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Five Reasons to Love Whole Foods
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Posted by Janet Harriett on Aug.30, 2010
ⓒ iStockPhoto - qbanczyk
Last week, I addressed myths about whole foods. While some misinformation surrounds whole foods, they provide the foundation of many healthful ways of eating, and have plenty to recommend them as a clean food source.
No Additives
It’s there. It’s a chunk of food, just the way it came out of the field, orchard or barn. No hidden ingredients, nothing added or taken away. You can look at it and know exactly what you’re getting. Anything added to whole foods, you add yourself.
Allergy and Intolerance Friendly
The lack of additives makes whole foods a safer bet for those with food allergies and intolerances. Of course, people can be allergic to whole foods; peanuts and eggs are both whole foods and are among the most common allergens. However, when eating and cooking with whole foods, you can more easily eliminate the allergens lurking in the added ingredients of processed foods.
Complete Nutrition
It seems like every week, another study comes out hyping this or that miracle ingredient. Resveratrol, found in green tea and red grapes, and lycopene, found in tomatoes, are two trendy nutrients. However, few nutrients work in a vacuum, independent of any other compound in the diet. Getting nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements allows the other, possibly yet-undiscovered, phytonutrients work together. That lycopene-rich tomato also has fiber, potassium and vitamin C that the lycopene-enhanced beverage may not.
Supporting Local Agriculture
Although you can certainly get mass-farmed whole foods in chain supermarkets, you can also get them from local farmers and farmer’s markets, to support your local economy and the small farmers who really are small farmers, not agribusinesses with smart marketing departments.
Endless Possibilities
With a box of cake mix, I can make a cake. Maybe cupcakes, or cakes with something baked into the mix. With a zucchini, a cake is only one of the dozens of possibilities.
Posted under Food Facts, Food, Nutrition & Recipes.
Article By: Janet Harriett
Profile: Janet Harriett, Green Diva Mom's fomer editor, has been a writer and editor for print and online media, specializing in education and environmental issues since 1999. She lives on 2 acres in central Ohio with her husband, a 275-square-foot backyard garden and a home orchard growing 25 varieties of fruit. Janet holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.
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