Sarah Newlands, MS, RDN, LDN is the Lifestyle Medicine Program Coordinator and a Registered Dietician with St. Peter's Health.
October 1, 2024
The Whole Foods Challenge is back, starting October 7th and running for 4 weeks. The purpose of this challenge is to teach you how to incorporate more whole foods into your diet in a sustainable way, unlike many food challenges which focus on removing foods. There are 4 steps to the challenge, one for each week. Week 1 you will learn how to identify whole foods vs processed foods, week 2 you will learn how to read nutrition labels, week 3 you will practice incorporating more whole foods into your diet and week 4 you will learn how to maintain these habits for life.
What is a whole food, and what are the benefits of eating whole foods?
Whole foods are food products that are minimally processed and come from the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Meat and plant-based proteins can also be considered a whole food, but this challenge focuses on incorporating more whole foods from the 5 listed groups. Whole foods are beneficial because they can increase energy, improve your mood, and provide nourishment.
How do I sign up?
Registration is not required, but by submitting the form (available here), you will receive emailed recipes, guided questions, and information throughout the challenge to motivate and prepare you, directly from our wellness team.
Where can I find out more?
To find out more, you can go to the Whole Foods Challenge page on the St. Peter’s Health website, which also includes valuable resources like recipes and a checklist to track your daily servings of nutrient-dense foods.