Sticking to a real food diet has numerous advantages. This diet minimizes ultra-processed foods and focuses on whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods. It also emphasizes foods or ingredients with limited additives.
Of course, a real food diet is not just about nutrition.
This real food trend prioritizes simplicity while promoting good health.
Consuming foods and ingredients that are:
- Nutrient-rich
- Minimally processed
- Tasty and easy to prepare
It makes a healthy lifestyle worth embracing.
The priority of a real food diet is not more on calories but on food choice.
It tries to limit or eliminate foods with added sugars, artificial additives, and unhealthy fats as much as possible.
Therefore, you should consider a real food diet regardless of your goals—whether you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What Is A Real Food Diet?
A real-food diet is a lifestyle where you consume minimally processed or whole foods with a good nutrient profile.
Real-food foods include foods closer to their natural state, such as:
- Nuts and seeds
- Lean proteins
- Whole grains
- Vegetables
- Pulses
- Fruits
In addition, the emphasis is on limiting ultra-processed foods, which contain excessive added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.
You should also consider how you prepare your meals.
This diet prioritizes methods that retain the nutrient profile, such as:
- Steaming
- Roasting
- Grilling
In a nutshell, a real food diet will comprise the following:
Natural Foods are minimally processed foods close to their natural state, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
Limited Additives involve foods with few to no additives, preservatives, flavors, and artificial sweeteners.
Whole foods may be frozen, canned, or dried to extend shelf life, but avoid products with excessive added sugars, sodium, or unhealthy fats.
Specific examples of real foods include:
- Fish
- Nuts
- Apple
- Beans
- Quinoa
- Berries
- Lentils
- Chicken
- Almonds
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Oatmeal
- Chickpeas
- Brown rice
- Plain yogurt
- Sweet apples
- Whole-wheat bread
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What Is A Real Food Healthy Diet?
A real food healthy diet consists of natural foods and avoids ultra-processed foods or foods with highly altered natural qualities.
Real food healthy diet includes the following:
Varieties Of Fruits And Vegetables
Depending on availability and affordability, you can include fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
You can also use canned fruits and vegetables; just look for varieties with less added sugar or salt and rinse them before use.
Lean Proteins
- Include: Fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, tofu, and beans.
- Limit higher-fat proteins such as cheese and red meat.
- Meats and fish can be fresh or frozen, beans and lentils can be dried or canned, and nuts can be whole or in nut butter with no or limited additives.
Whole Grains
- Include: Brown rice, barley, oats, and quinoa, etc.
- Include these products when they are whole-grain: Bread, cereal, and pasta.
Healthy Fats
- Include: Avocados, nuts and seeds, fatty fish, plant and seed oils.
A real food healthy diet also limits processed meats like bacon and refined grains like white rice and white bread.
Therefore, if you are on a real food healthy diet, you should stick to foods closer to their natural state other than highly processed ones and also choose the healthy options as mentioned.
Read more: Real Food Vs. Processed Food: How Small Swaps Can Change Your Entire Diet
How Does The Real Food Diet Work?
A real food diet is a straightforward plan that is easy to understand.
It is one of the most straightforward plans to implement since it is only based on the choice of foods.
Of course, the preparation method is also essential, and you may want to use cooking methods that can preserve the most nutrients.
When it comes to the choice of foods, the goal here is to give your body the nutrients it deserves for healthy functioning while eliminating the ultra-processed options.
What Foods To Eat Vs What To Avoid:
What To Eat
The plan focuses on foods that are whole and natural.
These include but are not limited to the following:
- Whole Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole-grain bread are some foods you should choose over refined ones.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Dried, fresh, or frozen fruits and vegetables are healthy choices. Consider a variety to get a substantial amount of minerals and vitamins.
- Healthy Fats: Examples of healthy fats include avocados, olive oil, fatty fish, and canola oil.
- Lean proteins: Include a variety of lean protein sources, such as fish, poultry, beans, lentils, tofu, and more.
- Dairy: Dairy is optional. You can include milk, plain yogurt, and cheese if you want.
What To Avoid
There are several foods to avoid when on a real food diet. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Refined Sugars: You should probably limit refined sugars like white sugar. Try natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, but use them in moderation. Any form of sugar you add is “added sugar.”
