How did you reduce your Ultra Processed Food consumption

[RollingInTheCreek]

Have just listened to the 'A Thorough Examination' podcast and was horrified. I thought we ate well, we cook a lot from scratch but especially with the kids foods etc. We use the odd packet (e.g old el paso), they love ham and sausages although I have really tried to reduce this due to the carcinogen risk, and they love ice lollies etc.
We are going to use up obviously any cereal, fishfingers etc so it doesn't go to waste but then I am really going to try and make some changes to our eating habbits. As I said we do eat fairly well and have an allotment so lots of homegrown fruit and veg but we can do better!
My plans are:

• Make fingers/chicken goujons myself with breadcrumbs


• Less bread/crumpets etc overall and buy from local bakery instead of supermarket


• More fresh produce, eggs, etc


• Dippy egg, porridge/overnight oats or yogurt and fruit for breakfast


• Less processed kids snacks e.g malt loaf (would appreciate ideas for alternatives! Cucumber sticks and hummous etc.?)


• Eat less meat generally and more veg based meals and fish

If you have tried this do you keep using things like marmite? I know its processed but we all love it and I feel like making big changes will mean small things like that should be fine.
Appreciate anyones experiences!

When I’m not having eggs for breakfast I have full fat Fage Greek yoghurt with some frozen berries and nuts/ seeds. Really filling and super quick.

What snacks do you all make for small children? Ideally low sugar. Thanks

We eat pretty much home cooked from scratch meals (no ready meals, frozen pizzas, nuggets, jars of sauce, packet mixes, oven chips, stuff like that) for dinner, make most of our own bread and don’t really eat processed meat. I do a ham every few weeks from a gammon from the butchers and we have our own hens so have a lot of fresh eggs. Our
meals are generally as healthy as I’d like them, I’m not going to worry about the odd takeaway.
It’s things like snacks that are generally crap for us. Crisps, biscuits, yoghurts. Stuff the kids munch on when they get home.
We do make a cake once or twice a week but we still fall down at the snacks.
I’d like to listen to one of these UPF podcasts or watch a documentary. Not a scaremongering one which will make me scared to use a scrap of marmite on my toast but one with a balanced approach and which recommends some sensible swaps.

Didn't you write a similar thread a while ago about being wracked with guilt at feeding your children shreddies and wholemeal bread ??

Me? No!

It's "the very best granola" on cookieandkate.com.

I don't add nuts in the version for my young toddler.

Don't use vanilla flavouring instead of vanilla essence like I did once! Tastes very artificial!

The one with the operation ouch twins is balanced. It is very realistic about how easy it is, especially with children.

I didn’t find it scaremongering or preachy

@Primatrying thank you - I'm going to give it a go this weekend

My husband has begun doing his own bread and it's not actually that hard once you get in a routine with it. He cold proves it overnight and then bakes it early in the morning. He finds it very cathartic after stressful days at work!

It's so much nicer and we tend to eat less because we savour it more and realise the effort that has gone toward making it.

I'm afraid we still slather it in marmite though sorry!

We are getting increasingly poorer too, so our meals are getting simpler and, in a way, a bit healthier A) because we have less each and B) everything is just cheaper. So, eggs on toast is now a meal, as is whipped up tomatoes, mozzarella and pasta, as is simple broth with chicken stock and lots of beans. It all feels a bit spartan but that is the way it will have to be!

Rukhmini Iyer’s books are great for eating proper food with minimal washing up afterwards. While they roast you can do everything else. Some can be prepared ahead in the morning then just bunged in the oven.

Inspired by the French, I put a plate of raw veg on the table while dinner is cooking. We all eat much more of it this way. Visiting DC also seem to eat it without really noticing. It also works with fruit.

I try and make a tray of granola once a week when there is oven space left over. I add coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and cranberries.

We were actually given a bread maker by my Gran so I think I will have a go with that and try making our own bread so we know exactly what’s in it!

I'm definitely in for trying to reduce shop bought bread but I have real difficulties slicing thinly.
what do people use? My knife tends to slip on the loaf and I've recently cut my finger quite badly
(old age/ dexterity problems!)

Our bread is lovely- locally made sourdough from a micro bakery

you need a really good bread knife! Mine is Optinel, I think? Wasn’t that expensive

@Pipsickl if you do want cream cheese, Sainsburys own doesn't contain anything but cows milk.
But they call it 'full fat soft cheese' which threw my ds when I sent him to buy some for a cheesecake!

Bread machine bread is a significant contribution. Bulk buying flour from mills (I use Shipton Mill) can reduce the cost.

Any good sharp bread knife should work for cutting - you can get bread slicing guides which may help.

Rather than trying to set aside huge chunks of time specifically for batch cooking I just cook double or triple quantities of something I would be cooking anyway and freeze the surplus.

Rukmini Iyer is great, so easy. Though it's good to think about how best to use the remaining oven space!

Thanks for the recommendation @TorviShieldMaiden - I’ll check it out when I can.

Would be grateful for the recipe @Cuck00soup

I bought tuna pots yesterday but one of the ingredients listed is thickener guar gum - should things like that be avoided?

Yes I only ever buy Bertinet sourdough which has two ingredients - flour and water. Even better, make your own if time.

@Watermelon46 it's this one, forgotten how to link. I add red cabbage, sultanas and lots of fresh herbs.

Yes, anything that you wouldn't find in an average kitchen. Definitely thickeners.

I’m about half way through the twins podcast. It inspired me into some action and made a loaf of bread last week (no bread machine but used the dough hook on a stand mixer).

for kids snacks I also made these pretzel bites which went down well, the kids ate them with peanut butter (I made a pesto cottage cheese blended dip to go with but that wasn’t well received!) iambaker.net/homemade-pretzel-bites/

I made them some wholewheat flour rhubarb muffins another night. Tonight I’m trying apple nachos www.womansday.com/food-recipes/a32687584/apple-nachos-recipe/ for their after school snack

I'm struggling already with dinner. My dd is autistic, so limited in what she eats. DS is veggie, but doesn't eat a massively wide variety of vegetables 😂

I have not much in, I'm exhausted and don't want to have to go to shops. I hate meal planning, don't mind the actual cooking.

Anyone got any recipe book recommendations? Apart from salads and meat/fish with roasted veg, I'm a bit lost. I really don't want to do my normal and end up eating cereal for my tea

How is your omelette game? Cheese omelette or Spanish with potato in it?

spicy tomato pasta?

mushroom / egg fried rice, or fried rice with an egg on top?

cheese and bean wraps

cheese and tomato toasty

eggy bread?

Some easy dinners that we have on week nights x