Real Food List

Looking for a real food list? First of all, I recommend to read what is real food – healthy grocery shopping will become stress free, and real family food – for resources and good recipes to start with. Then look through real food list below and download PDF to take with you next time grocery shopping. Also, if you have a family 2+, I highly recommend to start shopping at Costco – save money and almost any food can be frozen (even cheese).

Fruits and Vegetables

All, variety depends on your location;
Organic when feasible;
Use Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists to save money on organic;
Shop at local farmer’s market for non-sprayed (ask!) produce;
Buy in season;
Fresh and frozen.

Whole Grains

Preferably organic.

1. Oats: quick (instant), rolled (old fashioned), steel cut oats or quick cooking steel cut oats.

2. Brown rice

3. Quinoa

4. Pasta: whole wheat, spelt, brown rice, quinoa, chickpea.

5. Bread: whole wheat (make sure it’s ingredient #1), sprouted whole grain, sourdough, rye.

6. Farro

7. Millet

8. Barley (not pearled)

9. Popcorn

10. Bulgur

11. Amaranth

12. Flour: whole wheat, spelt, oat, almond.

13. Crackers: whole grain, sweet potato, brown rice.

Beans and Legumes

Preferably organic (non-organic are sprayed when grown and harvested with RoundUp);
In BPA free cans (learn how to cook dried beans and freeze to save $s).

14. Dried beans

15. Lentils

16. Edamame

Dairy

Full fat (no 0%);
Preferably organic;
Grass fed or pasture raised is even better;
Limited consumption – eat more plants;
Plain, unsweetened and no additives;
NO Cheeze Whiz, Kraft Singles or shaker Parmesan cheese.

17. Greek or regular yogurt

18. Buttermilk (kefir)

19. Cheese

20. Cottage Cheese

21. Milk

22. Cream Cheese

Eggs

23. Eggs from free roaming, eating worms and vegetables chickens are the best. Try to find local eggs or buy organic at the store;

Eat less eggs if too expensive, more fruits and vegetables haven’t hurt anyone yet;
NO cage free, omega, free run marketing tricks.

Meat

Organic or grass-fed (pasture raised);
Find local farmer who raises animals humanely and feeds non-GMO (organic) grains or grass;
NO all natural meat – false marketing.

24. Turkey

25. Chicken

26. Game Meat

27. Bison

28. Lamb

29. Pork

30. Broth

Fish and Seafood

Wild;
Avoid Atlantic salmon (farmed); farmed trout, tilapia, basa, shrimp (frozen in bags from Asia).

31. Salmon: sockeye, pink, coho, king, chum.

32. Trout

33. Shellfish

34. Rockfish

35. Halibut

36. Any wild fish caught in the wild.

Nuts and Seeds

Unsalted;
Raw (preferably but roasted are tasty);
Not blanched.

37. Milk: almond, coconut, rice, soy.

38. Almonds

39. Peanuts

40. Walnuts

41. Cashews

42. Pecans

43. Pine Nuts

44. Macadamia nuts

45. Nut butters with only 1 ingredient: nuts.

46. Chia seeds

47. Flaxseed

48. Hemp hearts

Fats

49. Butter: organic or grass fed.

50. Extra virgin olive oil

51. Avocado oil

52. Sesame oil

53. Avocado oil mayo

Sweeteners & Sweets

54. Maple syrup

55. Raw & unfiltered honey

56. Dates

57. Dark chocolate 75+%

58. Cane sugar

59. Coconut palm sugar

Pantry Items

BPA free cans;
Low sodium.

60. Canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste.

61. Salsa

62. Applesauce

63. Coconut milk – full fat.

64. Spices: no preservatives, organic when feasible, dried herbs.

65. Bouillon cubes (organic for sure).

66. Pumpkin puree

67. Condiments (preferably organic): soy sauce, mustard, ketchup.

68. Jarred vegetables like olives, artichokes, roasted pepper, pickles, sauerkraut etc.

69. Vinegars

Beverages

70. Water

71. Tea

72. Coffee

73. Wine

74. Juice: freshly squeezed.

Real food list might vary slightly depending on your location. Just remember, if it grew on a tree or had a mother, it’s real food. Use common sense and don’t be afraid to eat real food in balance and moderation.:) Be healthy!