Whole-food plant-based diet

Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed.

Often confused with organic food, whole foods aren't necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole, although they do share a number of traits, such as an avoidance of chemically-assisted agricultural techniques. Because of the lack of even basic, organically-acceptable processing, many whole foods have a very short shelf life and are not easily sold outside of farmers' markets.

Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, garden-grown fruits and vegetables and non-homogenized milk.

Sources and Additional Information

• The Whole Food Bible: How to Select & Prepare Safe, Healthful Food, Christopher S. Kilham, Healing Arts Press, ISBN 0892816260.
• Living Healthy with Organic Whole Foods, Ladell Hill, Good Form blog, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Entry dated June 8, 2006, accessed June 17, 2006.