"A new awareness for a better quality of life, health and the environment is increasingly drawing consumers to organic foods."
For Christmas 1997, I was given: "Organic & Wholefoods" by Culinaria Konemann; a German publication that presents beautiful recipes, ingredients and information around the culture of organic farming. Inside the book, was a wonderful diagram of a whole cereal grain accompanied by a list of its essential nutrients.
the issue of whole food
Here was such a perfect food that contained all essential nutrients that the body needed for a slow & steady source of energy. However, for most of us, the closest we come to eating wholegrain food is via a diet of refined bread, polished grains & processed pasta. We tend to get by on limited nutrients which simply don't provide us with the proteins, essential fatty acids, b-complex vitamins & highly valuable oils which are found in organic wholefoods.
Advocates of wholefood claim that up to:
| Rice | Wheat |
| 90% calcium | 86% vitamin E |
| 5% protein | 90% B vitamins |
| 0% B vitamin | 78% potassium & phosphorous |
are removed from these grains in their refinement.
the issue of organic and biodynamic food
As a Practice:
While we do not know the long-term impact of preservatives & chemicals in our food we do know that children, in particular, are suffering more food intolerances and allergies. If poisonous sprays are being fed to the soil & plants to deter & kill living organisms, what effect does that have on the living organisms that live inside us?
Organic and biodynamic food arises from farming practices that do not use chemical fertilisers or pesticides. These practices instead aim to nurture and improve soil fertility by way of crop rotation, composts and animal manures so that the food grown can reach its maximum nutritional value. Organic and biodynamic food arises from farming practices that do not use chemical fertilisers or pesticides. These practices instead aim to nurture and improve soil fertility by way of crop rotation, composts and animal manures so that the food grown can reach its maximum nutritional value.
As a Philosophy:
ORGANIC and BIODYNAMIC are words that penetrate at a deep level for converted consumers and producers. They express a philosophy towards our health, the health of our family and the health of the planet. When we buy organic and biodynamic produce we are investing in a more holistic view of life.
realgoodfood
So, with the idea of returning organic wholefoods to our diet in an enticing way, realgoodfood began. Starting with a range of organic bread mixes, roasted seed mixes, cake mixes & cereals our aim was to offer people clean WHOLEfood with FLAVOUR. We did not want the food to be labelled "health" food, "low fat" food or "diet" food but clean food with taste. Our roasted cereal, for example, contains no oils, refined sugars or salts but draws its flavour from the natural sweeteners honey, pear juice, barley malt, orange & vanilla.
realgoodfood
With the birth of my daughter Eliza in 2001 we expanded with realbabyfood: a range of pure, whole grain baby cereals: rice cereals, creamy oat cereal and a baby “bircher muesli” muesli. Wholegrain food is a perfectly balanced food for growing bodies and together with fresh fruit, vegetables, animal protein, seeds & nuts they help form the building blocks a child’s life. Paul Pitchford in his book: "Healing with Wholefoods" suggests that 40 – 60% of a child’s diet consist of wholegrain food. Suitable grains include oats, brown rice, polenta, quinoa & millet. Realbabyfood is one of the few baby food companies in Australia producing PURE organic & biodynamic WHOLEfood for babies.
realgoodfood - now
Eleven years on, we are now producing the best range of certified organic & biodynamic wholefood products in Australia. Our range includes: wholegrain cereals, porridges, seed mixes, snack packs, flourless cake mixes, and baby cereals - putting the business at the forefront of the food movement in Australia. We remain committed to the philosophy or working with organic wholefoods - of using ingredients that contain essential nutrients and flavour. The Ingredients are sourced from organic & biodynamic farmers around the Country and we proudly display our ingredients used on the front of the packaging in large print.
Here's a list of a few books that I can highly recommend
- Laugh with health by Manfred Koch
- Healing with Wholefoods by Paul Pitchford
- Organic baby & toddler foods by Amanda Grant
- Organic & Wholefoods: naturally delicious cuisine by Culinaria