October Unprocessed

What would happen if you went for an entire month without eating any processed foods?

This question would have been laughable (rather, nonsensical) just a few decades ago. Nowadays, it seems that almost every food that comes with an ingredients list on it is likely to be laden with extra sugar, fat, and salt. And preservatives. And flavorings. And artificial colors. 

Back in October 2009 Andrew Wilder, of the popular food blog Eating Rules, and a few friends tried to go a month with no processed foods. Simply put, the experience was revelatory. Andrew's sense of taste was completely re-calibrated, he started identifying individual ingredients in the foods he ate, his salty snack cravings disappeared, and overall, he just felt better. And that’s when the October Unprocessed Challenge was born.

What does "unprocessed" mean exactly?

Andrew follows what he calls "The Kitchen Test," which means it's any food that could be made by a person with a reasonable skill in a home kitchen with whole-food ingredients. When you read the label and find an ingredient that you'd never use in your kitchen and couldn't possibly make yourself, it's processed. And if it doesn't have a label, it's naturally unprocessed!

The October Unprocessed pledge won't mean the same thing for everyone. Start from where you are and set your own intention. For some it could simply be eliminating vending machine food or cutting out high fructose corn syrup or refined grains. Whatever your goal, do what works for you.

For the month of October Andrew will be sharing daily blog posts to support you through the pledge and help you choose and prepare unprocessed foods. To get you started here are some helpful tips:

Tips for Going Unprocessed

1. Have a well-stocked pantry of unprocessed ingredients, including frozen and fresh foods.

2. Plan your meals.

3. Have a stock of unprocessed snacks, just in case.

4. Prep ingredients ahead of time or cook in batches.

5. Get out the slow cooker. Dinner is done when you come home from work!

Visit Eating Rules to take the October Unprocessed pledge today and start enjoying the benefits of eating real food. You can also enter a giveaway to win more than $250 of goods from MightyNest to help you go unprocessed and $250 for your school!  

 

Visit Eating Rules to pledge »