Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what highly processed food you eat?

544 replies

Lifeswhatyoumakeit73 · 14/05/2023 17:35

I haven’t read the Dr Chris book yet about highly processed food but I have read other stuff & it’s made me super conscious of how much HPF we eat. I cook mainly from scratch but as a family of 3 pescatarians & me who is mainly plant based but eats eggs, I realise I need to look at what we eat & make some changes. I cook from scratch as much as I can but I am a busy mum who works full time so we do reply on some HPF. Looking in my cupboards:

We have:

  • baked beans
  • veggie sausages
  • veggie mince
  • oat milk
  • vegan cheese
  • vegan butter
  • Tacos
  • crackers, crisps, bread sticks
  • shop bought houmous
  • shreddies, weetabix
  • caramel wafers
  • yoyos
  • couple tins veggie chilli
  • peanut butter (whole earth so just peanuts but still bad apparently)
  • jam
  • seeded bread sliced
  • bagels

How bad is that? How does it compare to others? I use veggie mince to make a spag Bol from scratch but will, for example, use lentils instead.

i feel like most of our food is cooked fresh but judging by this list, we have a lot of processed crap that I hadn’t registered.

Aibu to ask you to share so I can compare?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
37
lljkk · 17/05/2023 17:37

Sugar is the ultimate UPF, isn't it?
Presumably real vanilla in the Lindt...?

InTheStars · 17/05/2023 18:02

lljkk · 17/05/2023 17:37

Sugar is the ultimate UPF, isn't it?
Presumably real vanilla in the Lindt...?

No, sugar isn't a UPF. It's classified as a culinary processed ingredient along with butter, oil, salt, herbs etc. You can look it up.

InTheStars · 17/05/2023 18:16

lljkk · 17/05/2023 17:37

Sugar is the ultimate UPF, isn't it?
Presumably real vanilla in the Lindt...?

Also, the ingredients say vanilla rather than vanillin. So it's the real deal.

LabradorsByTheSea · 17/05/2023 18:18

KnittedCardi · 17/05/2023 17:11

Why are you all giving up chocolate. Just get the 70% Lindt. Lovely. Only four ingredients:

I agree. Dark chocolate isn’t UPF and is probably quite good for you. I favour Green and Blacks!

Elphame · 17/05/2023 18:30

Some - I have some veggie sausages in the freezer and some biscuits. Crisps too. There may be some vegetable nuggets and some soya mince.

Mostly though I cook from scratch. Lunch was homemade bread with a homemade watercress soup and tonight it's baked potatoes with a filling of crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes and the rest of the watercress with fresh wild garlic.

halfpasteleven · 17/05/2023 19:11

WishingMyLifeAway · 16/05/2023 18:05

Ice cream is super easy if you include condensed milk in the recipe - stops the ice crystals. Then you don't even need the mid point of freezing whisk as in the lemon ice cream recipe posted by a pp.

Here's vanilla:

Ingredients:

•	2 cups double cream = 473ml
•	397g tin of condensed milk
•	2 tbsps vanilla extract

Method:

•	Whisk heavy cream until it forms peaks
•	Whisk in tin of condensed milk
•	Whisk in vanilla extract
•	Place in loaf tin and smooth with spatula
•	Cover with cling film so that cling film is touching the ice cream
•	Freeze for at least 7 hours.

Tastes amazing and takes 5 mins.

I've also made rum and raisin with a couple of extra steps:

Ingredients

•	150g raisins
•	50ml dark rum
•	300ml pouring double cream
•	1 × 397g tin of full-fat condensed milk

You will need:

•	1-litre freezer-proof container or eight ramekins

Method

•	Place the raisins in a saucepan. Add the rum and gently heat it until just boiling. Spoon into a bowl, then cover and leave to soak overnight until all the raisins are plump and the rum has been absorbed.
•	Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk into soft peaks using an electric hand whisk. Carefully fold in the condensed milk, then the raisins and any excess rum and mix well.
•	Spoon into the freezer-proof container or ramekins and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours or overnight.

And coffee:

INGREDIENTS

Makes: approx. 800ml / 1 1/2 pints

•			300 millilitres double cream
•			175 grams condensed milk
•			2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
•			2 tablespoons espresso liqueur

METHOD

Whisk all the ingredients together until soft peaks form, and you have a gorgeous, caffe-latte-coloured airy mixture, and then fill 2 x 500ml / 2 x 1-pint airtight containers, and freeze for 6 hours or overnight. Serve straight from the freezer. (If using American heavy-cream or whipping cream in other countries, whisk your cream in a bowl first, until it reaches soft peaks, then whisk in the other ingredients and continue whisking until thick again.)

@WishingMyLifeAway
Do you need to add milk to the vanilla recipe?

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:12

halfpasteleven · 17/05/2023 19:11

@WishingMyLifeAway
Do you need to add milk to the vanilla recipe?

Show quote history

No additional milk to the recipe (which contains condensed milk):

• 2 cups double cream = 473ml
• 397g tin of condensed milk
• 2 tbsps vanilla extract

It's lovely! Really easy and really creamy and string vanilla flavour!

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:14

What's the feeling on citric acid as an ingredient? UPF or not?

Bubbles254 · 17/05/2023 19:18

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:14

What's the feeling on citric acid as an ingredient? UPF or not?

Probably depends if it is the natural kind or the artificial kind created from black mold.

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:20

Bubbles254 · 17/05/2023 19:18

Probably depends if it is the natural kind or the artificial kind created from black mold.

