5 Tips to Stop Eating Fake Food and Start Eating Clean

Introduction

Are you eating fake food? You think you’re pretty good at spotting foods with few nutrients or that have been processed, but there may be a few fake foods hiding in your pantry or fridge. The author of Real Food/Fake Food, Larry Olmstead, says that what you buy at the grocery store or in restaurants might not be “real food.”

What is Real Food?

Real food is the food you buy or eat that is 100% what you think you are getting. Think of real food as one that’s available without the effects of additives, preservatives, or pesticides. Here are some examples of real or natural foods: 

• Organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds 
• Meat and seafood are wild, grass-fed, or pasture-raised
• Whole grains that are 100% whole grains
• Beans and legumes that are in BPA-free cans
• Herbs and spices that are organic, fresh, dry, or ground with minimal processing
• Unrefined sweeteners

Real food choices help replenish the body with the necessary nutrients. These foods contain many vitamins and minerals and help restore our energy and health.

What is Fake Food? 

Fake food can be anything from a product that looks like food but isn’t to food that is misrepresented on purpose. One way to tell if food is fake is to look at the ingredients and other information on the food’s packaging. If a food is advertised as a “healthy meal” or “vegan” but contains animal products, it may be fake.

There are probably a few fake foods hiding in your cupboards or fridge. You might not even be aware that you have it. Business Insider says that food fraud is a 50-billion-dollar-a-year business.

You are not the only one with the wrong idea about what you put in your grocery cart weekly. Many people think we buy natural food on purpose, but companies sneak in some things we don’t want.

Some fake foods, like pseudo meat, Parmesan cheese, teas, honey, and even seafood, may end up on your plates and in your cups. They may contain either natural or artificial materials.

5 Tips to Stop Eating Fake Food and Start Eating Clean

Clean eating is all about removing those fake foods from your plate and replacing them with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and protein. Here are a few tips to move you closer to clean eating and stop eating fake foods.

Keep a Food Diary

Keeping a food diary is a great way to start keeping track of what you put into your body. Once you start tracking what you eat, you can determine healthy and unhealthy foods. Over time, you can eliminate these fake foods from your diet. 

Check what you have in your pantry.

Spend some time looking over what you have in your pantry and fridge. You don’t have to start throwing out your food. The goal is to give you a better idea of how much work you need to do. You should make a slow switch to buying and eating real food. Based on the results of this activity, start to fill your pantry and fridge with whole foods over the next few weeks and months.

Look at the labels.

Read the labels on the food you already have in boxes, jars, or bags. You might be surprised to find out what’s in your favorite spread, sauce, food, or drink.

Prepare and plan.

Plan your meals and get ready for them when you can. At first, eating real food might be demanding as you try out new recipes and things. Plan what you will eat for the week. Figure out which meals you will make on the weekend to eat during the week and which you will make on the spot.

Use a shopping list.

If you plan ahead, you can eat healthy on a budget. Switch it up weekly, so you don’t get sick of eating the same meals. Several apps can help you make a shopping list so that when you go to the store, you only buy real food and nothing fake.

Conclusion

Are you prepared for the change? Use the tips above to start living and eating more healthily. Set small goals to improve your chances of achieving them, and work on them in small steps. You’ll be proud of what you’ve done.

Check out our other clean eating articles for more tips. Follow us on our FB or Twitter profiles to get our latest updates. Thanks for reading.