- Ultra Processed Foods: Minimize ready-to-eat foods like chips and other packaged snacks.
- Artificial Sweeteners and Additives: Avoid artificial sweeteners and additives like preservatives, food color, and artificial flavors.
- Refined Grains: The emphasis is on consuming primarily whole grains. Limit white pasta, white bread, and other highly refined grains.
- Partially Hydrogenated Oils: If they aren’t banned where you live, you should also avoid partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) in some fried or processed foods and margarine.
Can You Lose Weight Eating Real Food?
Yes, eating real food can help you lose weight.
Foods like beans, peas, lentils, lean meat, and others have a filling effect that can help you limit your calories. Fruits and vegetables are also filling and low in calories.
Understand that real foods are more nutritious.
That means you get all the nutrients that your body wants.
These real foods are also low in calories compared to most processed foods. In addition to that, real foods are more filling and healthier.
Several studies have confirmed that ultra-processed foods are usually higher in calories due to their ingredients.
These foods are likely to contribute to weight gain compared to minimally processed real food diets (1).
Therefore, to lose weight, you should stick to minimally processed real foods, such as fruits and vegetables, peas, beans, fish and other seafood, lean meat, poultry, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, among other whole food choices.
How To Start Eating Real Food Step By Step?
There is no universal formula for starting to eat real food.
If you have decided to start a real-food diet, knowing how to maintain it is crucial.
Even before you start eating real foods, you need to understand that it comes with a lot of nutritional and health benefits that include but are not limited to the following:
- Nutritional Value: Real foods contain various essential nutrients for the body.
They are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and other nutrients.
- Helps in Digestion: Real foods like fiber-rich vegetables help improve gut health and support digestive function.
- Weight management: The nutrients in real foods and their low-calorie content help manage weight.
Therefore, starting a real food diet is a healthy resolution you can make, and to start, you need to do the following:
How To Prepare Real Food List For Diet
Start by identifying real foods you can access, afford, and enjoy.
Include a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grain products, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
- Eliminate Processed Foods
Identify highly processed foods you have used for a while and find less processed alternatives.
You may find some of the ultra-processed foods you have been used to aren’t necessary in your diet.
- Drink Plenty Of Water
Drinking plenty of water will aid in replacing sugary drinks and reducing the added sugars.
Water is also beneficial for hydration and promoting mental clarity.
Drinking water before meals might help you feel fuller and eat less (4).
- Plan Your Meals
Create a simple and easy weekly meal plan with easily accessible foods.
You can have oatmeal for breakfast and quinoa salad for lunch.
For dinner, you can have brown rice and lentil soup.
The specific meals you choose depend on your preferences, budget, and what foods are available.
- Start Slow
Eliminate processed foods one by one while replacing them with nutritious whole foods.
Consider cooking and eating most meals at home or packing lunch. This preparation will help you stick to your real food recipes.
This diet change can be challenging for some people, so a slow transition can make it more manageable.
Read more: Healthy Pescatarian Recipes to Make After a Busy Day
What Is An Example Of A Real Food Diet Week Plan?
A real food diet week plan includes natural food options.
While creating a plan like in the example below, consider:
- What you already have
- Set your wellness goal
- Decide what you want to achieve with your diet plan
- Understand that you can mix and match various real foods in every meal and snack to avoid boredom.
Here is an example of a real food diet week plan that you can implement at home:
Day 1
- Breakfast – Fresh berries with Greek yogurt and some drizzles of honey.
- Lunch – Grilled chicken salad with vegetables, olive oil dressing, and avocado.
- Snack – Nuts, almonds, and fruit, like an apple
- Dinner – Roasted sweet potatoes with baked salmon and steamed vegetables, like broccoli
Day 2
- Breakfast – Overnight oats with banana slices, almond milk, and chia seeds
- Lunch – Whole grain bread with lentil soup
- Snack – Hummus and carrot sticks
- Dinner – Brown rice and steamed vegetables with stir-fried tofu
Day 3
- Breakfast – Whole-grain bread toast, sauteed spinach, and scrambled eggs
- Lunch – Chickpeas with quinoa salad and cucumbers
- Snack – Walnuts and fruit like a pear
- Dinner – Green beans with mashed cauliflower and grilled chicken.
