Alice's Notes
Written by Alice Benedetto, RN — Founder of Raw Rev
Published: June 25, 2026
Real food, meaning whole or minimally processed ingredients with recognizable labels, can support steadier energy, digestion, and recovery by delivering nutrients in a whole-food matrix. Alice Benedetto, RN and founder of Raw Rev, breaks down what the science says about whole food nutrition, what World Cup athletes like Erling Haaland remind us about food, and how to apply the same principle at home.
In this article:
- What “real food” actually means and what it does not
- How the whole-food matrix can affect nutrient absorption and use
- What elite athlete nutrition has in common with everyday healthy eating
- How to read a food label the way a nurse would
- A simple plant-based green smoothie inspired by the green smoothie Haaland has shared
One of my favorite things about the World Cup is the pageantry of it all. The flags, the anthems, the families in the stands, the pride people feel watching their country play. It is such a beautiful reminder that sport, culture, and food are all deeply connected.
I have also loved seeing visitors from all over the world experience the U.S. during this tournament. Food is always part of the celebration.
I was watching Norway’s match against Senegal on Monday night, and like everyone else, I could not help but notice Erling Haaland.
Four goals in two matches is hard to ignore. He is one of those athletes who makes the extraordinary look almost simple. But what stayed with me was not only the goals. It was something Haaland said when he was asked about his nutrition.
“The answer is quite short, to be honest, and simple: real food.”
He is right.
Haaland went on to explain that he tries to eat foods that are real, with as few ingredients as possible. And while this was coming from one of the best athletes in the world, it did not sound like a complicated performance secret. It sounded like common sense, the kind of common sense we somehow keep having to rediscover.
In Short
Real food means whole or minimally processed ingredients your body can use in their natural context, foods like greens, fruit, seeds, nuts, oats, legumes, and simple proteins. The benefit is not that every meal has to be perfect. It is that whole foods provide nutrients in a matrix that highly processed products and isolated supplements do not always replicate. The easiest place to start is the ingredient list: look at what comes first, what is doing the real work, and whether the food still makes sense without the marketing on the front.
What I Mean by Real Food
As a nurse, a mom, a raw food-trained chef, and the founder of a food company, I have spent years thinking about what food actually does in the body. Not from a trend standpoint, but from a practical one. What happens when people eat mostly real food versus mostly highly processed food? What happens to energy, digestion, inflammation, and recovery over time?
When I say real food, I am not talking about perfection. I am not talking about never eating anything packaged, never having dessert, or following a rigid set of rules. I am talking about coming back to foods and ingredients the body already knows how to use.
A helpful way to think about this is the difference between foods that are simply prepared and foods that are heavily reformulated. Harvard’s Nutrition Source explains food processing as a spectrum, from minimally processed foods like washed vegetables or frozen fruit to ultra-processed foods that may be made mostly from extracted substances, additives, flavorings, colors, sweeteners, and stabilizers.
That distinction matters. A food can be packaged and still be simple. Frozen blueberries are packaged. Rolled oats are packaged. Hemp hearts come in a bag. That does not make them the same as a product built from gums, refined starches, artificial flavors, sugar alcohols, isolates, and sweeteners.
This is why I always come back to the ingredient list. The front of a package can say almost anything: high protein, low sugar, keto, plant-based, natural, clean, energy, recovery, wellness. But the ingredient list tells the quieter truth.
Can you recognize what is in it? Would you cook with those ingredients at home? Do the first few ingredients sound like food? That is not a perfect test, but it is a very good place to start.
What Real Food Actually Does in the Body
Here is something that surprises people when I explain it as an RN: the Nutrition Facts label tells you what a food contains, but it does not tell you exactly how your body will digest, absorb, and use those nutrients. The food itself matters. The form matters. The other compounds present in the food matter.
Researchers often refer to this as the food matrix. A 2020 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition explains that micronutrient bioavailability from complex foods depends on interactions among nutrients and other food components. In plain language, food is more than the sum of its parts.
A cup of spinach is not just a delivery system for one vitamin or mineral. It contains water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and naturally occurring plant compounds that exist together inside a whole food. A powder, extract, or fortified product may contain some of those nutrients, but it does not automatically recreate the full complexity of the plant.
This is what I mean when I say the body recognizes real food. Not in a mystical way. In a practical, biological one.
That does not mean every supplement is useless. It does not mean every packaged food is bad. And it does not mean processing is always harmful. Cooking, freezing, grinding, blending, and packaging can all have a place. But it does mean we should be honest about the difference between a whole food and a product designed to imitate one.
Whole foods bring nutrients in context. Highly processed products often try to rebuild that context with isolated ingredients, additives, sweeteners, flavors, fibers, protein isolates, or fortified nutrients. Sometimes that can be useful. But it is not the same thing as eating real food consistently.
