If it were a perfect world, we would all eat fresh whole foods that do not come in a box or bag. We would enjoy seasonal and fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh fish, and local ingredients from the farmer's market year-round. But, unfortunately, we don't have access to a wide range of local fresh foods year-round in most parts of Canada, and life gets busy, so whipping up meals from scratch three times a day just isn't possible. For most of us, anyway.
Although I try to be the best to eat fresh most of the time, I inevitably find myself wandering down the grocery aisles in search of the odd packaged food. What I'm looking for, though, is packaged food that is made from real food. Things like stone-ground whole wheat flour, canned tuna, salsa, hummus, breakfast oats, milk, and Greek yogurt are some of the packaged foods that I buy on a regular basis. In years past, I've wasted time going through nutrition labels, counting calories, fat grams, and comparing packages for fiber and sodium levels. Although this practice can be helpful for those who have Diabetes (counting carbohydrate grams), or when choosing between two products, it's usually a waste of time.