whole foods.

Last night I attended a Healthy Eats Cooking Class at Whole Foods. I thought they would teach us a couple recipes then send us off to play in the wonderful world of WF's, but it turned out to be so much more than I expected. I left feeling re energized and excited about everything I've learned over the past month.

The class was lead by Mark, the in-store Healthy Eating Specialist, who prepared 3 recipes to promote WF's new program called, Health Starts Here. The program has 4 basic principles that you should follow:

Plant-strong

• Simply put, eat mostly plants
• No matter what type of diet you follow - including those that incorporate dairy, meat and/or seafood - eat more plants, like raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains
• Eat a colorful variety of plants to ensure you're getting the best nutrients for your body, which leads to feeling satiated

Whole food

• Choose foods that are whole, fresh, natural, organic, local, seasonal and unprocessed
• Eliminate the consumption of refined, highly processed foods and foods void of nutrients, such as artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats

Healthy fats

• Get your healthy fats from plant sources, such as nuts and avocados
• Minimize extracted oils and processed fats
• If eating a diet that includes animal products, choose leaner meats and seafood as well as low-fat dairy products

Nutrient dense

• Choose foods that are rich in nutrients when compared to their total caloric content; also known as foods with a high nutrient density
• Build your menus around plant-based foods to ensure highly nutrient-dense meals
• Choose foods with a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants
• Look for the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scoring system to guide you on healthier choices

Without ever saying it, he taught us to eat vegan. As soon as I walked into the classroom, I saw the recipe cards and got really excited. All 3 recipes he showed us were 100% vegan.

Sweet Potato Fries - Good.

Bean Burger - GOOD.

Savory Lentils & Greens - GOOOOOD.

(I would have taken more pictures but I was a little self-conscious, I felt dorky enough taking notes)

I feel like the term "vegan" gets a bad wrap. Mark never mentioned labeling the dishes vegetarian or vegan, he just talked about how delicious the food was and how good you feel when you eat it.

Just when I'm 4 days away from leaving vegan world, I was kind of talked into staying for awhile. I just look at food so differently now and I'm kind of addicted.

Bahh, who am I kidding - it's pumpkin bread/cookie/pie/cake season!

A HUGE thanks to Whole Foods for putting on these free classes. I don't think the other people in the room were nearly as appreciative as I was.

Food nerds unite!

i love

!!!