That is not a wellness trend. That is physiology.
Why Elite Athletes Often Come Back to the Basics
I do not pretend that the average person needs to eat like an elite athlete. Professional athletes have demands most of us do not have. Their training, recovery, travel, hydration, supplementation, and calorie needs can be highly specific.
Haaland’s own diet is one elite athlete’s highly personalized routine built around extraordinary physical demands. Reports about his routine have included foods like meat, organ meats, milk, and raw milk. That is not something most people need to copy, and some parts of that routine, especially raw milk, carry real food-safety risks. The CDC warns that raw milk can expose people to germs including Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella, and the FDA has also warned that unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria.
But the philosophy underneath Haaland’s answer is useful, and it belongs to everyone.
Real food. Fewer ingredients. Less reliance on products that need marketing to explain why they are good for you.
What I think is worth listening to is what the best athletes come back to when they are asked about food. Not the sponsored version. Not the logo on the bottle. Not the product placement. The simple answer.
Real food eaten consistently, before school, after practice, during a long workday, on a summer afternoon when it is easier to grab something processed, does something steady and cumulative. It gives the body nutrients in a form it knows how to use.
Most people are not trying to score in a World Cup. They are trying to get through a workday without crashing. They are trying to feed their kids something that will hold them over. They are trying to exercise, sleep better, feel less bloated, or stop feeling like every snack leaves them hungry again an hour later.
That is where real food matters. Not because it is glamorous. Because it is reliable.
A Simple Way to Read a Label
One of the most practical things clinical practice taught me has nothing to do with a procedure or a protocol. It is this: most people do not know how to read a food label, and front-of-package marketing often counts on that confusion.
I usually start with the ingredient list before I look at the nutrition panel. The nutrition panel matters, but it does not tell the whole story. Two products can both say “10 grams of protein” or “low sugar” and be completely different foods.
Here are the questions I like to ask:
Do I recognize the ingredients? Are the first few ingredients actual foods? Is the sweetness coming from something understandable, or is it hiding behind several different names? Are there sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, gums, dyes, or flavors doing most of the work? Would this food still make sense without the marketing on the front?
The Nutrition Facts panel can be helpful. It shows calories, fiber, protein, added sugars, and other nutrients in a standardized way. Added sugars are listed in grams and as a percent Daily Value, but Total Sugars does not have a Daily Value because total sugar includes both naturally occurring sugars, like those in fruit or milk, and sugars added during processing. To me, that is exactly why the ingredient list matters so much. A number can be useful, but it does not always tell you whether sweetness is coming from whole fruit, a small amount of maple syrup, or several forms of added sugar doing most of the work.
But the ingredient list tells a different kind of truth. Ingredients are listed in order by weight, from most to least, which means the first few ingredients usually tell you what the food is really built on. If oats, nuts, seeds, or fruit come first, that tells one story. If sweeteners, refined starches, oils, gums, or protein isolates come first, that tells another. And if the ingredient being advertised on the front of the package — collagen, greens, adaptogens, or some “brain-support” blend — is buried near the end, it may be more of a marketing hook than the heart of the food.
For the full breakdown of what sugar alcohols and other common additives actually do inside the body, I covered it in detail in “What’s Actually in Your Protein Bar?” and “Are Vegan Protein Bars Healthier Than Regular Ones?”
This is not about being rigid or anxious about food. It is about knowing what you are choosing.
And sometimes the simplest choice is also the best one.
The Recipe — And Why Each Ingredient Earns Its Place
Haaland has shared a simple green smoothie he drinks, made with milk, spinach, and kale. I love that because it follows the same principle: recognizable ingredients, blended simply, without trying to turn real food into something complicated.
Here is my plant-based version. Same real-food principle, whole ingredients, nothing that needs a label to explain itself.
Alice’s Real-Food Green Smoothie
My plant-based take on what the world’s best athletes already know
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients
1 cup fresh spinach
½ cup kale, stems removed
1 frozen banana
3 tablespoons hemp hearts, or chia seeds — see note below
½ cup unsweetened oat milk or almond milk
½ cup coconut water, no added sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Ice to taste
Optional: 1 scoop plant-based protein powder — pea or brown rice base, five ingredients or fewer on the label.
Instructions
Add everything to a blender. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds until smooth. Add ice and blend briefly if you want it cold. Drink immediately.
Why These Ingredients
Spinach and kale — These leafy greens bring vitamins, minerals, fiber, water, and plant compounds in a whole-food form. The NIH notes that green leafy vegetables are the primary dietary source of vitamin K, and spinach and kale are both excellent examples. No greens supplement automatically replicates the full complexity of the whole plant. The fiber, water content, texture, and co-occurring phytonutrients are part of what makes food food.
