April 14 -23, 2026
Join our Irish Adventure!
GráBia
Food Tour of Ireland
A small-group culinary journey through Ireland’s most delicious regions — from artisan bread and cheesemakers to cozy village pubs.
Allowables and exceptions:
Let’s start with the positives, it’s about what we should be eating, right!
- Any and all fresh fruit and vegetables from the produce department*
- Frozen fruit and veg (no sugar added)
- Fresh meat, chicken, fish and seafood
- Whole wheat and whole grain flours
- Dried beans and lentils
- Whole wheat pasta (this is one of our ‘boxed’ exceptions)
- Brown and wild rice
- Canned tomatoes
- Canned coconut milk (not light, yuck)
- Soup stocks – low/no-sodium boxed (I like Kitchen Basics brand)- But I really prefer homemade.
- Frozen fruit (stock up on your favs)
- Honey
- Dried fruit (be sure to check for sugar, most have added sugar)
- Soy sauce
- Oils (olive, walnut, grapeseed, toasted sesame, canola)
- Vinegars (add a great spark to finished dished and they are good for your gut)
- Corn tortillas
- Milk
- Cheese (minimally processed cheese, no American, pre-sliced or shredded, buy a block, always)
- Eggs
- Lots and lots of water
- Coffee and tea (no pre-sweetened tea)
- Dark chcolate (another exception)
- Condiments ((this is an exception kept to limited use)
- Pizza (ha! Gotcha, didn’t I. We WILL make our own, yes-siree!)
*(preferably in season, although tough in our chilly climate, I know! You can purchase many lettuces and greens -even tomatoes- that are grown locally, year round!)
Non-allowables:
(you can make up your own guidelines. If you need guidance, shoot me an email)
- White (or brown) sugar, use honey or real maple syrup instead
- Bleached flour, just don’t. White whole wheat is a great substitute
- Bromated (also called Potassium Bromate) flours (additive that makes dough more elastic, and it’s not good for us, most countries except the US have banned it)
- Store bought bread (Breadsmith and Great Harvest or homemade and sourdoughs with good flour are okay, they don’t use the additives listed above)
- Sugar replacements (Splenda, stevia etc.)
- Store bought chips
- White flour tortillas
- Canned prepared soups and sauces
- Canned beans (unless rinsed and drained, which will remove up to 40% of their sodium, but let’s try and go with dried this month)
- Cured meats (sausages, hot dogs, brats, ham or cold-cuts) no nitrates or nitrites
- Frozen dinners and pizzas
- Salad dressings (except SaladGirl, no kidding, Pams dressings are local, organic and contain zero junk, approved. Great flavors too!) – I’ll also supply some delicious recipes
- Jarred pasta sauces
- Fast food
- Eating out in general (they load on the salt), choose a restaurant with super fresh options
- Nothing out of a box (crackers, rice side-dishes, cookies, energy bars)
- No fast food
- Soda
- ‘Energy’ and ‘Sports’ drinks
- “Energy’ bars
- Make it work for you (like, I’m going to eat dark chocolate)
Do not deprive yourself, eat to feel satisfied, but don’t over-do it.
More recipes coming soon!
Are you up for the challenge? 30-days, with no processed foods. We can do it…together!
You might be saying ’easy for you’, but truthfully, I struggle with this too. Sometimes it’s so easy to pop a frozen pizza in the oven for my daughter, then we also eat it! The main cause of this is poor planning and lack of prep early in the week. You don’t need a fancy kitchen or fancy tools, just some basic knowledge to eat clean for 30 days. Note: I am not a dietician, nor do I claim to be. This is not about weight loss (although, we just may lose some!) or a cleanse or converting you to veganism, or anything like that. It’s about eating and feeling better, finding balance. That I can guarantee.
Did you know, in a typical American diet, 75% of all sodium consumed comes from processed and restaurant foods?
We will gain a better understanding of what we eat on a day to day basis, and it’s about getting down to basics – being mindful of what we put in our bodies. The challenge is nothing out of a box (there will be a few exceptions), nothing from a drive-through or snack bar, and we will choose our restaurants with care and keep those to a minimum. I also want this to work for you. We’ll start January 5th, no reason to put the pressure on right away, right? If we set some realistic goals, we are more apt to follow through.Stop in at my one-hour workshop next Saturday: *FULL*
- General meal plans and recipes will be given every week
- Free downloadable meal plan guide
Do you read labels? Can you pronounce some of those ingredients? Do you know what they are? Is it grown in the ground or in a factory? Those are some questions to ask yourself. During this week before we start, I’d like you to start reading labels on packages right in your own cabinets. Don’t believe the claims on a lot of packaging – those granola bars (check out my granola recipe here) are loaded with extra sodium, those crackers have too much processed sugar, and so on and so on.
One of my favorite quotes is from Michael Pollen ‘Eat foods that rot’ (not eat rotten food, you see the difference, right!?). Because if that loaf of bread stays ‘fresh’ in the cupboard for more than a few days, without molding, you know it’s loaded with preservatives.
Here’s how we’ll do it:
Join me for no-processed food January (and a little into February). I’ll supply shopping lists and menus with lots of meal ideas for that week. You supply the feedback, and we’ll work on it together. Day by day – eating whole food, real food – starting from their original state, as much as possible. Start by coming to my workshop next week, but you need to sign-up here, limited space avaiable. You can also follow along by following my blog, I’ll be adding recipes and info regularly.
More info and recipes soon, stay tuned.