So what are whole foods?

These are foods that are eaten as close to their natural form as possible, with minimal processing and refinement. Examples include fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, unprocessed fish, lean meat, oats and other whole grains. They can be cooked, mind you, without being “processed.”

Eating a meal comprised mostly of whole foods (compared to processed food) is more likely to:

• Offer a powerful combination of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and antioxidants.
• Contribute omega 3 from fish and plants and monounsaturated fat from plants. (The bad-for-you fats are often added to processed foods and fast food.)
• Pump up the fibre, which helps you feel full faster, helps fights heart disease and diabetes, and helps keep the GI tract moving and happy.
• Make it easier to cut down on extra amounts of calories, sugar, sodium, trans and saturated fat.
• Amp up antioxidant plant components or phytochemicals.

Make It Happen…