Traditional Foods

A Traditional Foods Diet is just what it sounds like.  It’s about growing, preparing, and eating food in a way that is consistent with how all people throughout all of history (until very recent times) have grown, prepared, and eaten their food.  No counting calories or avoiding food groups.  It’s about eating nutrient-dense, whole foods that are satisfying and delicious!

We are very careful only to eat real, whole foods, but we are not Traditional Foods purists.  We think that the concept of Traditional Foods and the work of the Weston A. Price Foundation make a lot of sense and so we have adapted our diet to mostly align with their principles.  However, if you find something here that does not fit perfectly, please remember that we are a real family.  My goal is to feed my family as much good, healthy, life-giving food as I possibly can, using my best judgement – not to adhere to someone else’s formula.

More on Traditional Foods here:  What is a Traditional Foods Diet?

 

Fats

Make sure to get plenty of good, healthy animal fats every day!

• Pastured Lard
• Grass-fed Tallow
• Grass-fed Butter
• Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• Cold-pressed, Unrefined Coconut Oil
• High quality, Cold-pressed, Unrefined, Extra Virgin Olive Oil used cold (in dressings, etc..) not for cooking

These fats are full of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 which are essential for good health, proper growth, fertility and longevity.  In fact, traditional cultures valued animal fats above all other foods!

Worried that eating fat will make you fat?  Not so.  I promise.

It’s rancid oils (and refined sugars, pesticides, and other chemicals) that cause us to gain fat.  This is why it is important to avoid: corn, soy bean, canola,  and other “vegetable” oils like safflower and sunflower oils along with anything hydrogenated (margarine, shortening, and other non-food products marketed as “healthy” spreads).

While nutrient-dense animal fats were a source of nourishment for our ancestors, these modern fats are one of the primary causes of chronic disease in our society.

More on fats here:  My 2 New Best Friends: Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

 

Bone Broth

Bone broth is incredibly rich in minerals, as well as gelatin and other healing substances such as glucosamine.  These, of course, are sold as expensive supplements for joint health and youthful skin.  Why not make your own affordable bone broth to absorb all that goodness?  Bone broth can be made from any kind of bones: fish, chicken, turkey, beef, pork and lamb are all good choices.

• Avoid bones from animals raised in confinement, given conventional feed and/or antibiotics, steroids, or hormones.  Animals store many toxins in their bones.  Make sure to use bones from healthy, organically raised, pastured animals.
• Avoid bouillon cubes or any other kind of packaged soup or broth purchased from the grocery store.  These are completely lacking in the nourishing properties of true bone broth and are usually full of MSG and many other chemical additives.
• Keep extra bone broth on hand in the fridge or freezer to be used as a replacement for water in cooking grains and as a base for all your soups, stews, and sauces.

More on Bone Broth (including our family recipe) here:  A Simple Guide to Homemade Bone Broth

 

Fermented Foods

All traditional cultures consumed fermented foods.  Eating these foods daily helps to supply your body with the probiotics needed for gut health and proper immune function, as well as the enzymes necessary for the digestion of cooked foods and the absorption of nutrients.

The most commonly known fermented foods are:

• kombucha
• water kefir
• milk kefir
• kvass
• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• sour pickles and other fermented veggies
• our favorite fermented salsa!

The topic of fermented foods may seem intimidating to you, but please know that each of these foods are very simple to make, usually requiring only a couple of minutes prep time.  I recommend purchasing a little of each from a local health food store so that you can get an idea which you prefer before you invest in cultures to start your own at home.

I hope to get some tutorials up on the blog soon, but in the meantime you can check out these books:

The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

Traditionally Fermented Foods by Shannon Stonger

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

 

 

Fruits and Vegetables

Eat lots and LOTS of fresh or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables!  All the kinds!  Gobble them up!  The more color the better.  The following is a list of our highest priority fruits and veggies:

• Dark, leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, but even more importantly, they are powerful detoxers, pulling even heavy metals from the body!  We eat as many greens as we possibly can, hiding them in nearly everything: pizza, soups, scrambled eggs, smoothies, and often sauteed as a side with garlic and butter.  In most cases, we slightly cook our greens before eating.  This helps with digestion and nutrient absorption.  Get a variety! – kale, collards, spinach, cabbage, chard, even dandelion, turnip, and beet greens!
• Ditto for fresh herbs!  Gobble them up!  So many healing benefits!
• Fresh Garlic – SO MUCH garlic!
• Fresh Ginger
• Lemons
• Mushrooms, especially shiitake and maitake
• Blueberries, and really all the kinds of berries!

Unsulfured, unsweetened dried fruit makes a great snack mixed with seeds or nuts, but remember that, although the sugars are natural, they are quite condensed!  Make sure not to over do it.

 

Dairy

Raw, grass-fed milk is a complete, living food.  It contains protein (all 8 essential amino acids), carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cholesterol, and beneficial bacteria (probiotics). Raw milk is so nourishing to the body that a person can actually survive on raw milk alone, if needed.  In fact, if I had to choose only one food for my family, this would be it for sure.