Hemp hearts — Hemp hearts are a simple, one-ingredient way to add plant-based protein and a slightly nutty flavor. Research on hemp seed nutrition notes that hemp protein contains all essential amino acids, and three tablespoons of hemp hearts generally provide about 9 to 10 grams of protein, depending on the brand. They are also easy to find at most grocery stores.
Chia seeds — Chia seeds are a good alternative if you want more thickness and fiber. Harvard’s Nutrition Source notes that chia seeds contain fiber, protein, unsaturated fat, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. They thicken the smoothie if it sits for a few minutes, which some people love and some people do not. Either hemp hearts or chia works — use what you have.
Coconut water — Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes, especially potassium. Mayo Clinic notes that coconut water contains electrolytes including potassium, sodium, and manganese. That does not mean it is magic, and it does not replace every sports drink for every athlete. But for an everyday smoothie, it is a simple real-food ingredient that brings flavor and minerals without added sugar. Read the label and make sure it says nothing else.
Frozen banana — Banana adds natural sweetness, potassium, and the texture that makes this feel like something you actually want to drink. Healthy food still needs to taste good.
Maple syrup — Maple syrup is optional, but a teaspoon can balance the greens. I would rather use a small amount of something recognizable than hide behind something that sounds healthy but is still another processed sweetener under a different name.
Optional protein powder — If you want more protein post-workout, add a scoop. Look for a pea or brown rice base, five ingredients or fewer, and words you recognize. If you cannot pronounce something, put it back.
Alice’s Prep Notes
Freeze the banana the night before for a thicker, colder smoothie without diluting it with ice. Cut the kale into smaller pieces before blending so it catches the blade more evenly. If coconut water is not available, filtered water works. Less sweet, still clean.
FAQ: Real Food, Athlete Nutrition, and Food Labels
What does “real food” mean?
Real food usually means whole or minimally processed ingredients that are recognizable and close to their natural form, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oats, legumes, and simple proteins.
Are all processed foods unhealthy?
No. Processing exists on a spectrum. Frozen fruit, rolled oats, nut butter, and washed greens are processed in practical ways but can still be simple, nutrient-dense foods. The bigger concern is ultra-processed foods built mostly from refined starches, sweeteners, oils, gums, flavors, colors, and isolated additives.
Why should I read the ingredient list before the Nutrition Facts panel?
The Nutrition Facts panel gives useful numbers, but the ingredient list tells you what the food is actually made from. Ingredients are listed from most to least by weight, so the first few ingredients usually reveal the foundation of the product.
What does Erling Haaland eat?
Haaland has spoken about eating real, quality foods with fewer ingredients. Reports about his diet include meat, organ meats, milk, and a simple green smoothie with milk, spinach, and kale. His full routine is built for elite athletic demands and is not something most people need to copy exactly.
Is coconut water a replacement for sports drinks?
Not always. Coconut water contains potassium and other electrolytes, but it may not replace the sodium or carbohydrate needs of every athlete or every workout. In an everyday smoothie, it can be a simple, no-added-sugar ingredient that adds flavor and minerals.
Real Food Does Not Mean Perfect Food
Real food does not mean perfect food.
It does not mean every meal has to be homemade. It does not mean you can never eat something from a package. It does not mean your child’s snack, your airport meal, or your busy-day lunch has to pass some impossible purity test.
Food should not become another source of stress.
To me, real food is a foundation. It is the place you return to. It is the habit of choosing the simpler option when you can. It is knowing that a handful of greens, a frozen banana, a few seeds, and coconut water can become something nourishing in five minutes.
That kind of confidence is powerful. Because once you understand the basics, you are less easily pulled in by every new trend, every new claim, and every new product that needs a long explanation to justify itself.
For one of the best strikers in the world, the answer was remarkably uncomplicated. Not a protocol. Not a product. Just real food, fewer ingredients, and trust in what the body already knows how to do with it.
Most of us already believe this somewhere. We just need a reminder every now and then, and sometimes the clearest reminder comes not from a label, a trend, or a marketing claim, but from a 25-year-old Norwegian scoring goals on the world’s biggest stage.
If you want snacks built on the same principle, no sugar alcohols, no artificial sweeteners, and no long ingredient list to decode, Raw Rev’s plant-based protein bars are a place to start. Clean ingredients, transparent label, nothing pretending to be more than it is.
Until next time,
About the Author
Alice Benedetto, RN founded Raw Rev in 2004 because she couldn't find a single honest snack for her son. She holds her RN and spent years in clinical practice before bringing that training into the kitchen. A trained vegan chef, runner, and mom of two, she's spent over two decades obsessively sourcing clean ingredients and proving that plant-based food can be extraordinary.
Raw Rev isn't a brand. Raw Rev is Alice.
Educational note: This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. If you have a medical condition, food allergy, or specific dietary need, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
