I thought I would post a few things I started doing at the beginning of my wholefood adventure as I started to look at the way we lived and embraced a more wholefood way of life. My strategy was to take things one step at a time, conquering one change before thinking about the next thing. As such, wholefood living has been more like a journey which continues to evolve for me (I still have much further I could go).
(Again, I do not provide the list below as dietary advice, rather what we have done to begin a wholefood adventure- that is, eating food closer to its natural state, and avoiding commercially processed foods)
- Re-assess your breakfast cereal (Ditch processed cereals for oats or eggs)
- Swap margarine for butter
- Make and cook with your own stock
- Up your vege consumption (We eat veges for lunch, dinner and snacks in various forms-mashed, steamed roasted, stir fried, grated in sauces and meals)
- Swap canned goods for fresh, homemade or dried (eg-beans, legumes ect) produce
- Ditch pre-made (such sauces in jars for dinner) for homemade (There are loads of recipes online and many are very simple)
- Make your own treats (This way you can control the ingredients including incorporating good fats, using whole grains and sugar alternatives etc)
- Buy quality grass fed meat and free range chicken (its better for you and you can subsidize the cost by buying in bulk and making more of your own things)
- Make your own yogurt
- Expand your grain choice and prepare them properly (We do not rely on wheat, eating grains like Spelt, Millet, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Barley, Polenta etc). See here
- Embrace your own spice and herbs (Experiment with your own spice mix, add fresh herbs to cooking to lift meals and create flavor without resorting to pre-made products)
- Buy organic where you can or grow your own (Embracing gardening has helped with the food bill and your food becomes local! I have also been finding organic bargains which has helped subsidize my bill)
- Upgrade your bread choice (Read the labels and opt for bread using whole ingredients ( whole flour, salt, water), or better yet consider sourdough or make your own)
- Make your own pasta sauce (that can be used for much more! Avoid pre-made stuff or upgrade to a product using whole ingredients!)
- Think about cooking oil (consider alternatives to heavily processed vegetable oil such as coconut oil, using chicken fat, butter as examples. Olive oil is great for salad dressings)
- Make your own Salad Dressings
- Make your own party food (such as dips)
- Consider sugar alternatives (there are lots of alternatives to heavily refined sugar. We use rice malt syrup lots!)
- Ferment (something I am still learning…but here are a few recipes to get you started)