Shopping for Whole
Foods: Fact, Fiction
and Finance
Real Life, Real Food for Cancer Survivors
August 16, 2010
Gretchen Gruender, MS, RD
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
Leika Suzumura, RD
PCC Natural Markets
Topic for Today
Whole Foods: Fact and fiction
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Definitions
Research related to cancer
Finances
Shopping
Cooking
Questions and Samples
Store Tour
Definitions
What is a “whole food”
It is grown
 A field of spinach or an orange grove
 Can you picture a field of doughnuts or power bars?
 An animal raised in its natural environment
It only has one ingredient – itself
Definitions
What is a “whole food”
It contains all or most of the original edible parts
 For example, a whole grain product vs. a white flour
It has had very little done to it (least amount of
processing)
 It has not been fortified, enriched, bleached, refined,
injected, hydrogenated, irradiated, gassed, stripped,
dehydrated…
(Adapted from Feeding the Whole Family)
Examples of a non - Whole
Foods Menu
Breakfast
 Organic brown rice syrup, (soy protein isolates, rice flour, malt
extract, organic roasted soybeans. organic soy flour), organic rolled
oats, blueberry fruit pieces (organic evaporated cane juice,
blueberry puree concentrate, brown rice syrup, pectin, citric acid,
sodium citrate, natural flavor), organic toasted oats (organic oats,
organic evaporated cane juice), organic dry roasted almonds,
organic oat fiber, inulin (chicory extract), organic milled flaxseed,
organic oat bran, psyllium), organic evaporated cane juice,
blueberries (blueberries, apple juice concentrate), organic date
paste, almond butter, organic sunflower oil, natural flavors, seal
salt, citric acid. Vitamins and minerals: dicalcium phosphate,
magnesium oxide, Vit C, Vit E, Iron, Vit A, Zinc, Vit K, sodium
molybdate, Folic acid, B2, B6
Examples of a non - Whole
Foods Menu
Lunch
 Reconstituted nonfat dry milk, flour, water, chicken,
green chiles, modified food starch, soybean oil, salt,
chicken fat, chicken broth replacer (maltodextrin, salt,
monosodium glutamate, chicken broth, hydrolyzed
plant protein, disodium inosinate, disodium
guanylate, autolyzed yeast extract), soy protein
concentrate, dehydrated onions, jalapenos, whey,
flavorings, sodium tripolyphosphate, spices, baking
powder, cellulose gum
Examples of a non - Whole
Foods Menu
Dinner
 Enriched macaroni, dried cheddar cheese, corn starch,
partially hydrogenated soybean oil, dried tomatoes,
salt, buttermilk, sugar, hydrolyzed vegetable protein
and other natural flavorings, dried onions, dried corn
syrup, disodium phosphate, dried garlic, sodium
caseinate, citric acid, dipotassium phosphate, FD&C
yellow No. 5 and other artificial color, sodium sulfite
and BHA
Examples of a Whole
Foods Menu
Breakfast
 Egg, spelt toast (spelt flour, water, honey, salt, yeast, soy
lecithin), almond butter (dry roasted almonds), cantaloupe
Lunch
 Pita bread (whole wheat flour, water, sugar, salt and yeast),
cheese (cultured milk, salt enzymes), sliced tomatoes and
cucumbers, hummus (chick peas, tahini, garlic, lemon)
Dinner
 Sautéed black beans, broccoli, red pepper, onions with a
spinach salad (spinach, apple, walnuts, onions) and
vinaigrette (canola oil, rice vinegar, mustard)
Whole Foods and our Health
“2.7 million deaths are attributed to low fruit and
vegetable intake.”
