To wonder what people trying to reduce UPFs eat in adult packed lunches and sandwiches?

[Ka1eChip]

I’m not going nuts as regards this and have always cooked from scratch but trying to reduce the amount of processed food we eat .Breakfast and dinner are easy but sandwiches and packed lunches I struggle with.

Can you get low processed bread( if so where) and what about fillings? Cheese sandwiches are dull, processed meat is a clear no and then tuna you can’t eat in abundance… What else do you be put in a packed lunch?

What do other people have?Is 1 or 2 processed items a day (eg a yog and granola bar) ok.

I don't working full time has to stop you - if you get into the habit, it's not that time consuming.

I do the rising overnight and then put it in the oven when we are all getting ready and breakfasting

I don't have space for a bread maker but love a sandwich. Use Jason's bread or Crosta and Mollica wraps. Otherwise frittata with potatoes and veg in and a side salad or left overs form dinner.

ive been trying to eat less UPF since Christmas. It's been hard and a bit pricier but feel good for it.

Ooh I haven’t seen or heard of pease pudding in years! Off to google a recipe.

@Ka1eChip do you need bread ? I take a salad for my lunch usually salad leaves tomatoes cucumber pepper plus some chopped fruit - plums or grapes or strawberries etc I add hard boiled egg and avocado or feta cheese or leftovers like roast chicken or sliced gammon. A frittata is good if you have a bit of time the night before . Sometimes I have some carrot batons and houmous and couscous with roasted veg.

For bread makers Panasonic are the best, eg This . With cheaper ones you might get lucky but often they make rubbish bread. If it's like mine the wholemeal cycle takes 5 hours and can be delayed up to 12 hours.

The fresh bread smells amazing but needs to wait a bit before slicing so you might need to plan ahead if you make lunches in the morning.

I follow the Tiny Tum’s Instagram account which has some good idea for low processed food swaps for kids lunch boxes.

Jason’s sourdough is a good bread, pittas are fairly low processed I believe too.

Chunks of cheese, chicken drumsticks, fruit and veggie sticks.

If you swap bread for grains you can buy those merchant pouches, if time is short. I keep a few in. Bread from bakers is ok. They can go into a lovely salad. Sometimes I cook a side of salmon when it’s cheaper /on offer, and cut it into one person portion. A bit of rice, a bit of defrosted salmon or eggs or feta, some other veg or pulses, herbs to flavour. Job done. Oil /balsamic , if you’re not out.

I take salads most days, mix of veg, some nuts, some protein, some beans or chickpeas, nice dressing. In the winter home made chunky soup or dal I’ve made and frozen. Or leftovers. Rarely sandwiches.

My issue with homemade bread was that it couldn't be eaten quick enough so I made bread dough in the bread maker, then baked rolls in the oven, some of which could be frozen for later.

Cheese salad filling is a winner for me. Tuna mayo with grated cheese and onion is one of my all time favourites.

Sorry I completely missed you said adult packed lunches not kids. But to be fair I usually eat the same as the kids!

Just another to say we have a bread maker, and it’s literally 5 minutes in the evening, not even that. Throw the ingredients in, set it going, get up in the morning to fresh bread.

I big supermarket sourdough. Check the ingredients but a lot are just the basic ingredients with non dodgy stuff in them. Also, Fage yoghurt is a great non-upf option.

Mind you, I had pop tarts the other day so I’m a fair weather give-a-shit person.

I still enjoy a sandwich from time to time, but for lunch I normally have harissa beans, fajita chicken salad, potato salad, some kind of soup or egg bites. Tbh most of the time it’s a toss up between beans or soup, or sometimes a soup with beans in if I’m really feeling crazy!

I just throw a load of yellow split peas in the water left from the gammon and bubble it until it's thick - delicious!

Crosta and Mollica flatbreads are not UPF. (Flour, water, salt and olive oil)

Jason’s is good but needs toasting I think as otherwise would be quite tough/dry?
Crosta & Mollica piadina (?) wraps are UPF free.
I tend to not do sandwiches for lunch though, prefer a salad or carb free leftovers as otherwise I feel a bit of an afternoon slump coming on at my desk!
Sometimes though I’ll take a grain salad, just grains mixed with roasted veg and something like goats cheese or feta, olives, just whatever’s in the fridge.

M&S have a new ‘# ingredients’ range to identify food which is not upf by stating the number of ingredients in a product. It includes 5 ingredients bread rolls.

Thirding Panasonic bread makers, so good for effort free bread as well as doughs for UPF free pizza etc.

YABU.

Chicken and salad; hard boiled eggs and salad, or sometimes when doing dinner i make it for an extra “person” - and put that portion into container for my lunch

Home made soups.

Home made salad - chicken caeser type is easy, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, parmesan and chicken with a simple home made dressing

I have a bread machine and use that or make sourdough. Sandwich fillings:

• tuna
• egg
• cheese and tomato/salad (it doesn't have to be cheddar....think brie etc)
• leftover roast meat, usually chicken or beef
• prawns or salmon
• peanut butter (the kind that is 100% peanuts or you can make it at home).

Couscous with mixed vegetables

Lentil daal in a thermos.

Yes Panasonics are excellent. Mine can bake cakes as well - saves putting the oven on!

Has anyone got a recipe for a lentil Dahl please?

Iv made bread a few times but I find the washing etc a faff. Its actually not much faff but im lazy. The next best thing is Jason's sourdough which is non upf and sold in every major supermarket. They do a few varieties but it looks like this https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/8617499117164043969

Why do you say that.

you are clearly in the majority……… why do the 54% think the OP is being unreasonable?

Have you tried sprouted bread?