How to Use the World's Healthiest Foods to Fit Your Lifestyle

Whole, nutrient-dense foods can fit into any lifestyle. They are widely available, competitively priced, and can form the basis of meals requiring no more time than typical cooking. The immediate savings come from lower ingredient costs; the long-term savings come from reduced healthcare expenditures associated with a nutrient-adequate diet.

No longer relegated to specialty or natural foods stores, organic and whole foods have been making incredible inroads onto the produce aisles and shelves of supermarkets across the country. Chances are that your favorite market deli even offers a selection of prepared organic foods since approximately three-quarters of supermarkets across the country, responding to consumer demand, feature organic offerings. In fact, supermarkets are the places where the majority of Americans purchase natural and organic food.

While conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have always been available at supermarkets, organic produce offerings are becoming extremely common. In addition, more and more available organic and natural alternatives are available to traditional foods that you already enjoy. In fact, in the first half of the year 2000 alone, eight hundred new organic food products were introduced. You can probably find organically grown or additive-free alternatives to most every food on your shopping list. Meat, frozen entrees and desserts, breakfast cereals, instant soup mixes, cookies, chips, spices—you name, it’s available.

People often think that it costs a lot more to eat healthy. But it really doesn’t have to.

Due to higher consumer demand, increased availability and the entry of some large-scale companies like General Mills and Kellogg’s into the organic and natural foods marketplace, prices have been steadily dropping. You can even find some organically grown produce and grains priced competitively to their conventionally grown counterparts.

Yet, even when organically grown foods cost a little more, most people feel that the small premium that they pay for their health benefits, freshness and delicious taste is well worth it. According to one study by ABC News and 20/20, 49% of all shoppers and 65% of organic food shoppers stated that they believe organic foods are well worth the extra money.

Understanding that organic foods are priced as they are not because manufacturers are capitalizing on a trend, but because the prices reflect the true costs of this agricultural system, which is more labor-intensive, can help you better appreciate any cost differences that may exist. Yet, even if some organic foods cost a little more in the short term (at the check out counter), in reality, when you factor in the “hidden” costs to personal and environmental health, in the long term, they are actually the same price, if not even less expensive, than conventionally grown foods.

Another reason that eating a healthy foods diet doesn’t have to cost more is that the cost of the ingredients that comprise a recipe is significantly less expensive than the prepared food items that you may purchase at the supermarket. In addition, preparing a simple recipe, like those found on our website and in our cookbook, most of which take just 15-30 minutes to prepare, costs a lot less (and takes less time) than taking your family out to dinner. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently weighed in on this question of food budgets and healthy eating. According to a recent USDA report, “For many American households, achieving an affordable, healthy diet will require … moving nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit and vegetables, to the center of their plates and budgets.” USDA researchers set a target goal of 10% total family income and tried to create low-cost eating plans that could meet this 10% limit. They discovered that the best way to keep food costs down to this 10% level was to increase the purchase of nutrient dense foods!

Eating well doesn’t have to siphon time from your life. Most of the WHF are probably available at your current or a close by market. If you cannot find what you want at the market where you currently shop, suggest that they consider carrying these foods. Money, in the form of your purchasing dollars traveling to a different store, talks persuasively. Your grocer wants your business, and you may be surprised how quickly your requests are honored.

In addition, many people are under the false impression that delicious healthy cooking demands a degree in cuisine, a chef’s hat, and a big time commitment. This is absolutely not true. Just take a look at the recipes on our website. Yes, they were created to be exceptionally flavorful and with the express goal of making healthy cooking even quicker and easier than the typical dinner you are preparing now. In addition, we’ve included many tips that will enable you to still maintain the healthy integrity of your meals and save even more time. Once you try this way of cooking, you’ll find it even transfers readily to your favorite recipes, improving their nutritional quality and cutting down their preparation time.

If your lifestyle is full of children’s soccer games, carpools and other personal and family responsibilities, and you run short on time to cook dinner some nights during the week, you can fall back on the vast array of healthier convenience foods. Like conventional convenience foods, healthy convenience foods cost a bit more than those you prepare yourself, but sometimes, they’re worth every extra penny. A quick look at the natural foods freezer section in your supermarket will present you with a host of great tasting, quick-to-prepare meal options. And if you don’t have time to prepare a lunch to take to work, these also make wonderful healthy quick meals you can just heat up at the office.

If your weekday mornings share some of the characteristics of a 100-yard dash, healthy prepared breakfast foods can come to your rescue, so you and your family don’t have to sacrifice a good start to the day. Organically grown hot and cold cereals, frozen waffles, breakfast pastries, pancake mixes and juices are quick, delicious and nutritious breakfasts that all your cells, including your taste buds, can enjoy.

