Defining Real Foods

At NourishRDs, we are on the mission to inspire others

to eat real food, love their bodies, and laugh a lot.

Our food philosophy is simple: Eat real food and share it with those you love.

What exactly do we mean when we say, “real food?”

Ask yourself these few questions to find out…

Can you imagine it growing?

It’s easy to picture rice growing in a field an apple growing on a tree, or a fish maturing and growing over its lifespan. It’s more difficult to imagine a garden of marshmallows, a stream of diet soda, or Pop Tarts being picked at the peak of the season.

How many ingredients does it have?

Real foods have only one ingredient: itself. Hazelnuts, eggs, chicken, avocados,milk, strawberries.  No ingredient label necessary.

What has been done to the food since it was harvested?

If you have a difficult time pronouncing or recognizing an ingredient on the food label, the food has probably been through some extensive processing. Terms such as “refined,” “bleached,” “hydrogenated,” and “chemically treated” are all examples of processes that make foods less whole and less real. Because real foods have been minimally processed, they provide our bodies with optimal nutrition.

How long has it been known to nourish humans?

If the answer is 1000 years, it’s probably a real food. When we eat real foods, we don’t need to question their long term effects which we often do with food additives and artificial ingredients. Real foods also don’t necessarily need the same FDA approval that drugs, supplements, or food additives require.

Adapted from “What is a Whole Food? Ask yourself a few questions” by Cynthia Lair.

March 21, 2008

You can learn more about Cynthia on her website, Cookus Interruptus -

where they teach you how to cook fresh local organic whole foods despite life's interruptions.

We love Cynthia so much, we included her on our Pinterest Board,

"Fellow Food Lovers We Love."