Unprocessed

The idea: I am launching into 10-14 days (we’ll see how far I can get!) of unprocessed foods. As natural and as whole as I can manage. It’s like the “caveman diet” you’ve heard of: eating unprocessed, whole foods. Mainly, I’m cutting out processed sugars and flours (those who know me well know how much I love cookies and other delicious processed items). It’s also the idea behind The Omnivore’s Dilemma, which I haven't even read, but really want to. There's also this article, which says it's great for heart health.

Why? I am inspired by Bridget, who did this for 10 days and stopped craving sugars and flours. And Bobbi who did it for a few months with a diet called Prism. And Rena, who is going vegan for 100 days (obviously, since I’m going for 10 days, I’m not as hard core as she is!). And Kirsten, who once did it for 30 days. It’s a kick-start to getting me un-addicted to sugars and fast foods, and of course, I’m hoping to get rid of the belly that plagues my daily existence.

The plan: Avoid processed foods (no more Ritz crackers, granola bars, coffee creamer, leftover Easter candy, breads, hamburgers, French fries, margarine, cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts … sigh … I could go on and on). Stick with as whole as I can: real butter (but not in the amounts I’d really love to use), sprouted breads, lean meats, lots of fruit and veggies, you know, nature’s items. If I use something processed, I’m trying to stick with things with only a few ingredients (like Ezekiel bread, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, hummus). I got to go to Trader Joe’s this weekend, so I stocked up on fantastic items like sunflower seed butter, peanut butter with sugar added in it, hummus, etc.

But don’t worry folks, I’m not going too extreme: there will still be splenda in my coffee, half-and-half in my coffee, mayonnaise (not in my coffee), and a few diet cokes. Hey, at least I’m making steps in the right direction! Another “cheat” is going to be dark chocolate; I got some 72 % dark chocolate there. Mmmmm. Oh, and maybe some no-bake cookies made with oats, non-sugar peanut butter, honey or agave nectar, and dark chocolate chips.

The challenge: If you’d like to join me on this journey, let me know! I’m only on day two. There’s still time. Jump in!

Also, if you can think of other things to add to my list, please give me more ideas. I know I’m going to need more snack options.

The menu: see below. If you want recipes for specific items and they’re not already listed, let me know.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal sprinkled with almonds

Ezekiel bread (toasted)

Peanut butter banana smoothie (1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 1 Tbsp peanut butter)

Chocolate smoothie (1 cup skim milk, 1 banana, 1 Tbsp cocoa, 1 Tbsp splenda)

Pear-ginger smoothie (3/4 cup skim milk, 1 cut pear, ¼ cup oats, 1 Tbsp cocoa, ½ tsp ginger)

Strawberry smoothie

Raisin bran cereal from Trader Joe’s

Eggs

Snacks

Celery sticks with hummus

Carrots sticks with salsa

Apples with peanut butter

Banana with peanut butter

Other fruit

Cottage cheese

Edamame

Cheesestick

Popcorn (not the drenched-in-butter kind!)

Sliced tomatoes

Cucumber

Almonds

Roasted kale chips

Lunches

Greek salad (lettuce, tomato, olives, red onion, avocado, feta cheese)

Salad with beans (lettuce, tomato, carrots, kidney beans)

Ezekiel bread with turkey slices

Tuna with mayo

Microwaved sweet potato with 1 Tbsp butter

Brown rice with tomatoes and basil

Wheatberry salad

Broccoli, orange, and olive salad (cooked cooled broccoli, fresh or mandarin orange slices, kalamata olives)

Cole slaw (shredded cabbage, carrots, grapes, and yogurt)

Dinners

Veggie and chicken stir fry

Tofu-barley-spinach soup (yes, I know tofu is processed, but ...)

Lemony bulgur, asparagus, and tilapia

Spinach salad with bulgur, salmon, and orange dressing

Cajun beans and rice (but without the andouille)

Zucchini and chicken curry

Mexican rice, beans, and avocado salad

Tabbouleh

Roased bell peppers stuffed with rice and feta

Roasted chicken, potatoes, and fennel bulbs

Roasted broccoli, okra, cauliflower, other veggies