Processed food - is it really that bad?!

[SuddenlySusan]

Inspired by another thread...

When we were a family of three I would batch cook, follow recipes. I’d always buy chopped fresh veg (onions, mushrooms, Mediterranean medley for roasting).

Now as a family of four, kids aged 6 and 2, both working full time, busy roles, I cheat quite a bit. Youngest also has a dairy allergy. I still buy the chopped, prepared veg, but I’m making alternative meals and it’s so time consuming! Tonight we had Mac and cheese, M&S vegan bechemal (sp?) sauce, ready to go broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas. Just didn’t have time to make a white sauce.

Is it that bad that I cheat by buying prepared veg, ready made root veg mash, jar white sauce, fresh pasta as it cooks quicker, kids ready meals etc. I’d rather buy a bagged salad, chopped fruit than spend time doing it. I’ve never thought anything of making life easier with M&S, or Cook meals (frozen home made ready meals delivered to your door), something on toast.

The reason I’m asking is I felt a bit crap thinking I should be doing everything from scratch, as I used to, and the cheat, prepared stuff is very unhealthy? Some parents make it seem so easy, so am I ‘usual’ in doing this or do most of you cool from scratch/batch cook?

Is that what people mean by processed food or are they referring to burgers, chips, pot noodles etc?

Chopped prepared veg = fine
Processed food can mean cheese, ham etc anything that has been through a process = ok in moderation
Ultra processed food = bad which is anything that has ingredients you don’t recognise e.g jar sauces, chips, burgers, most ready meals.

Cook meals are actually ok as all recognisable ingredients so more equivalent to a neighbour making you a homemade lasagne to freeze for later.

For better understanding try watching ‘what are we feeding are kids’ on iplayer or reading ‘why we eat (too much)’

*our

There's a theory that "ultra" processed food, which contains ingredients that aren't actual food (e numbers, preservatives, lists of things that you don't recognise as ingredients) are more unhealthy than eating the same amount of calories, salt, fat etc in non processed foods- the chemicals affect your brain processing, metabolism etc. This would include ready meals. But most of the things that you describe (pre prepped veg etc) are "lightly" processed and are still very much recognisable as the raw ingredients and so don't fall into the camp of being significantly more unhealthy.

Chopped veg is still veg.

Pre-prepared veg is still veg, assuming it’s in a packet and not in a tin.

Jar/packet sauces contain an astronomical amount of salt and sugar.

I am in heart failure and have a 1500ml fluid restriction to combat fluid retention. As part of that I have been advised to keep salt to a minimum, and the cardiologist pointed out that anything in a jar contains preservatives, and the more preservatives a product contains, the worse it is for you.

Have a read of this: www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

The ultra high processed food are the ones to avoid. Honestly I don't think anyone can completely eliminate but as much as you can, try and reduce them.

The brain activity stuff in the above article is pretty terrifying, especially as his brain still hasn't gone back to 'normal' after the experiment.

I used to wonder who on earth would buy a chopped shallot, or instant mash, etc. ME, now I'm literally losing my grip and can't do mynown chopping and peeling, they're a bloody miracle for me. Bring on the prepared veg please.

I think the prepepared mash is great.

Is it that bad that I cheat by buying prepared veg, ready made root veg mash, jar white sauce, fresh pasta as it cooks quicker, kids ready meals etc. I’d rather buy a bagged salad, chopped fruit than spend time doing it.

The 'processed' element here is just in the prep. You're paying a bit extra for prepped veg. Please don't think your meals are lesser because you haven't personally mashed the potatoes or chopped the pineapple. Free yourself from that kind of mum guilt thinking.

@Trisolaris

For better understanding try watching ‘what are we feeding are kids’ on iplayer or reading ‘why we eat (too much)’

And the 5 part podcast the Van Talluken brothers have done.

Thank you for your quick responses!

It’s really I threading. I’m reassured that we are doing okay - could be better, but doing okay.

We do have tins: sweetcorn, baked beans, kidney beans, mixed beans etc. All other veg is fresh or frozen (steam fresh).

Interesting*

Tinned vegetables are fine, they maintain their nutrients same as frozen.

Ultra processed foods are the ones to watch out for.

Prepped veg is still veg. I wouldn't really count it as processed food. BUT unless it's frozen the vitamins/nutrients will have degraded massively.

Also the plastic waste from prepped food and ready meals is horrific. Most plastics in the UK don't get recycled either. I cannot bring myself to buy M&S pre-cut fruit because of this. An apple or a banana will suffice.

I look at the ingredients, if the ingredients is one or two things, generally unprocessed, if it's a long list of unrecognisable ingredients, processed.

Buying frozen baby carrots and diced onions etc is so handy. No peeling, chopping etc

No, it’s not bad, really. If your kids are getting fruit and veg, not too much sugar to rot their teeth and they have enough to eat, you’re doing fine.

The veg is absolutely fine, of course. Using sauces & jars is fine occasionally but as PP have said are high in added salt & sugar, plus I personally always find them too strongly flavoured.

Making a white sauce really only takes minutes so it might be just looking at your meal planning so that you have easy days when you've batch cooked & have something frozen, or do simple meals like marinated chicken breasts with rice & veg or salad. A very usual midweek dinner for me with no prep really.

Pre-prepared isn't necessarily processed (in the sense people talk about for diet purposes). Look at the ingredients - it's only 'processed' if things have been added to it. If it's simply been chopped up and frozen, that's not 'processing' in the food sense.

As pps have said, ultra-processed food is the most important food to avoid - essentially anything with a long list of ingredients you wouldn't recognise as food.

I think we are doing okay, based on this. We don’t have jars often, I only usually buy Meridian curry sauces as we can all eat them (no dairy). Te white sauce in a jar was the first time I had bought it, I’ll likely buy it again for ease but I’m happy to make a white sauce when time permits.

I will revert to more frozen over fresh prepared veg - I only stopped buying as much as partner has a thing about it and I haven’t been able to find decent frozen mushrooms anywhere!!

I thought Cook was better than normal ready meals

I always think the prepared veg looks a bit dry and sad. I don't buy it because of the plastic but I'm sure it's not in any way bad for you.

@Bryonyshcmyony

I always think the prepared veg looks a bit dry and sad. I don't buy it because of the plastic but I'm sure it's not in any way bad for you.

As soon as you peel/chop fruit and veg the nutrients start deteriorating. So whilst not bad for you, they aren’t nearly as good for you as doing it yourself.

When most people talk about processed food, I think they're talking about stuff like chicken nuggets, turkey twisters, potato waffles and other freezer fodder.

I've yet to see one single man, apart from from one's who made the show, get concerned about the amount of ultra processed foods their kids are eating. But seen plenty of women get their knickers in a twist about it. No one stops to think that the reason more and more people are relying on these types of foods is because both parents are now having to work longer hours. It's just more mum guilt to pile on really.

Yes I know that but if we buy flown in veg it's probably past its best anyway!