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Eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods can have a huge positive impact on your health, not to mention the environment. Whole foods are high in nutrients, and if you eat a variety of them, you ensure that you are getting everything you need. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients and include many additives that rap sweet rhymes to your taste buds, making it tough to stop eating them.

Whole foods include:

•Any and all fruits and vegetables, fresh or frozen

•Meats, fish, poultry, eggs

•Whole fat dairy products such as butter, yogurt, cottage cheese

•Nuts and seeds

•Beans

•Minimally processed grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice

Switching to whole foods can be challenging if you try to do this all at once. Start with a few easy alternatives. Make a list of your everyday foods. Are there a few processed items that can be substituted with whole foods? Even just one item a day can make a difference to your eating habits. Switch packaged cereals for homemade oatmeal. Trade packaged breads for fresh baked or sprouted breads. Add a favorite vegetable or fruit to your meals. Make homemade energy bars instead of taking store-bought bars on your outdoor adventures.

You can also try adding one new whole food to your shopping cart during each grocery store visit. Stick to the perimeter of the store as almost everything you need will be in these areas. Next time you shop, notice how foods are displayed and where. There is well-developed science around consumer psychology, and grocery stores are prime locations for capitalizing on it.

As you become more comfortable with preparing foods, you can start to replace most of your packaged meals with home prepared meals. Learning to read food labels is part of this process. When you buy processed food, take a quick glance at the carb, fat, and protein make-up of the food you are getting. Now take a glance at the serving size and how many servings that food has. This can truly open your eyes to what makes up your food! The advantage of home cooked meals is that you know exactly what you are eating and where it came from, and you can save a penny or two in the long run.

The process of changing your diet to whole foods may take years to develop, but each time you take a step in that direction, you will know you are getting healthier.