Whole foods are those that are as close as possible to their natural state, unmodified by processing and manufacturing. For instance, when buying pasta, you can buy “whole” pasta, which means that it comes with its nutrients intact, so to speak. Alternatively, you could choose to buy “enriched” pasta, which is pasta that has been stripped of its nutrients and then had those nutrients sprinkled back on. The closer a food is to its “whole” state, the more nutrients it has and the better it is for you.

This week, experiment with whole foods. When you go to the grocery store, pick one thing that you usually get one way, and instead try out its “whole” variety. Pasta is a great place to start because the words are right on the box, but there are many foods that can be purchased in a state of less processing.

For instance, rather than canned tomatoes, try using fresh tomatoes this week.

There’s no need to go nuts and try to buy everything this way. Just pick one or two things and give their whole versions a shot.

If you like the whole version, great! Try others as you feel comfortable. If you don’t like the whole version, consider trying something else “whole” and discovering whether or not you enjoy it more.

Want to learn more about easing your way into new nutritional pursuits with Gentle Nutrition while you try your whole food experiment? Then check out Feed Your Life this week.

Sara Armstrong is the owner of Zoi Wellness Consulting. In addition to wellness coaching, Sara specializes in health education seminars, diabetes prevention and management, Health for EVERY Body, and worksite wellness design. You can email Sara for a free wellness consultation at sara@zoiconsulting.com.