The ONE thing you can do to improve your health

Nope. That’s not meant to super-gimmicky. I think there is ONE thing you can do to improve your health in a life-defining way.

We began doing it about six years ago, and the results completely changed the way we shop. And eat.

Ready for the big secret to improve your health?

It’s not a secret – it’s something you’ve been told to do for years:

READ THE INGREDIENT LABEL!!

Sorry. That was technically shouting in typing wasn’t it? But that’s because nobody is listening!

Good Food Made Simple (GFMS) did a survey recently that showed only 35% of shoppers are reading the ingredients before purchasing food items. More sobering? Only HALF were doing so to make sure their food was “clean.”

Yes, I am sharing this information as part of a compensated partnership with Good Food Made Simple. However, I believe it to be true and needful!

“Consumers are used to the convenience [of] packaged foods, however, convenience often comes with a trade-off of less than wholesome ingredients,” said George Gavris, Managing Partner at Good Food Made Simple, Inc. “We are launching Eat Clean, Eat Simple to inspire educated label reading, providing clarity and context along the way, so people can understand the importance of eating real, wholesome foods and how it affects your health.”

Reading food labels changed our lifestyle

About six years ago, we ate pretty much whatever we wanted – we were young(!), we worked out, we felt healthy!

Then, I read a book called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which extolled the virtues of eating local and eating organic. I became more aware of what was in our foods… and what was going into our bodies: Lots of yucky stuff!

I also read Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet Cookbook. It’s funny how reading these two books happened around the same time!

As I started reading food labels more consistently, I realized: my favorite tomato soup had high fructose corn syrup in it! Now I have a new favorite tomato soup – my own! Many of our favorite (and also quick and easy!) food choices went out the window immediately.

What is clean eating?

Basically, while personal standards may differ – you may be organic or not –  to us, clean eating looks like this:

• No preservatives
• No additives
• No trans fat
• No artificial colors or sweeteners
• (And, we’re working on reducing refined sugars as well)

Guess what? Good Food Made Simple products don’t have any of that stuff in it! YAY!

If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it

The rule of thumb holds fairly true. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient – probably you don’t know what it is or how it affects your body. Don’t eat it.

Yet, many common – pronounceable – ingredients also aren’t good for you: caramel color, guar gum to name a few.

When we started reading food labels, many food choices (and restaurants!) left our life. We began eating organic, growing our own food, buying locally.

We made more meals from scratch, not from boxes (we’ve always eaten at home mostly).

It’s not inconvenient to eat simple and eat clean

True, eating meals made from scratch takes longer than tossing something in the microwave for four minutes. But you need to think of the long term health benefits.

Plus, there are healthful and easy options – in the freezer section! While frozen foods get a bad rap (because many are prefab and full of junk!), there are some brands that make quality freezer items from wholesome ingredients.

I’ve been trying out Good Food Made Simple’s frozen Mac & Cheese, Oatmeal, Burritos, and Egg White Patties for breakfasts and quick meals. Everything has tasted good and been easy to make. They mostly offer microwave directions. Since we don’t cook in the microwave, I just put everything on the stovetop or toaster oven, which has worked out well.

Get to know what brands you can trust!

Good Food Made Simple is a national, all-natural packaged food company that vets all their ingredients to meet a strict criteria of no artificial preservatives, no hydrogenated oils (a source of trans fat), and no artificial ingredients (including colors, flavors and sweeteners). Good Food Made Simple products are made with all-natural ingredients packed into quick, convenient and delicious meals.

I like knowing I can trust Good Food Made Simple to give me quick and easy meals for those times when I … run out of time! (but I STILL read their labels!).

Make better food choices – by reading ingredient labels! Visit Good Food Made Simple to learn more about ingredients, and download a “Top 10 List of Ingredients to Avoid.” There’s also an ingredients quiz for you to win coupons and a chance to win a “Clean Supermarket Sweep” – a grocery-shopping spree with a food expert to guide label reading and clean food purchasing. Sounds like a good win!

Reading food labels will change your life for the better. If you read with purpose and take action!

How about you? Do you regularly read food ingredient labels? What ingredients do you work hard to avoid? 

This is a compensated post brought to you by Good Food Made Simple and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. All statistics provided by Good Food Made Simple.