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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
WishingMyLifeAway · 18/05/2023 21:38

Hardbackwriter · 18/05/2023 19:25

It's the way it's talked about like a contamination that sets off my eating disorder sirens. People are talking like if you have a squirt of mayonnaise on an otherwise homemade and healthy meal then none of it 'counts' because you've contaminated it all with UPF. Of course eating more whole good is better for you but that kind of black and white thinking is dangerous.

Show quote history

I've not heard anyone talking like this? People, including me, are wanting to discuss what is UPF and what is not as sometimes it's unclear. I've asked questions about this on this thread as I want to understand what to look for, not because I'll never let another UPF ever pass my lips again (I'm looking at you creme egg that I had this evening!). There are lots of others on the thread talking about reducing UPF, and aiming for 80/20, and asking similar questions about what a UPF is. Maybe I've missed them, but haven't read any posts that suggest anyone is thinking that a squirt of mayo contaminates a whole meal at all (or similar).

I have a LOT of inflammatory health conditions, I want to reduce my UPF (and seed oils) to see if it helps. But if I am trying to swap out my normal purchases for something a little less processed I need to understand what I am looking for as I certainly don't have the time nor the inclination to make everything myself from scratch. That's why I am asking questions about individual ingredients, perhaps this has been misconstrued?

maybein2022 · 18/05/2023 21:41

@WishingMyLifeAway you’re right and I also think trying to find out if some of the ambiguous things are UPFS is also hard- the nova website isn’t perfect and there’s a lot of confusion- I know someone mentioned pasta as a UPF when it isn’t. Also like I say some are really ambiguous- some say jam is UPF, some say it’s not… so hard. I am on the same page as you, reducing, making better choices but by no means cutting out entirely.

WishingMyLifeAway · 18/05/2023 21:54

maybein2022 · 18/05/2023 21:41

@WishingMyLifeAway you’re right and I also think trying to find out if some of the ambiguous things are UPFS is also hard- the nova website isn’t perfect and there’s a lot of confusion- I know someone mentioned pasta as a UPF when it isn’t. Also like I say some are really ambiguous- some say jam is UPF, some say it’s not… so hard. I am on the same page as you, reducing, making better choices but by no means cutting out entirely.

I know, it's so confusing, which is why I was really pleased to see this thread. Yes, I downloaded the app a PP suggested and saw today that it said jam/pectin is a UPF! I was also really surprised at this as I had previously understood the "guide" to be to look for ingredients you wouldn't find in your kitchen cupboard, And I thought homemade jam makers used pectin?!? (I'll have to ask my MIL who's a big jam maker, as it's not something I have ever attempted!). So confusing!

I'm not going to be cutting out jam, but it helps to know that it contains some UPF (if it does!) so you are factoring it in as part of your 20, and not thinking it's part of your 80, if that makes sense!

I am a real details person but I am starting to suspect that we aren't going to ever know for sure for some ingredients, so it's a case of make as much as possible from scratch, try to source products with no UPFs, limited ingredients, or limited (suspected) UPFs....

Hopefully, food producers will start to take note and start to produce more products that are UPF free which will make it much easier!

In the meantime, threads like this can help us navigate it :-)

Crikeyalmighty · 18/05/2023 21:59

Basically I found I felt a lot better(well before I got long covid) by simply ditching anything involving much obvious sugar, so no biscuits, cake, chocolate, sweets or flavoured yoghurts - I also ditched anything involving obvious high levels of fat- so anything involving pastry , savoury or sweet or masses of cheese and vowed never to darken the doors of Greggs, Maccy Ds, KFC etc - I have stuck to this. Above and beyond that I really can't be arsed to sit quantifying how processed my Sabre Hummous or baba ganoush is.

Tigofigo · 18/05/2023 22:03

prescribingmum · 18/05/2023 10:16

How old are your children?

Mine are primary age and I use a bento box for them both. I pre-make a few items and freeze (such as flatbreads/savoury muffins). Each morning they get one item with grains - either from freezer or cous cous with veg etc, 1-2 fresh fruits, a sweet item (again baked in bulk and frozen) and plain yoghurt (occasionally sweetened with honey/fruit compote).

Took me a while to get into the swing of it but now I only need about 10 mins in the morning to defrost and prep the boxes. Mine have fairly small appetites at lunch too so I can imagine it being bit harder if they want more food

Show quote history

What do you put with your flatbread / what's your source of protein?

Tigofigo · 18/05/2023 22:05

RedRosette2023 · 18/05/2023 07:21

I think beans are UPF but aside from that you’ve not mentioned any UPF.

