In my 20s, I think I tried every diet known to man. And you know what? None of them worked. You know why? Because diets and programs complicate something that is really quite simple. They add rules to a basic human function that just aren’t necessary for the vast majority of us.
Because here’s the secret: eating healthfully is SIMPLE. All you have to do is eat real food as often as possible. No weird bars or shakes required.
What is Real Food?
Let’s break this down.
✔️Real food is unprocessed.
✔️Real food is made of recognizable ingredients (preferably a few simple ones).
✔️Real food is food that was on this earth before grocery stores.
✔️Think: vegetables, fruit, grains, quality protein (meat, fish, eggs, tofu), quality dairy, nuts, and seeds. All real food.
The Loveleaf Co. Food Philosophy
The Loveleaf Co. food philosophy is this:
Eat real food.
And don’t stress about it. 😉 After years of experimenting, I’ve found that the EASIEST way to increase the percentage of healthy, real foods in your diet is to dial in weeknight dinners.
To that end, all Loveleaf Co. weeknight recipes are:
✔️100% real, quality food.
✔️Made in 30 minutes or less (usually less) and double as lunch for the following day.
✔️Don’t use hard-to-find ingredients or complicated cooking techniques.
✔️Follow the Loveleaf Co. plate framework: healthy protein, healthy fat, healthy carb, non-starchy vegetable.
Restriction
Let’s talk about restriction. I don’t believe in it (… ok, transfats and chemicals are the exceptions). Because everything can be upgraded in a real food way.
Love ice cream? Find a brand that uses just a few simple real ingredients: cream, sugar, eggs. Want to enjoy a glass of wine? Opt for an organic one (so many good brands on the market now!). Want a burger? Get quality, grass-fed meat.
If your weeknight dinners are dialed in, then eating these “less healthy” foods will feel like a little weekly celebration – an intentional choice – instead of a big fat mistake (aka that Monday “ooops-I-had-cheese-and-crackers-for-dinner-standing-over-the-sink-again” feeling).
Diet Labels
Paleo, gluten-free, vegan, keto… the list doesn’t end.
Different ways of eating work for different people but the healthiest among us have one thing in common: they eat real, quality food and prioritize vegetables. Whether or not you’re a vegan or an omnivore, prioritizing high-quality food that you can recognize is key. The less processed, the better.
The quality of a food is directly affected by the foods those plants and animals eat. Organic plants and pastured meat are more expensive not just because they take more effort and care to grow and raise, but also because they have more nutrients.
My Favorite Real Food Sources
At the grocery store, the most important thing you can do is: read your labels! Here are some of my favorite online real food sources.
Thrive Market
Think Costco meets Whole Foods Market… delivered to your door. Tons of organic, whole food products at a great price.
Butcher Box
My go-to source for quality, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished meat, delivered to your door.
Dry Farm Wines
All-natural, additive-free, sugar-free, sustainably grown wine that’s delivered to your door. Obsessed.
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. There is no additional cost to you. I only link to products I truly recommend and trust.
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