To think it's impossible to eat a UPF free diet as an ordinary person?

Actually, comments like yours are mad.
Different cultures have different lived experiences.

Millions of people across the world eat mostly UPF free cheaply. This thread is mad.

I'm pretty sure the guy that wrote Ultra Processed People has a similar view. Do what you can.
I'm not finished the book yet, lol, so I may be talokng out of my ass, but he strikes me as being someone who'd say"whatever you are able to do within the constraints of your lifestyle/budget, etc, is better than nothing ".

Well I wouldn’t be losing sleep over
a stock cube anyway.

Mm. Would that be a far more profitable liquid version of their upf stock cubes, I wonder? 🤔

I’ll probably pass. Probably.

I cook almost everything from scratch but, accepting that I also have a full-time job, ive just let some things go. For example, I make chicken stock by the gallon, but have accepted that beef OXO are a necessary evil because we dont eat enough beef on the bone to provide the bare bones (lol) for stock-making.

Definitely.
We don't have markets, farm shops, Asian stores, or most of the supermarkets that most folk are used to.
We do have a few small (by normal standards) supermarkets, and local (pricey) shops - there is good quality local produce but it's definitely not cheap!
I do miss the variety of shops present in areas I've lived in previously.

Not sure why you’re finding this hard op. I
work full time and pretty much manage it with little effort. That said I don’t lose sleep over the odd stock cube.

They’ve introduced UPF broth now.

💯% agree with this. Just do what you can when you can, and try not to compare it to others.

There’s a massive difference between processed and ultra processed. Chopping a cucumber is processing.

According to AI:

Yes, Kallo stock cubes are considered ultra-processed foods (UPFs)because they typically contain ingredients such as potato starch, sustainable palm fat, and yeast extract, which undergo industrial processing and are often considered a marker of ultra-processing under the NOVA classification. While Kallo promotes their products as being free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, the presence of these industrial ingredients places them in the ultra-processed category, according to food researchers and the ultra-processed food community.

They’re my cube of choice and I don’t think one a week will kill me.

Why am I still here talking about stock cubes? This is just like that thread the other day about the cost of living that was just pages of arguing about the cost of bar soap vs liquid handwash 😆

Might help, but I do it from Lidl no problem.

I’m in a London suburb with a couple of terrific Turkish / Asian groceries nearby, where I go for fruit, veg & all the herbs & spices I could ever need - I’m not sure if spices are UPF but they definitely make my cooking more interesting.

Does it depend where you live? I’ve got at least 5 fabulous farm shops in my local area. I tend to cook like my Granny did in Autumn and Winter.

We eat pretty much UPF free. We have a few severe allergies in the house that means almost everything is cooked from scratch, so it’s less a conscious decision to avoid UPF, and more a side effect of a lot of pre-made food being unsuitable.
We don’t specifically aim for UPF-free, so the odd thing will be UPF, and that doesn’t bother me. But I think bread is the only UPF thing we buy regularly.

Are kallo stock cubes UPF?

The answer, as it always is - it is if you choose to make it cheaper.

For non-vegetarians, a good way to cut the cost of baking cakes, pastry etc is to use half butter, half lard. It's not just a cost-cutting measure - you may find you get lighter pastry and sponges that way.

Never heard of this - sounds interesting. Will have a go.

And thank you @Bulbsbulbsbulbs for the suggestion of using a potato peeler to get thin homemade crisps. Another I'm going to try!

@MyHealthyMission You can also make a quick, healthier version of jam as and when you need it (should keep in the fridge for a week or 2).

I don't measure as such, but it's roughly:

1 cup of diced fruit or berries (frozen or fresh)
1-2 Tablespoon of chia seeds, depending on how thick you like your jam, and what fruit you're using (frozen has more water that'll need absorbing)
1tsp lemon juice
Bit of honey to sweeten, if wanted (I don't often bother)
Any spices, I sometimes add cinnamon and other Christmas's spices

Cook the fruit in a pan, with a tiny bit of water, if needed, (and any spices if wanted), until it starts to break down. Take off heat. Mash up if preferred. Add chia seeds and lemon juice. Stir well and leave to cool. Stir again and store in sterilised jars in the fridge, or serve immediately. Lasts a week or 2 in the fridge.

I make HM pizza, quiches chips/wedges, some breads, some sweet treats, but having no access to mains gas and having to pay more for electricity makes the oven quite pricey to run. I do use the airfryer for some things - I'm not convinced it bakes as well as an oven but it roasts better.

Lots of things are pretty easy to make yourself but lack of home economics lessons in school have made people disinterested in making their own food.

Eg bread. I don't have a breadmaker I do it in my mixer ( if you are going to invest in equipment then a food mixer can do so much more so more cost effective) 10 mins mixing. Leave to rise. Put in bread tin. Rise. Bake. Less than 50p a loaf

Crisps- use potato peeler to get thin bits. Toss with oil and salt. Bake. Parsnip ones are really good too.

Biscuits and cakes are just so much nicer homemade and with a mixer take little time to knock up. More expensive to make as butter is so expensive now.

Pizza is so cheap to make and so much better for you, loads of veg. Takes hardly any time to knock up too.

Oven chips. Just cut a potato up toss in oil.and chuck in oven.

Not to be the negative one again, but some areas don't have markets, sadly. The other option would be reduced supermarket veg, but that's almost always tasteless mush by the time it's actually reduced!
Some areas also don't have mains gas and have to cook with (expensive) electricity (not sure why the places who generate lots of electricity have to pay more for it). I agree with your last sentence. 😁