Show quote history

I thought bacon, oven chips, fish fingers and ham were upf?

maybein2022 · 18/05/2023 22:06

@WishingMyLifeAway I am also a details person and know that I can get quite obsessed with worrying about things- so I’m trying hard not to go OTT on this. Yes I definitely want to cut back for me and my children BUT I will not be cutting out everything nor expecting them to. 80/20 is a good ratio to aim for. One of my new rules is also to not buy UPF snacks just to randomly have in the house- eg no multipacks of Freddos or walkers baked crisps for the kids (or me!) as part of our weekly shop for example, BUT if my 10 year old wants to buy a flake with his pocket money occasionally I won’t be saying no, nor will I beat myself up if they have a bit of jam or mayonnaise 🤷‍♀️.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 18/05/2023 22:09

Tigofigo · 18/05/2023 22:05

I thought bacon, oven chips, fish fingers and ham were upf?

Show quote history

Depends upon the chips. Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil isn't UPF.

Bacon can be pork, salt, sugar, as can ham if it's come from a piece of meat, rather than mechanically recovered, squished together with stabilisers, things to make it look pink, things to stop it looking browner and things to stop it going crispy or floppy.

prescribingmum · 18/05/2023 22:13

@Tigofigo most common protein sources are cheese, tofu and yoghurt (we are a veggie family). I also make South Asian style flatbreads with vegetables, herbs and spices incorporated into the dough

I am very much in agreement with those who focus on the majority of food not being UPFs. I will compromise on sauces because the meal itself is made from scratch at home. Similarly, I will buy food when out and about because the diet from home is predominantly not UPF. It’s about majority diet, not complete elimination

Crikeyalmighty · 18/05/2023 22:17

Also ditch the snacks - some peoples trollies fascinate me - as they seem to buy vast amounts of crisps and nibbles - this surely is mainly ultra processed stuff with not much nutrition and is awfully addictive too

halfpasteleven · 18/05/2023 22:21

@WishingMyLifeAway
The ice cream is delicious!
And yes, so quick to make!
Thank you for sharing it..

FunnysInLaJardin · 18/05/2023 22:22

For just me? Very little since I am actively trying to avoid it.

Yesterday nothing ultra processed unless you include ryvita, Thai spice paste and nam pla

SauceForTheGoose · 18/05/2023 22:37

Oh my, the thought of listing is daunting. I cook from scratch reliably 4/7. The other nights are cheat and maybe a takeaway once a fortnight.

Sliced bread
Cereal
Fish fingers
Crisps
Oven chips
Breaded chicken
Hellmans Mayonnaise
Bisto Best Gravy
Cake
Biscuits
Ice Cream
Instant noodles
Baked beans
Gherkins
Lots of condiments

MMMarmite · 18/05/2023 22:57

I've just started reading the book.

I went to the kitchen and realised that more of my foods are upf than I'd realised :(

My "fresh" Tesco wholegrain bread contains emulsifiers, palm oil, palm fat and caramelised sugar.

Tesco cheddar and bacon quiche - reformed balcon including salt, dextrose, stabilisers, also palm oil

"Hearty food co. From our kitchen Filled pasta" contains palm oil, what powder, flavouring

"Plant based" chocolate cupcakes - absolutely shocking, about 30 ingredients, the vast majority industrial.

It's a bit of a wake up call. Luckily I live somewhere with good local food shops, need to get back to using them.

MMMarmite · 18/05/2023 23:12

prescribingmum · 18/05/2023 10:16

How old are your children?

Mine are primary age and I use a bento box for them both. I pre-make a few items and freeze (such as flatbreads/savoury muffins). Each morning they get one item with grains - either from freezer or cous cous with veg etc, 1-2 fresh fruits, a sweet item (again baked in bulk and frozen) and plain yoghurt (occasionally sweetened with honey/fruit compote).

Took me a while to get into the swing of it but now I only need about 10 mins in the morning to defrost and prep the boxes. Mine have fairly small appetites at lunch too so I can imagine it being bit harder if they want more food

Show quote history

This sounds amazing. Do all home-baked items freeze? Can they be defrosted in the microwave?

Store-bought snacks and cakes are a downfall for me. But I live alone so don't want to bake and then end up with a dozen cupcakes to eat before they go stale. Home being and freezing might be the way forward.

prescribingmum · 19/05/2023 05:11

@MMMarmite yes most things freeze. I buy a lot of frozen veg and freeze meals so we have an additional tall freezer.
I find it helpful to divide into portions, label and then freeze, making it easy to find what I need.

Pre-prepared frozen meals are our alternative to ready food and take aways as so easy to defrost and eat

prescribingmum · 19/05/2023 05:12

Sorry didn’t answer your defrost question. Yes can do in microwave - use defrost setting/low power. I’ll admit, I’ve not tried microwave with cakes before but brownies and cookies have defrosted without any problems

RedRosette2023 · 19/05/2023 06:40

maybein2022 · 18/05/2023 21:36

@Hardbackwriter I totally agree. Although the book was really eye opening for me, a few people have talked about ‘scale of risk’ ie sugary cereal with an oil laced plant mylk for breakfast, a sausage roll for snack, ham sandwich on mass produced white bread and crisps for lunch etc etc not so great at all, a diet that is 80% ish non UPF with some UPD things you enjoy, fine. My kids love the Nandos perinaise sauce- it’s most definitely an UPF- but I am still letting them put a small amount on their meal when it’s a meal they would use that condiment- so maybe once a week. I don’t feel they’ve ‘ruined’ anything! Equally, I’ve stopped buying ham and roast a chicken x 2 a week for sandwiches which was an easy (if not particularly cheap) swap for our family. No way we’ll be able to go totally UPF free.