Show quote history

"the artificial kind created from black mold." Yum, that sounds tasty 😂

Not sure how you'd tell, presumably you can't? That makes things trickier if citric acid is out.....

ohyesiknowwhatyoumean · 17/05/2023 19:31

I had a major diet change after christmas. Started doing the Zoe programme, bit by bit dropped most Highly processed foods. Still have some packs in the cupboard, but can honestly say that I haven't used any in the house for about 3 months. Now, just fresh veg, dairy, pulses, fish etc. Swapped supermarket bread for a dense "seedy" bread I make myself.

I still go out for the odd meal with friends, so I'm sure I'm eating some High processed ingredients then - pretty sure the pasta I had in the pub the other week wasn't lovingly made by hand from fresh ingredients!

I've lost weight (about half a stone) and feel fantastic. Much less hungry too, which has definitely helped with the weight loss. I read the Chris VanT book the other week - it is a sobering read.

mumlikeaboss · 17/05/2023 19:32

Haven't RTFT but people are definitely getting confused about processed food vs. ultra processed food... Isn't UPF really the things that are highly, highly processed and full of weird chemicals and "food-like substances"??

I agree with PP saying the best thing is to go for foods that are actually foods, that our great grandparents would recognise as food. No point getting hysterical about peanut butter and jam, IMO.

I'm not personally a fan of all the vegan / veggie stuff because a lot of it is scientifically manufactured to resemble other (animal-based) food items... Therefore it is immediately highly processed.

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:34

Thought it might be helpful to share products that we find that look UPF free....

Tiptree Mango chutney....
https://www.tiptree.com/products/tiptree-mango-chutney?variant=44383953715516

Tiptree do a lot of products that also look low UPF which might be worth considering as I for one do not have time to make all my own condiments and spreads etc! Ther ketchup and BBQ sauce contains citrus fibre as their only what looks like a UPF ingredient. And their lemon curd contains citric acid only. If anyone finds better options, please share!

Tiptree Mango Chutney 220g

Delicious chunks of mango cooked with chilli and a hint of ginger.Wonderful with curries, excellent with cold meats.The Wilkin family have been farming at Tiptree, Essex, since 1757, and making quality preserves there since 1885.We grow a wide range of...

https://www.tiptree.com/products/tiptree-mango-chutney?variant=44383953715516

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:39

LabradorsByTheSea · 17/05/2023 18:18

I agree. Dark chocolate isn’t UPF and is probably quite good for you. I favour Green and Blacks!

Show quote history

A lot of chocolate, even dark chocolate contains soy lecithin. But you can find brands of dark chocolate without it.....

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:43

Whichnumbers · 16/05/2023 22:54

@WishingMyLifeAway condensed milk is https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/6001068311804/full-cream-sweetened-condensed-milk-nestle ultra processed, so why not just buy the ice cream ready made? That is ultra processed? Rather than make ice cream with ultra processed ingredients?

The one you've inked to contains lactose powder. The condensed milk I've used/seen in the UK contains just milk and sugar.

It's a bit of a minefield!!

WishingMyLifeAway · 17/05/2023 19:48

RedRosette2023 · 17/05/2023 07:15

That’s the bread we have.

So it is UPF but good nutritional quality?

Now what???

Is that a bit ok? Ok?

What app is that you are using?

lljkk · 17/05/2023 20:26

So now I've heard it all. Sugar is not UPF and therefore perfectly fine to consume, even in huge quantities.

Oh well, makes a nice change from the "carbs are evil" brigade.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 17/05/2023 20:28

Baked beans
Tinned tomatoes
Chocolate
Ice cream
Cheese
Chocolate eclairs

Pizza if I eat out

NoAprilFool · 17/05/2023 20:38

I don’t think anyone is saying that. Just that it’s better for you to have some sugar than lots of weird industrial frankenfoods. Too much sugar will still not be good for you (or your teeth!)

maybein2022 · 17/05/2023 20:43

I’m glad this thread has kept going.

What’s interesting is I looked up a bread you can buy at a local bakery (chain) and it still counts as UPF apparently! I think bread is probably one of the hardest ones.

Also I happened to glance at my salt earlier, even that has something other than salt in.

We are very much going to be cutting right back rather than out I think. And I liked the thing that someone said, ‘scale of risk.’

maybein2022 · 17/05/2023 20:45

Re sugar, I think the idea is maybe if you make a cake, with sugar at home only with 4/5 ingredients, and have a small slice, that’s probably better than say, a couple of chocolate biscuit bars from a shop that are full of sugar and emulsifiers etc?

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 17/05/2023 20:48

I finished the book yesterday. It has opened my eyes to things I have probably been ignoring rather than not knowing about. Squash, stock pots, bread as you all have been saying. I feel we don’t do too badly, especially with meals, but it creeps in everywhere. I would count refined sugar I think even if it isn’t official. You don’t find it in that form in nature (apart from honey I guess but how much of that could you get from a wild bee hive?)

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 17/05/2023 20:51

The book said it would talk about sugar but actually talked about carbohydrates vs fat. Refined sugar didn’t really get much analysis. He also alluded to different types of fats but said he wouldn’t go into it in the book.

Whichnumbers · 17/05/2023 21:06

Artisan bread delivery. Loaves £5 ish mark-which is similar to supermarkets £2.90 for half a loaf

search for artisan bakery nearby that does 48 hr bread

halfpasteleven · 17/05/2023 21:08

@WishingMyLifeAway thanks for the recipe update! Will definitely make the vanilla ice cream tomorrow!