Now is the perfect time to transition to a real food-based diet. Our modern lifestyle, with its highly processed foods and toxic overload, has contributed to a health crisis where people are more fatigued, overweight, and suffering from chronic illnesses than ever before. Our diet forms an integral part of reclaiming our health, nourishing our bodies with essential nutrients, and breaking free from the cycle of inflammation and disease.
What Exactly Is Real Food?
At its core, a real food diet is the principle of eating foods in their most natural, unprocessed state. The principle is simple: prioritize foods that our bodies evolved to thrive on, while avoiding the processed, refined, and artificial ingredients that disrupt our health.
These foods include
Whole, Unprocessed Foods
Real food is free from artificial additives, preservatives, and chemicals. Instead, it’s comprised of whole, minimally processed foods that nourish the body. This includes well-raised animals, naturally occurring fats, seasonal, fresh vegetables, and fruits along with some nuts and seeds. These foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential nutrients that the body needs for optimal function.
Nutrient-Dense Proteins
One of the cornerstones of eating real food is high-quality, animal-based protein. This includes grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, wild-caught fish, and pasture-raised eggs. These proteins provide essential amino acids, healthy fats, and important nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and zinc.
At the heart of real food is the emphasis on nutrient density, which means eating foods that pack the most vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds per calorie. Animal proteins are incredibly nutrient-dense and a critical component of this approach, providing everything from muscle-building proteins to immune-boosting nutrients.
Naturally Occurring Fats
Fat is a vital nutrient that plays a role in everything from brain health to hormone production. In a real food-based diet, the focus is on naturally occurring fats, such as those found in well-raised proteins, avocado, olive oil and coconut oil. These fats provide essential omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial lipids that reduce inflammation and support cellular health.
Learn more about fats and download our fat guide here
Seasonal Vegetables & Fruits
Real food includes a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, which are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Examples include non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), and root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, beets).
Fruits are included as well, but the emphasis is on lower-sugar options like berries, which are rich in antioxidants and lower in glycemic impact.
Read on here about local and seasonal eating
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are encouraged in moderation on a real food diet, providing healthy fats, protein, and micronutrients like magnesium and vitamin E. Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are great options.
Fermented Foods & Bone Broth
Traditional, nutrient-dense foods like bone broth and fermented foods are staples in a real food diet. Fermented vegetables (like sauerkraut and kimchi) and beverages (like kombucha) support gut health by providing probiotics that strengthen the microbiome. Bone broth, made from simmering bones for long periods, is rich in collagen, gelatin, and essential minerals that promote joint, skin, and gut health.
Order our mineral-rich bone broth here >>>>>>
Foods To Avoid
Real food generally excludes grains (wheat, corn, rice, etc.), legumes (beans, lentils, soy), refined and man-made fats and refined sugars. Dairy tends to be a grey area (read more on that here) These foods can contribute to gut irritation, blood sugar imbalances, and systemic inflammation.
Learn more about grains in this article
Why Transition To Real Food
Making the shift to real food is crucial, especially when embracing the principle of healing through nutrient-dense, real foods. Modern diets filled with processed and manufactured foods have contributed to a health and environmental crisis:
Rising Chronic Disease Rates
We are witnessing an unprecedented rise in chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic syndrome. These conditions often stem from sub-optimal diet and lifestyle choices. Processed foods, laden with refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients, contribute to systemic inflammation and imbalanced blood sugar levels.
A real food-based diet eliminates the inflammatory triggers found in ultra-processed foods, giving our bodies the nutrition, they need to heal and function optimally.
Gut Health Crisis
Our gut microbiome, the center of our overall health, is under attack from modern diets. Processed foods, excessive antibiotic use, and stress degrade the diversity and resilience of our gut bacteria, leading to digestive disorders, compromised immunity, and even mental health issues. A real food-based diet, rich in fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics, restores the gut microbiome, supporting proper digestion, enhanced immunity, and a balanced mental state.
Toxins in the Food Supply
Our food supply is inundated with chemicals, pesticides, and synthetic additives that wreak havoc on our bodies. Industrial agriculture not only depletes the soil but also results in nutrient-poor crops sprayed with harmful chemicals. Processed foods are filled with preservatives, emulsifiers, and artificial colors, all of which burden our detox pathways and contribute to long-term health issues.
A real food-based diet eliminates these harmful toxins, replacing them with clean, nutrient-dense foods that nourish our bodies at a cellular level. Real food has the potential to reduce our exposure to toxins and increase our intake of essential nutrients.
The Mental Health Connection
Mental health issues are skyrocketing, with anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline becoming more common. Research shows that the standard Western diet, high in sugar, refined carbs, and processed fats, is directly linked to poor mental health outcomes. A real food diet, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, supports brain health, reduces inflammation, and balances mood.
Switching to a real food-based diet can improve mental clarity, stabilize mood, and enhance cognitive function.
Sustainability
The industrial food system is not only destroying our health but also damaging the environment. Monocropping, factory farming, and the overuse of chemicals are depleting our soil, polluting our waterways, and contributing to climate change. A real food-based diet, centered on locally-sourced, organic, and regenerative farming practices, supports both personal and planetary health. By choosing real food, you support sustainable agriculture that regenerates the soil, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and preserves biodiversity.
Empowerment Through Food Choices
One of the most powerful aspects of switching to a real food diet is the sense of empowerment it brings. When we reclaim control over what we eat, we take responsibility for our health and our future. Choosing real, whole foods allows us to connect with nature and honor the wisdom of our ancestors, who thrived on unprocessed, nutrient-dense diets.
This shift is not just about avoiding harmful foods; it’s about embracing a lifestyle that prioritizes health, wellness, and longevity.
Revolutionary Access to Information
Today, we have more access to information about food, health, and wellness than ever before. Whether through research studies, podcasts, or health influencers, there’s a growing movement of individuals advocating for real food and helping others navigate the journey back to optimal health.
The information is out there, and those who take the steps to embrace a real food lifestyle will reap the rewards of vibrant health.
Get chef-prepared, gourmet, real-food meals delivered right to you. Our menus change seasonally and weekly. Order from this week’s selection here >>>>>>>
Now Is The Time
If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to a real food-based diet, there’s no better time than now. With chronic disease rates soaring, gut health in crisis, and toxins infiltrating our food supply, we are in a health emergency. But the solution is simple: real, nutrient-dense, whole foods.
Switching to a real food-based diet is about reclaiming your health, empowering yourself with the right choices, and setting the stage for a future of vitality. At Pete’s Real Food, we are committed to providing you with the tools, resources, and real food solutions to help you on your journey. Now is the time to make the change. Let’s nourish our bodies, support our planet, and live our best lives through real food.