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Original poster

Ultra-Highly Processed Foods

280 replies

TheRealMBJ · 21/06/2023 21:25

At risk of sounding defensive here but I almost always cook from scratch and very seldom resort to pre-prepared or oven dinners (,maybe once a month)

However, all of this talk recently that demonises Ultra-processed foods is another stick to beat working mothers with.

Sometimes I feel something has to give and I can't always plan, shop, execute a fully cooked from scratch meal every night of the week.

YABU - Get your Arese into Gear woman and organise your life

YANBU - this is just another way to make woman feel guilty. Get the fish fingers out!

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melindalouis · 31/10/2023 07:55

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lavenderlou · 02/07/2023 12:32

Oops,posted too soon.

Trying to work full-time outside the home, ferry kids here,there and everywhere, shop, cook and feed nutritious meals to a family including an ASD very fussy eater while maintaining a budget has sucked all the joy out of food and cooking for me. It is just impossible to balance everything.

I used to love cooking pre-kids and have always been very interested in nutrition and health but now I just can't manage it all. It was ok when my kids were younger and I worked part-time but as they get older there are so many different things going on that some short-cuts have to be taken.

lavenderlou · 02/07/2023 12:27

Trying to work full-time,

Fairislefandango · 02/07/2023 08:22

Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone.

Well no, obviously not. The main thing would be to avoid most UPF foods, especially the ones you tend to eat in large portions / quantities. But if you want to try and cut it out altogether, there's nothing wrong with looking into how to make your own versions of things like sauces, if you've got the time and energy. 'It's not going to kill you' is a fairly low bar for what you choose to eat Grin

lemonchiffonpie · 02/07/2023 00:38

People seem to be confusing "processed" with "ultra-processed". A quick trip to the frozen section of the supermarket might clarify.

Frozen peas, corn - processed. As they are snap frozen, often better than fresh. What is in the package? Peas. Or corn.

Pick up a packet of something else there, a ready meal, turn it over and read the ingredients. If it is a short list that makes sense, with recognisable ingredients, then it may be somewhere in between.

Same with tinned foods.

As the poster said above: Ultra processed = more than 5 ingredients, especially if it includes ingredients you can't buy separately in the supermarket, such as maltodextrin, emulsifiers, hydrogenated anything, xanthan gum, soya lecithin, "flavourings", sweeteners etc etc

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 21:35

"Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone."

A few ready meals won't kill anyone either, but this whole thread is about avoiding highly processed foods.

Poppysmom22 · 01/07/2023 21:26

I always remember a colleague who did a very famous diet and just ate microwave meals from that brand - until her hair fell out through malnourishment.

Poppysmom22 · 01/07/2023 21:24

I take the view that the further it is from it's original state the worse for my health it is. So if I need something quick I tend to pick something stupidly simple to try to minimise the 'damage' so to speak.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 01/07/2023 21:15

I think I've seen a few references to seed oils being a problem on this thread. This article says they're not. UPF foods containing seed oils are a problem because they're UPF, not because seed oils are an issue. https://joinzoe.com/learn/are-seed-oils-bad-for-you

Should You Avoid Seed Oils?

Recently, seed oils have had a bad press. In this article, we’ll debunk the myths and give you our science-backed take on seed oils.

https://joinzoe.com/learn/are-seed-oils-bad-for-you

OMG12 · 01/07/2023 21:14

bellac11 · 01/07/2023 21:09

Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone.

Show quote history

Unless you have a severe mustard allergy

bellac11 · 01/07/2023 21:09

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 20:52

Yes, but making your own is difficult and, as mentioned before, they don't last so most people are likely to be eating processed ones.

Show quote history

Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone.

mydogisthebest · 01/07/2023 21:05

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 20:47

"Why do you need a sauce on a meal?"

Because otherwise it's dry. This is the kind of attitude that gives British cuisine the reputation it has internationally.

