Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and of course refined as little as possible before being consumed.

Often confused with so-called "organic food" (i.e., organically-grown food), whole foods aren't necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole, although they do share a number of traits, such as an avoidance of chemically-assisted agricultural techniques. Because of the lack of even basic, organically-acceptable processing, many whole foods have a very short shelf life and are not easily sold outside of farmers' markets.

Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; organically garden-grown fruits and vegetables; and non-homogenized milk. For some, it is preferable to eat whole foods raw to obtain the maximum nutritional benefit.

Similarly, extracts, teas, oils, etc., that fall under this definition are considered from whole foods sources.

(Adapted from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)