The Sustainable Couple: TWO WEEKS. UNPROCESSED.

It's been 14 days since we embarked on this challenge to eat no processed food. That's 14 days of no ranch dressing, no tortilla chips, no pre-made sauces or processed canned goods.

It was hard. Very hard, at times. And I won't lie - I didn't make it some days. There was the afternoon that I bought a Tear and Share bag of peanut M&M's. And the afternoon that I had one of the most delicious burgers of my life, followed by a gourmet cupcake.

So, yes, I didn't complete the challenge to 100% accuracy. But you know what did happen? I lost 9 pounds. I feel better. My digestive system is regulated. I had more energy (after about 2 days of exhaustion at first).

What was the hardest part about the challenge?

Dining out with friends and deciphering the menu
Carefully planning meals to not include processed items
Finding alternatives for our favorite processed foods
Fighting the mid-day snack urges
Keeping healthy snacks on hand
Preparing for the week by doing food prep

What will we keep doing?

John wants to eat less bread, especially commercially produced bread products
I'd like to go through my spice drawer and toss old spice blends that aren't 100% natural or organic
Being intentional about meal planning to include as little processed items as possible
Dining out only once every two weeks, avoiding any restaurant that has a drive-thru window
Eat in season to stretch our dollar
Shopping Aldi's organic section and New Pioneer Food Co-op

The challenge may be done, but the awesomeness isn't over! We still have a giveaway going on for Iowa's Tiny Popcorn and Simply Organic paprika. Enter to win using the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for bloggers and sites to earn advertising fees by promoting and linking to Amazon properties. Rest assured that I only link to products that I use, recommend, or covet :) Clicking on or purchasing something I have recommended from Amazon does NOT increase or impact your cost in any way.