I don't find meals dry. I don't understand why so many need a sauce or gravy on their meals. Who wants to eat wet soggy food

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 20:52

bellac11 · 01/07/2023 18:03

Isnt that what condiments are for?

Yes, but making your own is difficult and, as mentioned before, they don't last so most people are likely to be eating processed ones.

Royalbloo · 01/07/2023 20:50

Has anyone seen the Panorama programme?

Aspartame can get in the bin!

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 20:49

" if I did I'm sure I could buy some sauce and add it to the side."

Well that would be processed.

"No one is saying ultra processed foods should be entirely removed"

I'm pretty sure a few people are saying they should be very occasional 'foods' only.

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 20:47

"Why do you need a sauce on a meal?"

Because otherwise it's dry. This is the kind of attitude that gives British cuisine the reputation it has internationally.

Theoldgreygoose · 01/07/2023 20:28

thecatsthecats · 01/07/2023 14:05

The easiest upf free dinner to make, IMO, is steamed salmon or chicken with broccoli, peas and new potatoes.

All goes in the same stacked steamer pan, takes about 20m. Minimal chopping.

Can't really see that being too difficult for a "working mum" or dad to achieve.

Yes of course it is easy, but you can't have it night after night. I try to cook most of my meals at home, but cooking for one is hard enough, and food like this can get very boring, so I buy ready meals sometimes. I also like my fish or chicken (or mince or steak) very well cooked so it all goes in the oven in one form or another.

OMG12 · 01/07/2023 18:16

Nothingbuttheglory · 21/06/2023 22:13

It's quite stressful to work out the extent of UPF. Like if I make a curry with coconut milk that's in a tin is that processed because its not 100% coconut?

There's a big difference between "processed" and "ultra processed".

Processed = pretty much everything apart from raw fresh fruit and veg.

Ultra processed = more than 5 ingredients, especially if it includes ingredients you can't buy separately in the supermarket, such as maltodextrin, emulsifiers, hydrogenated anything, xanthan gum, soya lecithin, "flavourings", sweeteners etc etc

Chances are your coconut milk is absolutely fine.

Thank you for spelling this out so clearly

bellac11 · 01/07/2023 18:03

Isnt that what condiments are for?

808Kate1 · 01/07/2023 17:24

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 14:33

Still needs a sauce imo.

Show quote history

We have steamed salmon a lot with homemade teriyaki or lemon butter and both sauces freeze really well so not much prep needed really.

Royalbloo · 01/07/2023 15:28

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Yes! Or make a sauce.

JogOn123 · 01/07/2023 15:14

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mydogisthebest · 01/07/2023 15:11

Gwenhwyfar · 01/07/2023 10:32

"Grill some chicken breast on the George Foreman for 5 minutes and do some veg."

I have no interest in buying a Goerge Foreman, but even if I did, that is a dry meal with no sauce.

Why do you need a sauce on a meal? Surely meat/fish and potatoes and veg is a fairly standard meal?

We are vegetarian but will often have a home made veggie item such as nut roast/some sort of pie or tart with potatoes and veg. No sauce wanted or needed

WakeMeUpWhenGoodOmensIsBack · 01/07/2023 14:42

Kanaloa · 22/06/2023 07:57

I know people on mumsnet are totally obsessed with food to a worrying extent but in my experience most people just eat normal meals and snacks daily. I think over worrying about every morsel is actually as damaging as anything else. Some people agonise over everything to the point that I’ve seen someone call a mother on here ‘lazy’ for giving her child a ham and cheese toastie, and insist they should have ‘just whipped up’ some salmon and cous cous with sliced avocado. Totally out of touch.

Normal people accept that some foods are processed, and mix them up with fresh foods too. Balance.

"Normal people" in the UK are mostly overweight or obese, because we're living in such an obesogenic environment that in order to stay at a healthy weight you need to be either fortunate with your genes and lifestyle or really vigilant - to an extent that can seem a bit obsessed. It's a tightrope.

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