Whole food

Not to be confused with natural food or organic food.For other uses, see Whole Foods (disambiguation).

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Examples of whole foods include grains such as oatmeal and rice, fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts, seeds, unprocessed meats, and fish. ^{[3] [4] [5] [2]}

Depending on the context this may sometimes refer to an all natural diet or a plant-based diet. ^{[1] [6]} This is sometimes the premise of clean eating. ^[7]

Whole foods are not to be confused with natural foods. The FDA interprets the term "natural" to indicate that a food contains no artificial or synthetic substances (including color additives from any source) that wouldn't typically be expected in that food. However, this interpretation does not encompass food production practices, such as the use of pesticides, nor does it explicitly address food processing or manufacturing methods like pasteurization, thermal technologies, or irradiation. ^[8]

References

1. Mackey, John; Pulde, Alona; Lederman, Matthew (2017-04-11). The Whole Foods Diet: The Lifesaving Plan for Health and Longevity. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4789-4489-8.
2. Bliss, Nishanga (2012-04-01). Real Food All Year: Eating Seasonal Whole Foods for Optimal Health and All-Day Energy. New Harbinger Publications. ISBN   978-1-60882-157-0.
3. "Whole Foods - NYC Health". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
4. "What are whole foods?". www.bhf.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
5. Wood, Rebecca (2010-04-27). The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN   978-0-14-311743-8.
6. "What Is a Whole-Foods Diet? Benefits, Risks, Food List, and More". EverydayHealth.com. 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
7. "Clean-Eating Foods List". EatingWell. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
8. Program, Human Foods (2024-09-03). "Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling". FDA.