so what is considered processed foods?

Look at the labels on your food - the more ingredients it has, particular those that aren't actual food but chemicals, the more processed it is. The closer a food is to it's natural state the better. That's not to say that all prcessed food is bad, but just reduce the amount of food you're eating that came from a box or a bag. People often talk about shopping on the perimeter of a grocery store, buying most of their food from the produce, meat, and dairy, as a way to reduce their relaince on processed food.

I am also cutting out processed food. I website that I live by now is http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/ it really helps with eating a healthier real food diet. There are even meal plans there!

Pick up "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. He says anything with more than 5 ingredients is too many. Great book. Quick read.

I agree with this philosophy to a point, but not completely. I have made plenty a meal that had far more than 5 ingredients, yet were fresh and whole int he end. As far as buying things at the store in boxes of bags, this philosophy probably does apply.

You could go with the 5 ingredient rule or the "nothing I can't pronounce rule". So I buy the following "packaged" foods- cans of veggies, oatmeal, peanut butter, yogurt.

But the ingredients are all things I know- such as "green beans, water" or "oats" or "peanuts, salt, molasses" or "Milk, [and some names of bacteria that I can't spell but make yogurt turn to yogurt]" etc.

People often talk about shopping on the perimeter of a grocery store, buying most of their food from the produce, meat, and dairy, as a way to reduce their relaince on processed food.

This is a great way to operate. My husband and I find that the only reason we ever enter the actual supermarket aisles nowadays is to buy toothpaste, deodorant, napkins, dried beans, nuts in the baking aisle, etc.....and of course the very occasional processed/packaged item like cookies, for example. We really do stick to the perimeter. And we're loving it.

So if you don't eat processed foods, what exactly DO you eat? Just wondering??

Try for breakfast making some hard boiled eggs and keeping them in the refrigerator as a quick grab-n-go. Also, you could do oatmeal but try to do the steel cut and just cook it in a tupperware with water a little longer than you would have to cook instant oatmeal (I still do instant oatmeal eventhough I know steel cut is the way to go - woops!)

One of the things that I sometimes do when I need a change is make a egg souflee type thing. LOL.... I put 6 eggs and about 1/2 c. egg whites in a deep skillet with a lid (after spraying some non stick cooking spray of corse). Then I put it on LOW and add in chuncks of my favorite meats and vegetables such as turkey and spinach. Cover and simmer for a little while, then gently lift off of the edges and bottom to allow the insides to cook. repeat until the whole thing is firm and eggs are almost done (I sometimes cut it in 1/4's when it's about 3/4 of the way done and flip. Then put some cheese on top, and cover until completely cooked. Then I take out my scale and tupperware containers and measure out enough to be a serving size and wa-la, yummy breakfast to go. Quick, nutritious and yummy.

good luck!