Healthy Chef

 What are whole foods?

As their name suggests, whole foods are foods that are eaten as close to their natural state as possible. For example, an apple is a whole food, while commercially processed apple juice is not. A bowl of brown rice is a whole food, but a bowl of bleached, instant-cook white rice is not. Simply put, whole foods have had little or no processing.

However, consumers must be aware of confusing marketing label tactics. For example, many products claim to be “whole wheat” or “whole grain.” But to truly be a whole grain product, the label should state 100% whole grain and/or list whole grain as the first ingredient. True whole grain products must retain all three of their original nutrient-rich parts: the germ, endosperm, and bran. Even if a grain has been mildly processed, such as cracked wheat, rolled oats, or whole wheat pasta, it can still be a whole product if it retains the original proportions of all three parts.

A whole diet (or wholesome diet) is a diet consisting primarily of whole foods. Unless you want to eat only raw foods, one of the biggest challenges in eating a whole diet is preserving the nutrients of the whole foods through the cooking process, which is in itself a kind of processing of the food. If foods are not cooked properly or overcooked, they can lose most, if not all, of their fragile and valuable nutrients. When cooked properly, whole foods retain most, if not all, of their original nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, and fibers.

Unlike with processed foods or other “fresh” diet and meal delivery services, Healthy Chef Creations’ team of award-winning chefs selects the freshest, whole foods, prepares the meals with care, and we deliver them fresh to your home, so you can be confident that you are eating the freshest, organic, whole foods that have retained their powerful vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients.

Click below to learn more about how we use whole food in our food programs.  

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