Limit consumption of ready-to-eat cereals, white bread, and other refined carbs. Fresh vegetables and fruits are ideal for clean eating, as most can be consumed raw immediately after picking and washing. This includes wheat, rye, barley, triticale, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. This also includes all the ways wheat, corn, and rice are added to foods in the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on. Keep a food journal or use apps to monitor your meals and behaviors.
Gluten-containing grains
Sarah Pflugradt is a registered dietitian who holds a Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her extensive background in dietetics has made her a sought-after expert in family and youth sports nutrition. https://patient.info/features/diet-and-nutrition/what-is-clean-eating-and-how-can-you-start Schulte recommends raw vegetables like carrots, snow peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli and baby spinach. Additionally, mini peppers or cucumbers, cherry or grape tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, green beans and asparagus. This free self-paced course offers practical guidance & resources to help you adopt a healthier, more sustainable way of eating. Join our FREE supportive community for cooking, engagement, and whole food, plant-based (WFPB) wellness support.
Is a Whole Foods Diet for You?
Basically, the main foods to eat on a plant-based diet are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts and seeds. Refined grains, refined sugar, and oils are some of the easiest foods for the body to digest. Because they don’t contain any fiber, they are also some of the most calorie-dense options.
Meal Planner
While organic foods can be costlier, prioritize purchasing organic for produce on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, which are the most pesticide-laden. This strategic approach allows you to maximize health benefits without overspending. Organic farming often promotes soil health and biodiversity, contributing to a more sustainable environment. Incorporating organic options into your whole food diet not only benefits your body but also supports ecological balance.
Deciphering Labels for a Whole Food Lifestyle
- Opt for grilled, baked, or steamed dishes, vegetables, and proteins, and ask for dressings or sauces on the side.
- But you shouldn’t look at the diet as a failure if you don’t get through the entire 30 days perfectly.
- This 7-day whole foods diet meal plan is a healthy reset to get in the right mindset and feel good about what you put into your body.
- Whole foods are a powerhouse of phytochemicals and antioxidants.
- Potatoes provide potassium and contain a little of almost every nutrient you need, including vitamin C.
- If you eat animal foods, only eat them in smaller quantities, paying attention to the quality.
These simple swaps help align your diet with the principles of the whole food diet for weight loss in 2025. If you’re looking to start a diet plan, you may have heard of the Whole30 diet. Talk to your doctor before you try it to make sure it’s safe for you. Integrating real foods into your diet helps lower the risk of disease. Several studies show that eating a diet heavy on veggies and fruits helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers (3).
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Leaning too much in that direction can lead to an unhealthy obsession with what you are eating. Individuals choosing a WFPB lifestyle avoid heavily processed foods. Fresh produce goes a long way, and whole grains, potatoes, and beans are some of the most affordable bulk foods you can buy. Create meals around these staple items and you’ll definitely spend less than you do on a diet rich in meat and other animal products. Begin by gradually replacing processed foods with whole, unprocessed options.
Plant-based kitchen tools
That’s part of the lifestyle and long-term success strategy that makes it more than just a diet. We personally go for 90% whole food plant-based meals and 10% processed fun foods. But to those of you whose health is already compromised or are used to eating mainly processed food and animal products, here’s what could happen. Crowding out the unhealthy food by eating more of the healthy whole food plant-based things you already like is a great first step! It can be as simple as choosing whole grains over refined ones for now. There is less chance of your food being contaminated or going bad if it’s made from plants instead of animal products – and cooking some lentils is usually quicker than preparing meat.
What is the whole foods diet in simple terms?
The list of foods you’ll eliminate in the first phase can seem intimidating. But whatever you decide, you should eat lots of vegetables and fruits, whether it’s fresh produce, or frozen fruits & veggies. While some only consider foods that are completely unprocessed to be whole foods, some accept very slightly processed foods as whole foods – it’s up to you to decide what you prefer to consume.
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Milk and dairy products can also contain hormones that may disrupt the endocrine system and lead to weight gain. According to a 2015 unimeal review on learnmuscles review, certain hormones in dairy products may potentially provoke breast, prostate, and endometrial tumors. Artificial sweeteners mimic sugar and are linked to various health conditions including cancer, bowel disease, migraines, autoimmune disorders, and more.
Diet & Nutrition, Health
Just because the diet’s rules are restrictive doesn’t mean you should be hard on yourself. Most things that you could make in your own home, such as bread, pasta, nut butter, and nut milk, fall into the whole foods category. Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe—providing texture and umami.