The Traditional Foods Primer

Traditional Foods Primer

Transitioning from the Standard American Diet or from a vegetarian diet to one based on wholesome, traditional foods can prove a daunting task, and many newcomers to the traditional foods movement throw up their hands in desparation wondering just how they can seamlessly transition their diet and learn forgotten preparation techniques that enhance the nutrient bioavailability and digestibility of their foods.

There’s too much to consider: How do you sprout grains?   Why should you soak nuts? Is it really okay to eat that much fat? How do you brew your own kombucha or kefir? How do you fit all this into your schedule?

These are challenges that everyone faces when adopting a diet based on traditional foods – those foods that can nourish us as well as they nourished our ancestors.   It can be a struggle to learn the whys and hows of traditional foods, let alone adopt the often time-consuming preparation methods.

So, every Monday throughout 2009 you can look forward to a new post from the Nourished Kitchen that addresses the basics of understanding, preparing and appreciating traditional foods.   Each month, the Traditional Foods Primer will focus on a single topic including nuts & seeds, grains & legumes, dairy, ferments, sweeteners and others–and each week, you’ll learn a little more about that food including how it was used traditionally, how it benefits you and how to prepare it to get the most nutritional punch from your diet.

By monitoring this series of blog posts each Monday, you can ease your transition into a more wholesome, natural diet based on the traditional methods of food preparation found cross-continentally.   As with anything, small steps prove the most effective.   Make the transition slowly.

This month, the Traditional Foods Primer will focus on sweeteners: understanding their role in health, discerning traditional sweeteners from modern pseudo-natural sweeteners and preparing food with them.   So stop by next Monday to check in!

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!