The Savage Palate

Here's the plan. It's sloppy, but this is an invent-as-you-go kind of project.

All Natural: I will eat all natural foods for one year. I will not eat any food with artificial ingredients or additives.

Minimally Processed: What I eat will be as minimally processed as possible. Since I don't really know what processed means, I will get back to you on what that looks like.

Focus on the Ingredients: Instead of looking at packaging design or even nutrition facts, I will focus mainly on the ingredients label when buying food. If I don't know what an ingredient is that's in my food (such as soy lecithin, which has come up a lot so far), I'll research it and post my findings on this blog. Then I'll decide whether that ingredient makes the cut. This may seem arbitrary, but I'm committed to doing my own research and not following a particular diet, and hoping it turns out somewhat cohesively in the end.

Cooking vs. Raw: I will include copious amounts of uncooked fruits and vegetables in my diet. But I make no promises to "go raw," as cooked food feels warm and pleasant in my tummy. And I love baking. What's most important is what exactly is IN the food.

Exceptions: I will make exceptions to this plan for situations in which the food selection is beyond my control, such as if I am in the woods and need to survive on hardtack and s'mores (unlikely), or situations in which my food scrupules would cause social strain, such as ordering restaurant food or receiving food as a gift (likely).

Today is December 21, 2009. So this project will last until December 21, 2010. On this blog, I will report ingredient research, food choices (and, sniffle, sacrifices), workable recipes, and observable health changes.

Bon appetit!