I agree - most people on this thread have said it’s increased their awareness. They’ve not said anything like a squirt of mayonnaise contaminating their food!

Hardbackwriter · 19/05/2023 08:03

Quick trawl of the first few pages:

It’s so hard. One change I’ve made this week is to not buy ham for my middle child’s packed lunch and roasted a whole chicken for his sandwiches instead- but then he likes mayo in it which is apparently UPF…

The message I took from the book was: check the ingredients on everything; if there is an ingredient that you couldn’t have in your kitchen then you should not consume the food.

The debates about whether, variously, honey, oatibix and yoghurt might or might not be 'ok'...

I agree that most people are just trying to cut down and recognize they won't cut it out entirely and that's fine, but I think there is also a strong undertone of anxiety and guilt running through this thread.

INB4 · 19/05/2023 08:55

Artisan bakery bread will still be processed. Also, which supermarket are you shopping it where it's three pounds for half a loaf?

MMMarmite · 19/05/2023 09:02

INB4 · 19/05/2023 08:55

Artisan bakery bread will still be processed. Also, which supermarket are you shopping it where it's three pounds for half a loaf?

Not ultra-processed though (depending on the bakery). If it's a "real bread" bakery it will be just flour, yeast, water, salt, kneaded and then baked. Rather than emulsifiers etc.

MMMarmite · 19/05/2023 09:05

The real bread campaign has a lot of info about processing / ultra-processing in bread making

https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/

43and · 19/05/2023 09:07

LabradorsByTheSea · 18/05/2023 13:44

HardbackWriter

I completely agree. While it’s been pretty self-evident for decades that wholesome foods are better than crap cooked up in a factory, it is looking like becoming the new food fad. All this talk of food being ‘fine’, ‘getting away with eating x’ or no longer being able to eat y and z any more makes me really uncomfortable. Another gateway to disorders eating and unnecessary guilt. Especially when it’s said by busy women, raising families and working, and means a sacrifice of time and money.

I eat hardly any UPF, mostly because I have a Provençal mother. Also because I live near great food shops and have money to spend on this stuff ( a privilege at the moment). I eat instinctively this way, it was my upbringing.

However, the other thing having a Southern French mother taught me is not to associate the food and drink you enjoy with guilt or shame. Eat and be happy!

I was thinking about this guilt and shame last night as I was doing an online shop and talking about UPF with DH. DS overheard me and asked what ultra processed food was. I told him. He then went on to ask if his favourite food (a nut butter) was UP. I said no, and he was pleased and kept mentioning it. Said it again this morning.

I thought: am I doing with UPF what my generation did to fat? Demonising it and making my kids worried?! Really made me regret saying anything in front of him.

I definitely don’t want to buy UPF if there are other options, but I don’t want to give us all food anxiety.

RedRosette2023 · 19/05/2023 09:17

@43and yup totally get what you’re saying. I definitely have a disordered relationship with food passed down from my Mum and her doing Rosemary Colony and saying that anything with more than 3% fat should not be consumed. (though I always considered Frijj milkshakes healthy as they met the criteria- how twisted!)

I don’t speak about food being health or unhealthy. I try and talk about what our body needs in terms of energy and not needing too much of somethings. Who knows if that’s the right approach. I am trying to steer without demonising anything and that’s why I won’t ban UPF snacks from the house, although I’d probably like to. But make sure our main meals are healthy and enjoyable so there’s room in our diets for UPF etc in moderation.

43and · 19/05/2023 09:23

RedRosette2023 · 19/05/2023 09:17

@43and yup totally get what you’re saying. I definitely have a disordered relationship with food passed down from my Mum and her doing Rosemary Colony and saying that anything with more than 3% fat should not be consumed. (though I always considered Frijj milkshakes healthy as they met the criteria- how twisted!)

I don’t speak about food being health or unhealthy. I try and talk about what our body needs in terms of energy and not needing too much of somethings. Who knows if that’s the right approach. I am trying to steer without demonising anything and that’s why I won’t ban UPF snacks from the house, although I’d probably like to. But make sure our main meals are healthy and enjoyable so there’s room in our diets for UPF etc in moderation.

I think this is a really good balance! I wonder if I should say anything to DS or just maybe let my actions (not mention it in front of him and continue to let him have twisters from the ice cream man on odd occasion, while in the background making sure we eat less UPF) talk louder?!