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Day 4
- Breakfast – Smoothie with berries and spinach
- Lunch – Avocado wrap with greens and roasted turkey
- Snack – Almond butter with celery sticks
- Dinner – Stir-fry lean beef with brown rice and bell peppers
Day 5
- Breakfast – Avocado slices and hard-boiled eggs with whole wheat toast.
- Lunch – Whole-grain bread and chickpea soup
- Snack – Granola with plain yogurt
- Dinner – Quinoa and roasted vegetables with grilled shrimp
Day 6
- Breakfast – Avocado with poached eggs and whole grain toast
- Lunch – Lettuce wraps and tuna salad
- Snack – Nuts and seeds with orange juice
- Dinner – Sweet potato fries with spinach and roasted chicken
Day 7
- Breakfast – Apple slices and almond butter with oats
- Lunch – Hummus wrap and roasted vegetables
- Snack – Guacamole and cucumber slices
- Dinner – Quinoa pilaf with baked cod and Brussels sprouts
You can implement this simple real food diet example, but you may want to try out any version with available ingredients.
What Is The #1 Healthiest Food?
Many foods are healthier and more nutritious, so it is difficult to identify one as the healthiest.
In our case of real foods, whole food options are healthier than the ultra-processed ones we eliminate in the diet plan.
So, when it comes to choosing the healthiest foods, consider the following:
- Nutritional Value: Minimally processed foods rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Choose lean proteins and healthy fats and oils.
- Minimally Processed Options: These include foods closer to their natural state.
Preservation methods such as freezing, canning, or drying typically don’t significantly reduce nutritional quality.
Avoid products with excessive added sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats.
- Added Sugars: Ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages may contain added sugars that we can limit. A lot of added sugar can indicate that the food is highly processed.
- Sodium Content – Ensure your foods do not have excessive sodium.
Diets high in sodium can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other detriments (3).
A high sodium content indicates the food is highly processed and unsuitable for a real diet.
- Trans Fats – Avoid foods high in trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils.
These fats are unhealthy and unnecessary, so avoid them.
Studies have confirmed that trans fats are the worst of all fats, as they increase the risk of heart disease(2). Many countries have banned trans fats, but depending on where you live, you may need to avoid them.
The healthy foods to eat every day offer excellent nutritional and health benefits to the body.
As mentioned, minimally processed foods are typically low in or free of certain additives and considered healthy.
Real food is minimally processed and close to its natural state. It includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, lean meat, healthy fats, fish, and legumes. These foods are nutrient-rich, healthy, and good for weight loss for healthy meals for weight loss on a budget. Yes, yogurt is considered a real food. Plain yogurt is rich in nutrients and low in sugar. Greek yogurt, in particular, is rich in protein, which promotes satiety. Hence, it is a good option if you are on a weight loss journey. Yes, pasta can be real, especially whole wheat, grains, or legume pasta. However, refined white pasta may not be suitable for a real-food diet. Whole-grain and legume-based pasta are higher in fiber and protein, making them more filling and nutrient-rich than white pasta. Yes, rice can be a part of clean eating, especially whole-grain options like brown or wild rice. Clean eating for beginners and dieticians means eating whole foods that are not refined or contain excessive added sugars, colors, preservatives, or flavors.Frequently Asked Questions
What is classified as real food?
Is yogurt considered real food?
Is pasta a real food?
Is rice clean eating?
The Bottom Line
By now, you should understand what a real food diet is. As discussed, it primarily consists of whole foods and limits highly processed foods.
People typically adhere to a real food diet to lose weight or maintain good health.
While everyone wants to be healthy, eliminating some processed foods can be challenging. Therefore, it’s best to transition gradually and find suitable alternatives for your favorite processed foods.
For instance, you could switch from regular pasta or bread to whole-wheat options or replace potato chips with roasted nuts as a snack.
It can be helpful to create a real food diet food list of your preferred, available, and affordable foods, such as whole grains, lean meat, fruits, and vegetables.
A list will help you make your real food diet recipes while sticking to real food diet meal plan.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
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You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.
SOURCES:
- Eating highly processed foods linked to weight gain (2019, nih.gov).
- Facts About Trans Fats (2024, medlineplus.gov).
- Sodium Reduction (2023, who.int).
- Water: The Foundation of a Healthy Body (2019, jneb.org).