When people think of healthy eating, they often assume they will have to sacrifice taste and the enjoyment of their food. But, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Whole foods deliver inherent freshness that translates directly into flavor. The sensory superiority of fresh, organic ingredients is one reason restaurant chefs increasingly incorporate them into their menus. Just imagining the smooth creamy taste of an avocado, the musky sweet flavor of a ripe apricot or the nutty chewiness of buckwheat is sure to please the palates of both the young and old. To learn more about the flavors of whole foods that you may have been interested in but have yet to try, please explore our Foods/Spices Database.

The beauty of the WHF extends beyond their amazing taste to their colors and textures. Fruits, vegetables, beans and other healthy whole foods are graced with stunning vivid colors that are a reflection of their phytochemical pigments. The deep red of tomatoes, the pink-orange of papaya, the violet of eggplant, the green of chard, and pearlized brown of barley provide an enchanting palate of colors that would delight even an impressionist painter - and each of these hues signals the presence of a different array of health-promoting phytochemicals.

The discussion of the wonderful sensory experience that the WHF provide would not be complete without reflecting upon their incredible smells. One of the joys of summer is cutting into a fresh cantaloupe and enjoying its sweet scent. A relaxed Friday night just wouldn’t be half as pleasant without the aroma of onions and garlic, carmelizing in a pan on the stove in preparation for an exceptional, yet easy to prepare meal. On a winter weekend, a homemade soup full of rich, earthy vegetables and spices simmers, creating an aroma throughout your house that says, “Home.” Or, one of our all time favorites, the spicy, cinnamony smell of homemade granola with almonds or walnuts gently roasting as it bakes. Healthy food really smells wonderul.

Common assumptions about healthy eating (that it is expensive, time-consuming, and requires specialty stores) remain barriers to adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. A large-scale 10-year study found that perceptions of cost and preparation difficulty prevented adequate produce consumption even among people fully aware of dietary guidelines.

These assumptions are largely unfounded.

Whole, nutrient-dense foods are readily available, comparably priced to processed alternatives, and compatible with quick preparation methods. Simple recipes using whole food ingredients typically cost less than prepared foods and take 15 to 30 minutes.

Topics

Discussion

Introduction

Whole, nutrient-dense foods can fit into any lifestyle. They are widely available, competitively priced, and can form the basis of meals requiring no more time than typical cooking. The immediate savings come from lower ingredient costs; the long-term savings come from reduced healthcare expenditures associated with a nutrient-adequate diet.

The WHF are widely available

No longer relegated to specialty or natural foods stores, organic and whole foods have been making incredible inroads onto the produce aisles and shelves of supermarkets across the country. Chances are that your favorite market deli even offers a selection of prepared organic foods since approximately three-quarters of supermarkets across the country, responding to consumer demand, feature organic offerings. In fact, supermarkets are the places where the majority of Americans purchase natural and organic food.

While conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have always been available at supermarkets, organic produce offerings are becoming extremely common. In addition, more and more available organic and natural alternatives are available to traditional foods that you already enjoy. In fact, in the first half of the year 2000 alone, eight hundred new organic food products were introduced. You can probably find organically grown or additive-free alternatives to most every food on your shopping list. Meat, frozen entrees and desserts, breakfast cereals, instant soup mixes, cookies, chips, spices—you name, it’s available.

Eating well doesn’t cost more

People often think that it costs a lot more to eat healthy. But it really doesn’t have to.

Due to higher consumer demand, increased availability and the entry of some large-scale companies like General Mills and Kellogg’s into the organic and natural foods marketplace, prices have been steadily dropping. You can even find some organically grown produce and grains priced competitively to their conventionally grown counterparts.

Yet, even when organically grown foods cost a little more, most people feel that the small premium that they pay for their health benefits, freshness and delicious taste is well worth it. According to one study by ABC News and 20/20, 49% of all shoppers and 65% of organic food shoppers stated that they believe organic foods are well worth the extra money.

Understanding that organic foods are priced as they are not because manufacturers are capitalizing on a trend, but because the prices reflect the true costs of this agricultural system, which is more labor-intensive, can help you better appreciate any cost differences that may exist. Yet, even if some organic foods cost a little more in the short term (at the check out counter), in reality, when you factor in the “hidden” costs to personal and environmental health, in the long term, they are actually the same price, if not even less expensive, than conventionally grown foods.