World Health Organization
http://who.int/dietphysicalactivity/en
Role Whole Foods:
Cancer Recurrence
Diet choices can influence cancer recurrence rate:
 Prostate cancer – low saturated fat diet (more plants) / ~6
years – decreased recurrence (Int J Cancer 2008)
 Colon Cancer - more fruits, vegetables, chicken and fish / 5
years - decreased recurrence and death
(JAMA 2007)
Role Whole Foods:
Cancer Recurrence
Western
Prudent
Fried foods
Red meat
Cruciferous and Carotenoid vegetables
Eggs
Ice cream
Fruit
Cheese
whole milk
Fat
Potatoes
Refined-grain bread, cereal, rice
Processed meat
Sweets/candy
Fish, seafood and poultry
Dark leafy green vegetables
Whole grains
Tomatoes
Low fat dairy
Soda and sweetened beverages
Yogurt
Refined grain desserts
Nuts
Role Whole Foods:
Cancer Prevention
Diet choices can influence cancer prevention:
General recommendations from wcrf/aicr
 Eat mostly foods from plant origin
 Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of non-starchy vegetables and
fruits every day
 Eat relatively unprocessed cereals (grains) and legumes with
every meal
 Limit refined starchy foods
 Avoid sugary drinks
 Consume “fast foods” sparingly, if at all
 Eat very little if any processed meats
 Limit consumption of processed foods with added salt
Fruits and Vegetables
Goal
Women:
~2.5 cups vegetables/day
beyond just lettuce
~1.5 cups fruit/day
Men:
~3 cups vegetables/day
beyond just lettuce
~2 cups fruit/day
Can be cooked… raw…
Cruciferous vegetables
Finances
Considerations include:
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Food costs
Health costs
Environmental costs
Your time
Your interest / attitude
Finances
Eat foods in season for your region
www.sustainabletable.org
www.pugetsoundfresh.org
 Start a garden
Avoid value added foods
examples: box of flavored rice, box of noodle
casseroles, chips and other snacks
Make a list before you shop – and stick to it!
Produce to look for now!
Apples
Apricots
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Nectarines
Peaches
Strawberries
Raspberries
…and fresh herbs!
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Onions
Peas
Turnips
Beets
Potatoes
Radishes
Rutabega
Spinach
Squash
Tomatoes
Shopping
Grocery stores
 Many whole foods are near the perimeter of the store
including produce (fruits and vegetables), meats, and
dairy
 Canned, bottled, packaged, dried foods, cleaning supplies
and paper goods are in the aisles in the middle of the store
Farmer’s Markets / Community Supported Agriculture
(CSAs)
Neighborhood gardens / Pea patches
 Grow your own and share with neighbors
Shopping
 Fresh
 Local
 Organic
 Frozen
 Canned
 Other considerations:
 Buy in bulk (grains, nuts, seeds, legumes)
 Make more frequent trips to the market to reduce waste and
purchase food at peak of freshness
http://www.nrdc.org/health/food/default.asp
Shopping
Shopping list ( see our handout)
 Try at least one new food from each group per week
or month
 Add this new food to foods that are familiar to you
and your family
 Try new recipes
 Don’t be afraid to substitute foods in your new recipe
 Sign up for a cooking class!
Cooking Equipment
May help you save time:
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Slow cooker or crock pot
Pressure cooker
Toaster oven
Electric mixer
Food processor
Blender
The Price of Meat Consumption:
Our World
Beef production generates 13
times more CO2 emissions
than chicken production
For potatoes, the multiplier is 57
Beef consumption is rising
rapidly
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population increases
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people eat more meat
The annual beef diet of the
average American emits as
much greenhouse gas as a car
driven more than 1,800
miles.
Sample Meal
Sautéed black beans with broccoli, red pepper, onions
Spinach salad (spinach, apple, walnuts, onions) and
vinaigrette (canola oil, rice vinegar, mustard)
Nutrition Information:
480 calories
22 gm protein
20 gm fat
20 gm fiber
205 mg magnesium
1308 mg potassium
4 mcg selenium
425 mcg folate
Web sites for Recipes
 World’s Healthiest Foods – whfoods.com
 Meatlessmonday.com
 pccnaturalmarkets.com
 Vegan recipes – vrg.com
 cookusinterruptus.com
 laptoplunches.com