The 5 Ingredient "rule"

When it comes to what kinds of food you buy at the grocery store there are a lot of opinions. Some people feel you shouldn't buy food with ingredients on the label you can't pronounce. Some people are anti processed food at all (a lovely idea but not always realistic). Or my personal favorite - the 5 ingredient "rule". This is as simple as its sounds- don't buy food with more than 5 ingredients on the food label. This simple to follow rule eliminates most junk food from your diet. This particular rule is a nice way to still be able to indulge in treats like chips and ice cream but make sure you're eating the healthiest versions you can. 

I totally get it that in alot of people's busy day to day lives grocery shopping is more of a hassle than anything else and the thought of taking the extra time to read through each ingredient on the food label of what you're buying just isn't realistic. Until one day you make the time and realize the "go-to" chip you've been getting for years now has over 15 ingredients on the nutrition label! If you take the extra time on one grocery trip and analyze a few other options you'll easily find a new "go-to" chip with under 5 ingredients. You'll even find some chips with as little as 2 ingredients- potatoes and oil! 

If you're interested in digging a little deeper there's a few ingredients you'll find in 5 ingredient or less foods that you want to avoid regardless-

-hydrogenated anything

-mono sodium glutamate 

-high fructose corn syrup

I personally don't stress about the protein, fiber and fat contents on ingredient labels because I know my diet contains an abundance of fresh produce and healthy fats and proteins to supply my body what it needsnutrient wise. Overall the 5 ingredient rule is designed to make it easier to make healthy food choices while not taking up too much time researching everything on the food label.