Another reason that eating a healthy foods diet doesn’t have to cost more is that the cost of the ingredients that comprise a recipe is significantly less expensive than the prepared food items that you may purchase at the supermarket. In addition, preparing a simple recipe, like those found on our website and in our cookbook, most of which take just 15-30 minutes to prepare, costs a lot less (and takes less time) than taking your family out to dinner. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently weighed in on this question of food budgets and healthy eating. According to a recent USDA report, “For many American households, achieving an affordable, healthy diet will require … moving nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit and vegetables, to the center of their plates and budgets.” USDA researchers set a target goal of 10% total family income and tried to create low-cost eating plans that could meet this 10% limit. They discovered that the best way to keep food costs down to this 10% level was to increase the purchase of nutrient dense foods!

Are quick, easy to prepare and convenient

Eating well doesn’t have to siphon time from your life. Most of the WHF are probably available at your current or a close by market. If you cannot find what you want at the market where you currently shop, suggest that they consider carrying these foods. Money, in the form of your purchasing dollars traveling to a different store, talks persuasively. Your grocer wants your business, and you may be surprised how quickly your requests are honored.

In addition, many people are under the false impression that delicious healthy cooking demands a degree in cuisine, a chef’s hat, and a big time commitment. This is absolutely not true. Just take a look at the recipes on our website. Yes, they were created to be exceptionally flavorful and with the express goal of making healthy cooking even quicker and easier than the typical dinner you are preparing now. In addition, we’ve included many tips that will enable you to still maintain the healthy integrity of your meals and save even more time. Once you try this way of cooking, you’ll find it even transfers readily to your favorite recipes, improving their nutritional quality and cutting down their preparation time.

If your lifestyle is full of children’s soccer games, carpools and other personal and family responsibilities, and you run short on time to cook dinner some nights during the week, you can fall back on the vast array of healthier convenience foods. Like conventional convenience foods, healthy convenience foods cost a bit more than those you prepare yourself, but sometimes, they’re worth every extra penny. A quick look at the natural foods freezer section in your supermarket will present you with a host of great tasting, quick-to-prepare meal options. And if you don’t have time to prepare a lunch to take to work, these also make wonderful healthy quick meals you can just heat up at the office.

If your weekday mornings share some of the characteristics of a 100-yard dash, healthy prepared breakfast foods can come to your rescue, so you and your family don’t have to sacrifice a good start to the day. Organically grown hot and cold cereals, frozen waffles, breakfast pastries, pancake mixes and juices are quick, delicious and nutritious breakfasts that all your cells, including your taste buds, can enjoy.

Healthy foods appeal to all our senses

When people think of healthy eating, they often assume they will have to sacrifice taste and the enjoyment of their food. But, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Whole foods deliver inherent freshness that translates directly into flavor. The sensory superiority of fresh, organic ingredients is one reason restaurant chefs increasingly incorporate them into their menus. Just imagining the smooth creamy taste of an avocado, the musky sweet flavor of a ripe apricot or the nutty chewiness of buckwheat is sure to please the palates of both the young and old. To learn more about the flavors of whole foods that you may have been interested in but have yet to try, please explore our Foods/Spices Database.

The beauty of the WHF extends beyond their amazing taste to their colors and textures. Fruits, vegetables, beans and other healthy whole foods are graced with stunning vivid colors that are a reflection of their phytochemical pigments. The deep red of tomatoes, the pink-orange of papaya, the violet of eggplant, the green of chard, and pearlized brown of barley provide an enchanting palate of colors that would delight even an impressionist painter - and each of these hues signals the presence of a different array of health-promoting phytochemicals.

The discussion of the wonderful sensory experience that the WHF provide would not be complete without reflecting upon their incredible smells. One of the joys of summer is cutting into a fresh cantaloupe and enjoying its sweet scent. A relaxed Friday night just wouldn’t be half as pleasant without the aroma of onions and garlic, carmelizing in a pan on the stove in preparation for an exceptional, yet easy to prepare meal. On a winter weekend, a homemade soup full of rich, earthy vegetables and spices simmers, creating an aroma throughout your house that says, “Home.” Or, one of our all time favorites, the spicy, cinnamony smell of homemade granola with almonds or walnuts gently roasting as it bakes. Healthy food really smells wonderul.

Conclusion

Common assumptions about healthy eating (that it is expensive, time-consuming, and requires specialty stores) remain barriers to adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. A large-scale 10-year study found that perceptions of cost and preparation difficulty prevented adequate produce consumption even among people fully aware of dietary guidelines.

These assumptions are largely unfounded.

Whole, nutrient-dense foods are readily available, comparably priced to processed alternatives, and compatible with quick preparation methods. Simple recipes using whole food ingredients typically cost less than prepared foods and take 15 to 30 minutes.