Whole foods are foods that are minimally processed, “closer to the ground”.
This includes such foods as:
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- whole grains; beans and legumes;
- minimally processed lean protein (e.g. a whole chicken, a steak, a piece of fresh fish, etc.)
- nuts and seeds for healthy fats;
- etc.
Minimally processed or packaged foods may also count, such as:
- canned tomatoes
- bagged frozen shrimp
- frozen vegetables
There are no hard-and-fast rules about what constitutes a whole food. Clients are encouraged to come up with their own definitions of “whole food”, and to explain why they’ve made these choices.
This habit helps improve clients’ food choice and preparation skills.
This habit encourages clients to be critical consumers and avoid assuming that a food is “healthy” simply because its packaging says “natural”, “organic”, or something similar.
This is a "hard"/stretch habit and 2 week experiment.

Treat these 2 weeks as an experiment, rather than a “rule” about “good” or “bad” foods.
Get excited to try new things or new cooking methods to expand your repertoire.
Understand the difference between “processed” (foods with chemical additives, artificial flavors, and that usually have more than 5 ingredients on the nutrition label) and “whole foods” (these are REAL and usually have no more than 5 ingredients on the nutrition label)
Put your investigative hat on and think critically about your choices.
Think about simple substitutions for processed foods, such as having a whole orange instead of a glass of orange juice.
Utilize the “Recipes” button! It’s full of healthy, whole food recipes!
Just try some basic substitutions that move you closer to whole foods if you are just starting out.
If you feel confident about this habit, improve quality, consistency, and execution. I encourage you to try a 100% whole foods, cooked-from-scratch menu for 2 weeks. You can do it!