How to Live Without Processed Food

Over time, eating processed food can be costly in both money and health. Learning how to live without relying on restaurants and prepackaged foods is possible. It means that you will have to cook most of your own meals, but the benefits of good health and a happier life are well worth the effort.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nutritional information
• Management skills
• Basic produce, meat, fish, grain and dairy ingredients
• Extra freezer space
• Cooking utensils
• Cookbooks

1. Learn more about nutrition, but not just from the usual sources. See the "Resources" section below for guidance.

2. Think of your home as a business and yourself as the manager. In order to shop for food and cook all of your meals, you will need to learn how to manage your time more efficiently.

3. Buying the best food you can afford is essential for good health so you should shift more of your income toward this goal. This means shifting money away from nonessential things like entertainment, electronic gadgets and toys, big houses and new cars. Eliminate television to avoid the constant advertising to eat fast food.

4. Buy meat that comes from grass fed and free range animals. Buy whole raw dairy products and whole unrefined grain for baking. Get your fruits and vegetable when they’re in season and buy from farmers when you can.

5. Get your family in on the act. Make cooking and eating an important part of their life. Teach your children how to cook and get your spouse involved too. Show them how they can still have many of their favorite snacks, but in a healthier home made form. Share the responsibility of cooking.

6. Buy in bulk and you can have high quality meats at affordable prices. Contact a local farmer and buy half a cow or half a pig. Buy chickens in bulk as well. They’re very affordable and can be used to make dozens of different dishes. Shop for produce in season when the quality is higher and the prices are lower. Bake whole grain bread from scratch and your family will love it more, but eat less of it.

7. Reduce sugar in your diet. Many processed foods contain sugar or corn syrup. By cutting back on sugar, you will also reduce the desire for processed food.

8. Attend whole foods conferences and seek out local organizations that promote whole foods in your area. It takes some effort, but you can learn to live without processed foods in your diet in less than a year.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn how to prepare travel foods like beef jerky, pemmican, dried fish, hard cheeses and fresh produce.
• Just because a food is organic doesn’t mean it’s worth the cost. Sometimes home raised meats and home grown produce are better, even if they’re not organic.

Resources

• Information on whole foods
• A real world example