When purchasing dairy products make sure to look for:

• raw (not pasteurized)
• grass-fed (a very small amount of organic grain may be used during milking)
• non-homogenized
• free of hormones, antibiotics, steroids, and genetically modified grains
• purchased from a clean, respectable, preferably local farm

Pasteurized milk and raw milk are completely different products.  So much so, that many people who have had a sensitivity or intolerance to dairy in the past find that making the switch to raw milk resolves these problems.

More on raw milk here: Why We Choose Raw, Grass-fed Milk for Our Family

 

Protein

Animal protein is also a nourishing part of the diet.  Make sure to look for:

• Local, Grass-fed, Organic Meats
• Wild-Caught Sustainably Harvested Seafood
• Pastured Eggs (always with the yolks and preferably soy-free)
• Organ Meats (incredibly high in vitamins A, D, K2, B6, and B12, as well as rich in minerals)

Avoid conventional meats raised in confinement using hormones, steroids, antibiotics, and genetically modified feed.

More on protein here:  How and Why to Choose High Quality Protein from Sustainable Sources

 

Nuts, Seeds, Beans and Other Legumes

These foods are quite high in phytic acid and/or enzyme inhibitors, substances which must be broken down prior to cooking in order to allow for proper digestion and nutrient absorption in the gut.  You may find that when you begin using these traditional methods of preparation, suddenly foods that once caused digestive distress, are no longer a problem for you.

When preparing beans, and other legumes:

• Make sure to soak 8-24 hours in water (individual varieties sometimes require the addition of baking soda, or an acidic medium in the soaking water, check the post below for more detailed information.)
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Cook as usual, in some cases reducing the cooking time slightly.

When purchasing and preparing seeds and nuts:

• Buy raw (preferably organic)
• Avoid seeds and nuts that have been previously roasted or coated in oils.
• Soak in warm salt water for 8-24 hours.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Dehydrated until crispy and keep in the fridge or freezer to prevent the delicate oils from rancidity – or – add to your recipe without dehydrating if you choose.

More on nuts, seeds, beans, and other legumes here:  Traditional Preparation of Grains, Beans, and Nuts

and here: A Guide to Soaking and Dehydrating Nuts

and here:  A Guide to Soaking, Cooking, and Freezing Dry Beans – & NO GAS!

Grains

First off, grains are absolutely NOT for everyone.  If you are in the midst of autoimmunity, food sensitivities, or any other conditions related to leaky gut, grains need to be removed from your diet until you have sufficiently healed your leaky gut.  I’m so sorry, hard truth.  I know.

However, carbs are actually an important part of a healthy diet.  Not a HUGE part of a healthy diet, but important none-the-less.  This is especially true if you struggle with your thyroid health.  Now that we have healed our leaky gut and reversed our food sensitivities, we choose to include a small amount of grains in our diet.  Typically not at every meal and ideally only a quarter of our total plate or less.

When purchasing/preparing grains it is important to:

• purchase ancient grains that have not been hybridized – Einkorn is the best choice for wheat.
• purchase ONLY organic grains.  Conventional grains are very heavily sprayed with pesticides like RoundUp.
• soak, sour, or sprout your grains before cooking to break down the phytic acid and gluten proteins.
• eat grains (and other carbs) alongside fat for better digestion/absorption of minerals.

We find that we feel a great deal better when we include a small amount of properly prepared, ancient grains in our diet.  Not only that, it’s just plain difficult (and expensive) to feed a family without grains.  However, if you struggle with insulin resistance, leaky gut, or for any other reason feel poorly when you consume grains (even properly prepared), then by all means, leave them out.  Just make certain to get enough carbs from legumes, starchy vegetables and fruit, eaten alongside good, healthy animal fats.

More on grains here: Traditional Preparation of Grains, Beans, and Nuts

and here: Grains at Our House

and here: A Simple Guide to Sourdough for the Real-Life Mama

 

Natural Sweeteners

As you probably already suspected, sugars (even natural sugars) should be limited – but not necessarily eliminated completely.  Again, this will depend on your own individual situation, as already stated above in the grains section.

In our family we use a small amount of whole, unprocessed sweeteners in our baking and in occasional treats, always watching to see the effect on moods and energy levels.  If you have never fasted from all sugar, I highly suggest you do so for a couple of weeks at least.  You will be amazed at how your cravings diminish after several days.  You’ll realize how good you can feel without a sugar high (and crash) and will be much better able to discern sugar’s effect on your body should you decide to add them back in.

The following are appropriate natural sweeteners to be used in moderation:

• Pure Maple Syrup
• Raw, Local Honey
• Organic, Dehydrated Cane Juice (sometimes called Sucanat or Rapadura)
• Coconut Sugar
• Organic, Unsulfured, Blackstrap Molasses
• Date Sugar
• Unprocessed, Unbleached Stevia (absolutely no fillers!)

Make sure to always consume your sugars in the presence of fat and protein.  This will keep the sugar from being absorbed into your blood stream too rapidly.

 

Check out our Recipes Page for all our family favorite traditional food recipes.

 

 

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And as always friends, please remember that I’ve got kids sledding down the stairs on Costco boxes as I write to you…

So, if you think I’ve forgotten something important, have any questions or comments, or simply a bit of encouragement to share, please use the comments below, send me an email, or find us on Facebook.

I’d love to hear from you.