Whole Foods' Pillars of HEALTH

As you can imagine, I'm a fan of the store Whole Foods. I get about 25% of my groceries from them. Not so much because of cost, but because of distance (when oh when will they ever open a store in Mansfield, MA? PLEASE?) I love their bulk items and the whole vibe of the store. One of the things that impresses me the most is that they've come out with what they refer to as the "Pillars of Health." In fact, they are printed on their re-usable shopping bags if you ever forget them!

1. Eat WHOLE foods: This makes so much sense, and I find kids really get this one! It’s about eating real food, peeps! Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, soy…not something made in a factory filled with scary ingredients you can’t pronounce.

2. Eat a PLANT STRONG (a.k.a. vegan!) diet. I find it amazing and exciting that Whole Foods came out and made this statement. In fact, their whole “Health Starts Here” campaign is based on this principle. Have you noticed the Health Starts Here recipes on their web site? Check it out!

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/browse-recipes.php?CID=health-starts-here

3. Eat NUTRIENT DENSE foods. Whole Foods says, “Choose foods that are rich in micronutrients when compared to their total caloric content. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals. For guidance on this, look for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scoring system in our stores.” The whole ANDI scoring system is so cool I'll be writing a separate post about it!

4. Eat HEALTHY FATS : Whole Foods says , “Get healthy fats from whole plant sources, such as nuts, seeds and avocados. These foods are rich in micronutrients as well. Work to eliminate (or minimize) extracted oils and processed fats.” I get it, we all crave something fatty, but once you switch over to treats like nuts, your taste buds change.