Looking closely at the back of a pouch of Blue Oatmilk, you may have noticed the phrase "made from whole plant foods”. We believe the food we eat has the power to nourish, heal, and inspire. That’s why we celebrate whole plant foods, not just as ingredients, but as building blocks for a better world.
So, what exactly are whole plant foods? We follow Dr. Michael Greger’s definition: minimally processed foods with nothing bad added and nothing good taken away. That means foods that are as close as possible to their natural form like beans, fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains. The healthiest of these foods are also grown without toxic chemical inputs as we discuss in our Organic & Beyond blog post.
When we consume whole plant foods we absorb a synergy of nutrients that get their magic from being together in their natural form. Studies have shown that essential vitamins and minerals can actually become harmful when isolated and concentrated as dietary supplements.1 While whole plant foods are great on their own, they can be even better together. For example, pairing iron rich foods like legumes and leafy greens with vitamin c packed fruits and veggies is known to improve iron absorption.
Amazingly, a whole plant food lifestyle has been scientifically proven to prevent and reverse the 15 leading causes of premature death in America and significantly improve long-term quality of life for people of all ages.2 On the other hand, quantity and quality of life are consistently diminished by the Standard American Diet.2
Whole plant foods also play an essential role in brain health. Science shows that a whole plant food lifestyle can improve memory, reduce risk of cognitive decline, and lower rates of depression.3 That’s because these foods are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that reduce inflammation and help support brain function.
Most commercially available oat milk is made by stripping off the outer bran layer of the oat, removing many of the nutrients that make oats so healthy in the first place. Added oils, gums, and emulsifiers are also commonly used to enhance texture and shelf life.
To create our Blue Oatmilk, we use only USDA Organic whole plant foods. Instead of refined oats and questionable additives, we use whole grain oats alongside whole ground dates and butterfly pea flowers. That’s it!
Despite the remarkable benefits of whole plant foods, most people in the United States, including us, grew up eating the Standard American Diet rich in meat, cheese, and other processed foods. This diet often treats whole plant foods as an afterthought rather than the ideal source of healthy nutrition. It can feel scary and uncomfortable to question our cultural conditioning and learn how to make healthier choices.
As we work to enjoy more whole plant foods, it is important to recognize that this project is not all or nothing. Rather, a whole plant food lifestyle serves as a healthy orientation point we can reference while navigating the practical challenges of daily life. Every journey begins with a single step, and every meal presents a new opportunity to nourish and heal.
Following this approach has led us to discover new varieties of whole grains, legumes, and fruits that have become favorites in our kitchen. Since we’ve started using a pressure cooker, meal prep often requires fewer minutes of active work with consistently delicious results. Other resources that are helping us along the way include excellent whole plant food recipes like those found at nutritionfacts.org4 and plantdiego.com5.
In our experience, learning to integrate more whole plant foods is a process that becomes positively reinforcing as it unfolds. The more we eat, the better we feel, and the more inspired we are to keep the cycle going.
We invite you to join us in enjoying more whole plant foods, one bite at a time.
Love always,
David & Kassidy
1) Food synergy: an operational concept for understanding nutrition LINK
2) How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM
3) Dietary fiber intake, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies LINK
4) Whole Plant Food Recipes LINK
5) PlantDiego Recipe eBooks LINK
