You Can Be ‘Mostly’ Something And Still the Best, Doable Option

How to Classify Perfectly Produce

Plant-Based (mostly) + Whole Foods Sourced (mostly) + Cell Focused

According to Eatright.org, 40% of individuals get their dietary information from the Internet vs. 16% from a doctor and {gasp} a mere 2% from a consultation with a nutritionist.  With 40% doing this online, I decided to play on search engines like Google this week to see what type of results people are getting for various search terms. Perfectly Produce doesn’t fit into the rigidly defined squares that many dietary options are classified as – and that’s just fine with me.  During this post, it’s important to remember that the word “based” is by definition synonymous with “mostly”.

Plant-Based (mostly)

The term ‘plant-based’ became popular as a dietary term when Michael Pollen famously wrote “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants” in a 2007 NYTimes essay titled “Unhappy Meals”.  A search today for ‘plant-based diet’ would lead many to conclude that this equates to vegetarian or veganism.  Not true.  Plant-based means just that – based in plants but not necessarily exclusively.

I respect all dietary choices individual makes, including vegetarianism which I participated in for several years, but I also want to provide permission to those that enjoy modest amounts of animal products with their meals that they, too, can obtain health.  The key here is modest amounts (2-3 oz per serving) and not necessarily at every meal.

When it comes to animal products, there are two non-negotiables that I do adhere to:

1. When I choose to consume an animal product to nourish myself, I feel I have the obligation to ensure that those animals live (lived) a respectable, humane life
2. I will speak with my money and at all times possible only purchase products or go to restaurants that support this mission (I realize this won’t always be possible and I will always graciously thank the animals that contributed to that meal)

In essence, I try to be a humane omnivore.  A term I feel in love with when I read this blog post by Dee Garret .  She writes ”…eating humanely.  This last part means that if my dinner had a mom, it will only be so if I know that it lived as it was meant to live and that it lived well.”  Well said.

My bottom line: Eat lots (and lots) of produce everyday – every meal.  Goal = 8-10 servings per day.  As a perfectly respectable start, 1 serving every time you eat. Enjoy with modest amounts of protein, humanely raised when animal sources, and a variety of fats.

Whole Foods Sourced (mostly)

The term whole foods, as innocent as it seems, has quite a spectrum of followers.  In it’s most raw definition (no upcoming pun intended), the moment something is picked or heated it has become ‘processed’.  Cutting and removing stems or leafy tops, by definition, no longer makes this food ‘whole’; as does, removing the cream from milk.  And this is where my sensibility to make life doable comes in – I’m not a purist, I’m a doablist.

I will include pasta at my table and I will always have days that I need help and will buy ‘convenience’ foods.  Believe it or not, there are responsible food manufacturing out there putting formulas together to help us eat smarter even on the days we don’t think we can.  A list of my favorites will have to be reserved for a another post.  But at the end of the day, my plate will be whole foods-based – even if not exclusively.

My bottom line: Make sure the majority of your plate has as close to whole foods on it as possible (and most of them produce!).  If you use small amounts of packaged items be sure you know what each of the ingredients are and that there is fiber other other nutrients provided (not just all 0% when you look at vitamins and minerals on the nutrition facts).

Cell Focused

I think many of my science trained friends would challenge my use of the term ‘cellular nutrition’ and argue that everything related to nutrition is for the cell so why term it ‘cellular nutrition’, because inherently the word ‘nutrition’ alone implies this.  This is a valid point.  But my defense of this term would be that it’s an effective way to provide that constant reminder of what nutrition really is all for – functionality of the individual cells.

But here is a significant place that Perfectly Produce differs from many sites from my search results for “cellular nutrition”:

• Where we get this nutrition should be (mostly) plant-based, (mostly) whole foods vs. supplementation

My bottom line: Use whole foods and produce everyday for the best chances to optimize cellular nutrition.  When necessary and when a trusted opinion has told you how to safely, use modest supplementation to support dietary efforts.

Perfectly Produce: Plant-Based + Whole Foods Sourced + Cell Focused

~Teri