Ultra-Highly Processed Foods

[TheRealMBJ]

At risk of sounding defensive here but I almost always cook from scratch and very seldom resort to pre-prepared or oven dinners (,maybe once a month)

However, all of this talk recently that demonises Ultra-processed foods is another stick to beat working mothers with.

Sometimes I feel something has to give and I can't always plan, shop, execute a fully cooked from scratch meal every night of the week.

YABU - Get your Arese into Gear woman and organise your life

YANBU - this is just another way to make woman feel guilty. Get the fish fingers out!

I use margarine, though not on veg. Yes, it's processed, but butter contributes to high cholesterol.

I brought my cholesterol down eating loads of butter (but very little carbs).

The easiest upf free dinner to make, IMO, is steamed salmon or chicken with broccoli, peas and new potatoes.

All goes in the same stacked steamer pan, takes about 20m. Minimal chopping.

Can't really see that being too difficult for a "working mum" or dad to achieve.

Still needs a sauce imo.

Lemon juice, butter.

"Normal people" in the UK are mostly overweight or obese, because we're living in such an obesogenic environment that in order to stay at a healthy weight you need to be either fortunate with your genes and lifestyle or really vigilant - to an extent that can seem a bit obsessed. It's a tightrope.

Why do you need a sauce on a meal? Surely meat/fish and potatoes and veg is a fairly standard meal?

We are vegetarian but will often have a home made veggie item such as nut roast/some sort of pie or tart with potatoes and veg. No sauce wanted or needed

Yes! Or make a sauce.

We have steamed salmon a lot with homemade teriyaki or lemon butter and both sauces freeze really well so not much prep needed really.

Isnt that what condiments are for?

Thank you for spelling this out so clearly

Yes of course it is easy, but you can't have it night after night. I try to cook most of my meals at home, but cooking for one is hard enough, and food like this can get very boring, so I buy ready meals sometimes. I also like my fish or chicken (or mince or steak) very well cooked so it all goes in the oven in one form or another.

"Why do you need a sauce on a meal?"

Because otherwise it's dry. This is the kind of attitude that gives British cuisine the reputation it has internationally.

" if I did I'm sure I could buy some sauce and add it to the side."

Well that would be processed.

"No one is saying ultra processed foods should be entirely removed"

I'm pretty sure a few people are saying they should be very occasional 'foods' only.

Has anyone seen the Panorama programme?

Aspartame can get in the bin!

Yes, but making your own is difficult and, as mentioned before, they don't last so most people are likely to be eating processed ones.

@Gwenhwyfar
https://hunterandgatherfoods.com/
this company is great for sauces, really fast service too!

I don't find meals dry. I don't understand why so many need a sauce or gravy on their meals. Who wants to eat wet soggy food

Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone.

Unless you have a severe mustard allergy

I think I've seen a few references to seed oils being a problem on this thread. This article says they're not. UPF foods containing seed oils are a problem because they're UPF, not because seed oils are an issue. https://joinzoe.com/learn/are-seed-oils-bad-for-you

I take the view that the further it is from it's original state the worse for my health it is. So if I need something quick I tend to pick something stupidly simple to try to minimise the 'damage' so to speak.

I always remember a colleague who did a very famous diet and just ate microwave meals from that brand - until her hair fell out through malnourishment.

"Blimey a dollop of horseradish or mustard or mayo isnt going to kill anyone."

A few ready meals won't kill anyone either, but this whole thread is about avoiding highly processed foods.