Cutting back on UPF

[UndertheCedartree]

Like many I'm wanting to cut back on UPF for myself and my DC. I'm looking for some tips really as despite trying to cut back I feel I haven't managed to cut back as much as I'd like.

My challenges - I have a mental illness and particularly in the 2 or 3 weeks leading up to my B12 injection I get extremely fatigued and depressed. This makes it hard to make healthy meals. At these times I buy more convenience food/ready meals/takeaways.

Also my DD has a bit of a restricted diet due to her autism. It can be hard finding meals we will all eat.

If junk is in the house once I take my meds which gives me terrible sugar cravings I will want to eat it. I usually have in brunch bars as DD has one every day for snack at school, brioche/croissant as I often have to take Dd's breakfast to school, mini cheddars/other crackers/fruit yogurts/ice lollies for snacks for the DC.

Just a note we are vegetarian - we probably eat too much vegetarian convenience food due to DD.

Would love to know how you went about it, what snacks you give your DC and what meals you make.

My DS loves greek yogurt with fruit and nuts. Wonder if I can get my DD to like it!

We do have a Ninja that can dehydrate. I've never tried it before but will have a go!

I like the idea of traybakes. But my freezer is quite small so I don't have much room for batch cooking but I probably could fit a meal or 2 in there especially if I cut back on convenience foods.

I do have a lot of easy things in my freezer - chopped onions, peppers, garlic. Steam bags of mixed veg and the rice and veg ones.

Thank you so much for all the advice!

I can have a look at the oven chips we have and the crisps.

I think you can make bread in my ninja. We don't eat loads of bread really but pizza dough/pittas would be good.

Cereal is a big one for us - my DC love all the crappy ones! And no wonder - I have the odd bowl and immediately want another - so addictive. My 2 like the blueberry or apricot wheats - are they not so bad? Luckily they like porridge and Weetabix too. My problem with my youngest is having to transport breakfast often and so I've fallen in to the habit of getting brioche, croissants, scotch pancakes. I did think I could hard boil some eggs to take as she likes those.

Yes, it can be very frustrating when they are fussy! My eldest has never been too bad but now he is 17 he will eat anything which is great!

I allow us to have some treats at the weekend and home made things would be even better!

Yes, please.

Yes.
You might find this helpful. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_is_ultra-processed_food

They "failed to thrive" and became malnourished.

Rather than expensive junk filled brunch bars make these. The condensed milk has sugar in it but it's just two ingredients. Plus nuts, seeds, oats and dried fruit. Not perfect but definitely better than shop bought.
Super cheap too once you have the ingredients in.

www.nigella.com/recipes/breakfast-bars

Those are good ideas. And yes, it would be great to get the kids cooking more.

Just thinking I buy the Old el paso fajita meal kits - is that UPF?

Thanks for the encouragement!

Those look delicious @Donutbed

An easy transitional compromise is to look for the versions of what you want to buy that have the fewest ingredients, and reject anything that has ingredients you can't pronounce or would not find in your kitchen at home.

I will give this a go - thank you!

Thank you, that's very helpful

On fruit yogurts which are usually full of loads of crap just mix greek yogurt with frozen or fresh fruit.

Buy some reusable pots.

Other snacks - apple or dates dipped in peanut butter (check the ingredients - there should only be nuts in it, too many add sugar).

Fresh fruit of course.

Home made ice lollies.

There are a billion non upf baked snack ideas for kids - mostly seed, nut based with fruits.

Cheese - slices of. Nice snack with apple or whatever.

Loads of chickpea recipes out there.

You need lentils and pulses and beans - Dahl, salads...

Buy The Green Roasting Tin recipe book. all really easy veggie tasty vegetarian non upf recipes

I'd recommend the breakfast bars for anyone. I make them all the time and they keep forever, and travel well in your handbag!

Pretty sure Quorn and all plant-based meat substitute products are the worst types of UPF there are.

No shit Sherlock. Why do you think she started the thread 🙄🙄🙄

Here it is and I add chickpeas to this as well as one squeezed orange, lemon and paprika and a bit of olive oil. It’s really yummy. You could easily also put cous cous in mixing bowl and add hot water to it or stock and put a plate over it - comes out nice and fluffy! Enjoy!

https://www.simplywhisked.com/easy-moroccan-couscous-recipe/

I've found surprisingly that 'essentials' versions are often low UPF - Aldi's oven chips and their tortilla chips are 2 that spring to mind.

We always have jacket potatoes once a week - either with a leftover sauce from something earlier in the week or beans / tuna / cheese I know beans aren't perfectly 'natural' but again look for brands / versions that have fewer nasties in

I will try the greek yogurt with DD maybe if I mix the fruit in she will like it.

She doesn't like peanut butter but DS does. I think she could like homemade ice lollies. I'll get her involved to make them.

I love an apple or pear with a bit of cheese! DD may go for this.

I'll have a look for that book, thanks.

Thank you!

Funnily enough jacket potatoes are one thing DS won't eat. DD and I like them, though!

Home made potatoes wedges also good … you can buy a chip seasoning where all the herbs and spices are. Or simply cost wedges in olive oil and season with salt and pepper and maybe some smoked paprika.

I’ve made the Nigella breakfast bars a lot- they are really good.

My son loves apple slices or carrot sticks with peanut butter.
Yoghurt and peanut butter mixed is lovely too- especially with a bit of brown sugar…

Don't let perfect be the enemy of ‘good enough’ though. Much better to make simple and realistic changes, and anticipate days when you’ll be feeling too exhausted or harassed to eg grind your own corn for the tortillas and have the less processed but still quick and easy ones available so you don’t find yourself eating Doritos for dinner!

(Note: I have got a bit obsessive about this but have not yet ground my own corn for tortillas).

If yours like scotch pancakes, they are pretty easy to make. I just put all the ingredients in nutribullet then make batch of mini ones for Ds to take as nursery snack. ( I put x2 eggs into mixture as a way to get fuss pot to eat eggs and get some
protein)

They last several days in Tupperware so you don’t have to make fresh daily. Large ones can be heated on pan again or toaster

You need to educate yourself about living with a child with SEN.

What a ridiculous and spiteful comment.

We're not vegetarian, but our non-UPF snacks mostly are. We also all snack a lot less than when we had more UPF in our diets.

We have overnight oats quite often, and they're a good on-the-go food - make them in a clean jar and don't forget the spoon (and a bag / something for the used spoon if it doesn't fit inside the jar). Flavour and sweeten (if desired) however you like, increase nutritional value with seeds, nut butters, spices, dried fruit, fruit purees, fresh fruit. You can also use other flaked cereals (rye, barley, spelt, etc.) instead or as well as the oats.

Greek yoghurt makes a good and easy breakfast. We freeze fruit purees in ice cube trays and putting a couple of these in a jar with some yoghurt keeps it cold enough from leaving home until lunchtime. Tinned mango puree makes a great and low effort ice lolly.

We keep a few different types of UPF-free crackers for snacks. Honey and cheese are popular with both my children for a quick crunchy / sweet fix. Breadsticks and salted butter. Plain popcorn (kernels in the microwave) is good for snacking or in lunchboxes. We always have nuts, seeds and fruit in the house available for snacking.

We use a bread machine, so sandwiches, things on toast, etc. can be UPF free. It turns out good pizza dough, and our children can usually be motivated to help make pizzas.

Boiled eggs work well for us for a quick snack.

We'll often make double quantities of things like pasta sauces, chilli, bolognaise, curries, and either freeze the spare for a later date, or use it the following day (often on jacket spuds).

Thanks for the tips and the reminder about 'good enough'.