to want to give up processed food

[adiia]

But I'm not sure how?we already cook from scratch, usually blend fresh tomatoes rather then using canned ones,make lot of our own bread,make homemade pizza.I'm stuck on snacks and breakfast mostly.any tips?I like baking,but white flour and sugar are processed food aren't they?

For flour, the types of wheat used today and how they have different effects on our bodies compared to ancient strains, google wheatbelly. There are lots of recipes using non-mass-produced ingredients.

I have just googled about, and found nut and coconut flour which I didn't know about before.

Expensive, though.

things like pure extra virgin olive oil are processed but not in a "bad" way iukwim.

And other forms of olive oil? I suppose an olive that has only been pressed once is less processed than one pressed 12 times but the oil is still olive oil.

Breakfast, well eggs and porridge - not together, that would be er interesting.

sashh - most types of cooking oil are extracted using the chemical solvent hexane, something deffo to avoid if you're giving heavily processed food the swerve. Look for the words "cold pressed" on the label on bottles of oil.

After the first pressing of the olives has been done, the oil extracted from subsequent pressings is called pomace and needs the help of chemical solvents. It is considered a low grade product.

Some pomace oil products have been found to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are potentially carcinogenic & the Spanish govt recently issued a ban on pomace oil.

Cold pressed rapeseed tastes very weird, though, just warning you.

I'm trying to do this.
All I'm doing is baking our own bread, biscuits and cakes.
We have fruit and popcorn for snacks as well as the above.
Meals are homemade anyway.
Breakfast is either porridge, weetabix(that's probably processed in a 'bad' way but I need some short cuts) toast (home made bread) or eggs.

I buy butter, cheese and yoghurts and tinned pulses.

I always thought butter or coconut oil was better than other oils for cooking. Something to do with changes occurring when fats are heated up.

I saw this program sometime ago about a city in Spain or Italy where people live longer then average.when they looked at their kitchens there wasn't a packet in sight.they made their own tomato sauces,got flour from the mill,extra virgin olive oil from somewhere near them.i would love to live like that!we all hate porridge in afraid!usually its bread ,butter and jam(not homemade yet,but i buy the ones with no refined sugar,the fruit spread ones.)

I have found it more helpful to avoid particular ingredients..gluten, artificial sweetener and vegetable oil. Most heavily processed food contains these.
I don't see the harm in say buying a pot of ready made hummus provided the ingredients are recognisable and more or less the same as what you'd use at home.
I'm sorry to say in several years of trying I have not found any truly amazing gluten free flours for bread making although Doves Farm is ok for cup cakes and cookies and I've made cornmeal pancakes/fritters. Coconut flour made me sick!

What about spelt flour? Does anyone use that?

Spelt flour is tasty and I like it a lot. It behaves slightly differently from conventional wholemeal but not in a complicated way. Most packets of spelt flour have easy bread-making recipes printed on them. I get my spelt flour from Shipton Mill www.shipton-mill.com/flour-direct-shop/flour/speciality-and-rare-flour who do all sorts of interesting flours and also 'proper' (ie pinhead) porridge oats. You can order directly from them online. Doves Farm is another reliable supplier. Both brands are also sold in wholefood shops and some supermarkets.

But why would spelt/corn flour be better then wheat?they are both grains.I'm not bothered about eating gluten free.

I've just started a similar thread in Chat about trying to eat a bit cleaner as a family. I'll be watching this with interest! I'm going to sort out breakfast first as I've come to rely far too heavily on sugary cereals. Then I think I'll move on to snacks. Our evening meals are all made from scratch (usually!) so I'm not too concerned about that.

I also want to get away from using stock cubes/pots. I don't have time to make fresh stick all the time.
Has anyone got any suggestions of what to use if I'm making a quick soup for lunch?

Some people say that spelt is easier to digest. Have no idea whether that's true. I just like the taste, for a change, in the same way that I sometimes like making loaves with rye flour or with sunflower/caraway/poppy seeds or linseed added (not all at once!).

I make chicken stock every time we have chicken bones .I just leave it simmering whilst watching TV in the eve.then freeze it,and u can use it straight from frozen.

You don't need stock for simple veg soups - just chopped onion/garlic/veg of choice, butter, water, milk or cream or yoghurt, and fresh herbs or spices. Plus a blender. Takes about 15 mins max; ideal for quick lunch.

Soups made with onions, garlic, tomato and/or those grilled red peppers that come in jars don't need stock if you splosh a bit of balsamic vinegar in when cooking is almost complete

If you do want instant stock, then Marigold Vegan is low salt and IMHO tastes OK if used in moderation. Has no preservatives/colourings or artificial flavourings. But you don't want to add it to every soup otherwise they will all taste the same.

How do you substitute refined sugar with honey in recipes?

Miso paste can also be good for making broth as an alternative to stock cubes .

And yes it is. 'Processed' but it's fermented which makes it v good for gut health!