100 Mile Harvest Guiding Principles

On Monday, May 11, 2009, our family started the second phase of 100 Mile Harvest. Though we will remain locavores, we will transition from an omnivore diet to a vegetarian lifestyle. The principles will remain the same; we will be eating primarily local, organic/sustainably grown produce while avoiding all processed food, including refined and artificial sweeteners, white flour, white rice, corn, and any products that contain them.

To ease into vegetarianism, our family agreed to re-introduce a list of nutritional items that we have missed and will make the transition easier. We call this list the Survival Kit. Every item was studied and discussed carefully, not only for its nutritional value, but for it's "desirability index." Items were added by family consensus. We agreed that any products in the Survival Kit would have to be organic, sustainable and fair-trade.

Guiding Principles

• Eat whole, unprocessed food


• Eat mostly local, organic and/or sustainably grown fruits, vegetables and legumes


• Eat organic oats and quinoa


• Eat organic, raw nuts


• Eat eggs and dairy from pasture-fed animals


• Use low-glycemic, plant-based sweeteners (stevia and raw agave nectar)


• Use coconut oil for high-heat cooking and olive oil for salad dressings

Things we will avoid:

• Commercially canned, processed, frozen and prepackaged foods


• Refined sweeteners such as sugar, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup


• White flour, white flour products, white rice and corn products


• Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats and oils


• Genetically modified foods


• Artificial food coloring and additives

See our 2nd year rules.