Friendly Snacks.
  
• Sweeteners: Avoid all sugar alternatives. If you want something sweet choose cane sugar, honey, or maple syrup as the sweetener.
  
• Condiments/Spices: Check them all for anti-caking agents, gums, and other additives. Get organic dried spices when you can. Here is a list of safe options for condiments.
  
• Desserts: Your best bet is to bake it yourself. Almost any homemade dessert is fine and even tastes better, just make sure you check the label on everything you add. FYI Baking Power should be substitutes with 1:1 whipped egg whites.
  
• Ice Cream: This deserves its own category because I love it so and it is the most man-manipulated substance out there. Ice cream is milk and sugar, yet any pint has a million ingredients to keep it from melting as they truck it for miles and to make it creamer to compete with other brands. Try Ice Cream of Bears or Straus Family Creamy. Check the back of any flavors to make sure it is food flavoring and coloring it. Top vanilla with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips.

Read these books
I read these books when I stared feeling the impacts of my new “Food” diet. In Ultra Processed People I learned how truly disgusting out food is and simply cannot stomach the thought of eating things like Xanthan Gum ever again. Good Energy is more of a cerebral read that explains the connection between out food an metabolic dysfunction.

• Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means
• Ultra Processed People by Chris Van Tulleken

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