Start in the produce aisle
Choose vegetables and fruit in colors you enjoy. Fresh, frozen, and suitable canned options can all make meals more accessible.
LOOK CLOSERReal food.
Real food.
Recognizable ingredients.
Choose food for what it contains—not for the promises on the front of the package.
THE FOOD LENS
What’s really in it?
Select a food to examine the ingredients and find a simple way to bring it to the table.
UNDER THE LENS
Fresh papaya
Ingredients: Papaya.
A whole fruit brings color and texture to a meal. Enjoy the flesh on its own or alongside a simple breakfast.
Bring it to the table
Slice and serve with a bowl of plain oats. Let the fruit provide the sweetness.
SHOP WITH DISCERNMENTBuy more food that needs no label.
Buy more food that needs no label.
Read the labels on the rest.
Read the ingredients
For packaged foods, prefer the shortest list of familiar ingredients that still gives you the food you want. “One or a few ingredients” is a practical guide for comparing similar products. Compare added sugars, sodium, and oils across similar products.
Build a useful pantry
Oats, brown rice, lentils, beans, and frozen vegetables make simple meals possible. A barcode does not cancel a good ingredient list.
A plate with purpose.
Oats & island fruit
Cook plain oats in water. Add papaya or pineapple and a small sprinkle of seeds if desired.
Rice, beans & greens
Combine brown rice, rinsed beans, steamed greens, and chopped tomatoes. Finish with lemon and fresh herbs.
Sweet potato & lentils
Serve a baked sweet potato with cooked lentils and seasonal vegetables. Keep the ingredients simple and the meal satisfying.
A fully plant-based diet needs a reliable vitamin B12 source; discuss your nutritional needs with a qualified clinician or registered dietitian.
“These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing.”
Ellen G. White · The Ministry of Healing, 296.1 (1905)
