Everything You Need to Know About The Real Food Movement

This healthy diet alternative has become popular at a time when more and more people are eating lots of processed foods. Obesity rates are high and fast foods lack the nutrients that we need. Let's take a look at the real food movement and see how it can benefit us.
Everything You Need to Know About The Real Food Movement

Last update: 19 October, 2018

You still haven’t heard about the real food movement? It’s one of the latest trends regarding diets and it’s taking over social media networks such as, Instagram or Twitter. If you want to know what it’s about, keep reading and stay informed!

What is the real food movement?

The real food movement is about eating in the healthiest way possible. To do that, the diet is based on eating natural, unprocessed foods.

People who follow the real food movement eat natural foods, that haven’t been modified. They believe that’s the healthiest way to eat and to prevent illnesses.

Healthy fruits and vegetables

The real food movement wants to stand up against the main diets and return to eating the way that people used to, before fast food was even invented.

What’s real food and what isn’t?

The real food movement leans to the consumption of certain types of foods and the rejection of others. ‘Real foods’ are those which are completely natural: fruits, vegetables, legumes, meats and fish. In this diet you can also eat processed foods but only in minimum amounts. Processed foods that you can eat include: chopped, peeled, frozen or canned.

On the other hand, there are certain foods that you can’t eat if you want to follow the real food lifestyle. They’re processed foods, and especially ultra-processed foods. Therefore, people who follow this movement reject ready-to-eat, precooked and unhealthy products.

Why do they reject ultra-processed food?

The main characteristic of the real food movement is the rejection of ultra-processed food. The only foods that this movement allows are those processed in a healthy way, and that still maintain their properties. Some examples of healthy processed foods would be the ones that you can buy peeled, chopped or frozen.

Woman in the real food movement holding an apple

This rejection towards processed food comes from the fact that when manufacturers make these foods, nutrients are lost. At the same time, harmful ingredients are added. An example of this is when you but a meat patty for a hamburger. When the steak was processed, it lost a large part of its nutrients, but the amounts of fats and sugars increased.

This increase in unhealthy ingredients is much larger when we look at the ingredients in a product from a fast-food franchise. The real food movement also looks to educate people about how harmful these types of foods can be. 

In most cases, it may seem that nothing really happens to us when we eat fast or processed foods in general. However, the consequences for our bodies can be very negative. This movement aims to eliminate fast and processed foods.

How many people follow this movement?

We must clarify that the real food lifestyle is not a diet. It’s a healthy lifestyle that goes beyond eating, and that’s also concerned with sustainability and the environment.

In a society where ultra-processed foods, miracle diets and fast food are abundant, it’s good news that real foods are finally starting to grow in popularity.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.