Starting a new diet can be daunting, and if you’re looking to start a whole foods diet it may be hard to start. So where do you start? Here is the ultimate list to start a whole foods diet and what you should get – and what you should avoid.
What you SHOULD NOT BUY
- No refined grains
- White flour and foods made with them
- White starches, like pasta, rice or breads
- No refined sugars
- Table sugar
- Sweets, like cakes cookies, ice cream, soda etc.
- Nothing that comes in a bag, box, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients, preferably less than 4, and none of those should be sugar, or trans fats
- Nothing deep fried foods
- No fast food junk
WHAT YOU SHOULD BUY
Whole Grains
- 100% whole wheat flour (must way whole wheat not just wheat)
- 100% whole wheat or whole-grain bread, tortillas, hot and hamburger buns, etc.
- Ezekiel bread
- 100% whole wheat pasta
- Bob’s Red Mill™ offers very clean flour varieties, including almond flour, coconut flour, soy flour and many others
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Wild rice
- Buckwheat
- Bulgur
- Quinoa
- Rye
- Spelt
- Steel cut oats (no added sugar)
- 100% whole grain cereals, like Kashi™ 7 Whole Grain Flakes, Grape Nuts and others (check ingredients)
Fats
Produce
- All fresh vegetables
- All fresh fruits
Meats and Poultry
- Grass fed, pasture raised, or organic meat is always best as it is devoid of antibots and growth hormones fed to traditionally farmed animals
- Fresh red meat (steaks, hamburger, ribs and roasts)
- Fresh pork (steaks and roasts)
- Fresh chicken
- Bison or venison
- Fresh turkey
Fish and Seafood
- All fresh fish and seafood, preferably wild caught versus farm raised
Dairy
- Eggs (pasture raised/grass fed or organic)
- Organic milk or milk from grass fed cows
- Nut milks (without added sugar)
- Soy milks (without added sugar)
- Organic Greek yogurt
- Organic soy yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Sour cream
- Block cheeses (shredded adds a chemical to keep the cheese separated)
Beans & Legumes
- Dry beans are best, canned is okay as long as there is no added sugar or salt
- Adzuki beans
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Navy beans
- Pinto beans
- Split peas
- White beans
Canned Items
- Look for cans that are BPA free
- Should have the “Non-GMO Project Verified” Seal
- Vegetables packed in water without sugar and low sodium
- Canned beans with no added sugar and little to no added sodium
- Pure coconut milk
- Marinara sauce with no added sugar and little to no added sodium
- Olives
- Tomato sauce or paste (no added sugar)
- Tuna (packed in water)
- Chicken (packed in water)
- Fruit packed only in water (no added sugar)
- Stocks and broths without sugar, dextrose and low sodium
- Pickles (in moderation due to salt)
Sweeteners
- Stevia – natural sweet powder derived from the South American her b Stevia rebaudiana
- Raw honey (in moderation)
- Sucanat (in moderation)
- Organic evaporated cane juice (in moderation)
Condiments and Spices
- Vinegar
- Mustard with no added sugar
- Sugar free ketchup
- All fresh and dried herbs and spices
- Tahini
- Hummus
- Relish (must not have added sugar)
- Pico De Gallo
- Fresh salsa
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
- Low sodium soy sauce