Last week, our course instructor gave us a challenge: Go to the grocery store and find at least three foods. Simple, right? But there was a catch--two catches, actually. (1) We may not shop around the edges of the store, which is where most of the produce, dairy, and raw meats are. (2) The food has to be real food.

 I chose to base my definition of "real food" on a few of Michael Pollan's most basic food rules in his appropriately named book, Food Rules. If it is real food...

          ...I can imagine it in its natural state. (Rules 7 and 15)
          ...it contains less than five ingredients. (Rule 6)
          ...sweetener is not one of the top three ingredients. (Rule 5)

Right off the bat, I found something. Everyone's favorite popcorn didn't let me down. Good ole Orville. Ingredients: (white corn) whole grain popping corn, (Original) Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn.

Next up, frozen veggies just like Mom makes them. Ingredients: corn, carrots, peas, and green beans.

While I was strolling the aisles of the nearest grocery store, a pre-recorded store advertisement came on telling customers that even though some people say it's best to shop around the edges of the store, [store name] has plenty of nutritious options on the shelves in the center of the store.  One of those nutritious options was supposedly canned meats, so I headed for the canned food aisle.  After some scrutinizing and a few mysterious mentions of "modified food starch," I found Double "Q" salmon.  Ingredients: red sockeye salmon and salt.

So it's true.  Real food can be found in big name grocery stores.