To think it's impossible to eat a UPF free diet as an ordinary person?

[MyHealthyMission]

I mean ordinary as in, works full time, earns a decent but not huge wage, has free time but not entire days at a time to dedicate to cooking etc.

I'm on a bit of a health kick, and have turned my attention to eating whole foods and ensuring I'm eating as healthy as possible as we come into winter.

I've had a sourdough starter on the go for a while and decided I'd knock up some bread rolls and soup to have for lunch in the coming week because it's turned cold. Figured it would be a great, low UPF meal. Until I googled the beef stock, which is apparently a really bad UPF! Even the super expensive all natural concentrates are UPF. So unless you can afford to buy and boil a load of beef bones, it seems you're out of luck.

Obviously you can do the normal things like avoiding crisps, protein shakes etc. as they're all full of UPF, but when even things like stock cubes are stuffed full of them, it just seems impossible! AIBU to think it's just become impossible to eat a UPF free diet?

I agree that it's not impossible on a budget, however some folk just don't seem aware that others actually have to budget. Anyway pp didn't take my comment badly, and understood my general point (I hope). 😁

Jam is processed food - you're just processing fruit at home, often with the same ingredients as the commercial product. Not ultra processed I suppose. So I'd use that time differently if busy.

Bread is often the only ultra processed food I buy. But I can make soda bread in ten minutes and people with breadmakers seem to find that quick too.

I am as far as I can imagine from a domestic goddess, and not particularly efficient. I don't mean this unkindly, but if bread, soup and jam are taking this much of your time, you need better equipment, different recipes, or just more practice, so don't give up but start looking at where your time is going.

Two hours with them all on the go simultaneously should do it, I would expect.

@MyHealthyMission My get around for stock, is making my own. But I don't put any effort into it.
I simply keep the juices from any roasted meat. I separate the fat and the good stuff, but that's about it. I keep the fat for roasting potatoes, etc, and I keep the juices and jelly for stock. I keep it all frozen in small bags, so it doesn't take up much room.

I know it isn’t, I was just trying to be nice.

but also re the ‘life’s too short to make stock’ type comments. You just take the carcass of whatever meat you’ve had (a roasted chicken, a leg of lamb whatever) and dump it in some water. 2 mins tops.

me too.

I'd do that if I actually roasted meat - tbh I roast meat once or twice a year. I do cook some meats in the slow cooker, but also not that regularly. I have a well stocked spice, herb and seasoning shelf, and use the odd stock cube when required.

I know, I first had it in Italy and wanted to recreate it, couldnt believe the price of it and it was 1.5x the price at the butchers than in Sainsburys, so Sainsburys got my pennies that day

I rarely roast meat, hence that not really being an option for me. Stock cubes aren't the devil incarnate though, they're fine every now and then.

This I 100% agree with. Eating crap shouldn't be cheaper.
But my sourdough only takes less than 10 mins hands on attention, even if I use a no knead method. Most of the time is waiting around for the next stage.

Miso paste is certainly not always UPF, by the way, for anyone concerned about that. For example: https://umami-chef.co.uk/miso-faq-2

It’s easy with a bread maker once you get into a routine with it. It takes 10-15 min per day for a loaf. Or buy one from an artisan bakery - the bakery near me makes loaves that have just flour, sourdough starter and water, a handful of sesame or poppy seeds. They are about £4 but I get one when I want a break.

Oxtail has become more popular, due in part to certain celebrity chefs, sadly that often means price increases. It's not my cup of tea at all, but I know a lot of folk really rate it.

For sure, but like I said upthread, UPFs are a no go now for dd, so stock cubes have gone from my shopping list, and I can’t tell the difference. I think they’re a trick!

I’ve tried it. I can taste the difference because I use them in recipes where I can, and want to taste the stock cube. I wouldn’t throw one into a bolognese, say, as there’s a lot of other things going on, although if other people think that it improves their bolognese they’re not wrong.

This whole thing is descending into an argument about stock cubes. As usual we’re ignoring the bigger picture.

Your DD is fortunate that she can make such choices and be supported in those choices.

I roast most meat nowadays in my airfryer, so again it's no real effort and much cheaper and quicker than using my oven

Well I suppose its better to be accurate, I dont know where this narrative has come from that its expensive to eat away from junk food. It isnt. Its cheaper. But people want to replicate junk food style eating and snacking with non junk food and of course if you want to replicate that, you need a lot of cooking, purchasing, storage, time, skill etc etc

If you eat wholefoods, breakfast, lunch, dinner, a couple of snacks throughout the day like cheese, eggs, a few nuts, dried fruit, veg etc. It is not expensive to eat like that

Th eproblem is people will say its boring, their kids wont eat it, they dont want to eat tinned fish, or omelette for tea or things on toast for tea, they think its beneath them, a poster telling people on here they're giving their kids pasta with tomatoes or some cheese on for tea and all hell breaks loose as if its child neglect or something. How many times do you see 'wheres the protein' when someone quotes ONE meal! In any case in the everyday Western diet we have more than enough protein.

Not to mention that most people dont even understand what UPFs are (and there isnt really one consensus) and the various references on this very thread to crisps, ready meals, chocolate, cereals etc etc.

I have an airfryer but I'm just not that keen on roast meat tbh. I did make some for DS on his 18th, and it was nice enough, but likely won't make it again until near Christmas. DH and DS know I really just make it for them. Give me roasted veggies instead of roasted meat every single time! 👍

But again I make use of my fridge so that it fits in around our lifestyle. This means some loaves are 'made' over 2 or 3 days, some are made within a day.

Even if Sourdough took 5 seconds to make, I still wouldn't make it because I really don't like it. Sourdough isn't an essential food group, and definitely not the only way to reduce UPF in the diet. I feel like it's almost ritualistic for some folk....and that's fair enough, I suppose. We're not all the same. 😁

Ok, porridge then. Thanks for clarifying. I do eat porridge sometimes and use whole oats.

Some people don't have a computer or access to the internet.

Check your OWN privilege before you cast your 'look at meee' stones.

I've been making it for well over 13 years, so before it became a popular fad.
I only started making it because I wasn't great at having yeast in date or available when I needed it, and it sounded pretty easy to keep once it was established. Plus, I enjoyed making bread.
I find the taste fine, but then I don't make it sour. You can vary the sourness quite easily.

Again, as someone said, though, sourdough isn't really the point of the thread, even though it's something I love, lol, hence my name.

For those that dont like porridge there are other cereals and grains, its not the only thing that exists, rice, bulgar, quinoa, farik, barley. Also I have pinhead oatmeal in any case, not porridge oats, so its got more texture if people dont like mush.

All just as nice with some milk and whatever toppings or flavours you want, either sweet or savoury.

If you enjoy it, then great, keep enjoying it. 👍