Q: What exactly is a whole food and how does it differ from a processed food?

A: A whole food can best be described as one that has undergone minimal processing. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good examples of whole foods that have not been altered at all. Other examples include grains like 100% whole wheat flour that have been minimally processed but retain the parts of the grain that have the greatest nutritional value. By contrast, "all purpose" white flour is a highly processed food that has been stripped of it's natural nutritional value.