Not eating processed foods

[Dogmum40]

Hi All,

I’m trying to change the way my husband and I eat, we both now work from home and can be in the kitchen a lot more so I’m trying to say goodbye to the processed foods and eat as clean and healthy as possible . (I should add we don’t have children)

We never have been the takeaway/fast food/microwave meal type people but I am aware that we do still eat a lot of processed foods from cereal in the morning, to bread for lunch and prepared soups/sauces

I always home cook where I can and never buy the stir in type sauces, I mainly buy a white sauce mix or sour cream dips for ease and Canned soups for a quick fix but I want to try going process free if it’s possible so could those of you who have a totally clean diet give me some tips on a process free day of food please from breakfast through to lunch and dinner with snacks.

In sandwiches we have the usual ham, bacon, cheese etc.. and I know these are processed so sandwich ideas would be particularly helpful

I have a sweet tooth so definitely need a snack sugary alternative to cakes/choc and biscuits ( I have tried nuts and seeds for snacking but it wasn’t a major success)

Thank you 😊

White sauce. Can you not make a roux white sauce with organic butter, organic flour, organic milk?

Or this one doesn’t look like it has nasties in

www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/cooks-ingredients-bechamel-sauce/661392-255577-255578?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PPCGShopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwrzy0Kf18gIVCLd3Ch24vADfEAQYASABEgIudfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Wow thank you so much everyone for your input, I can and do make white sauces so can add cheese to make a cheese sauce or to be fair any other ingredients to make whatever sauce I need, again the convenience of a o let mix makes it easier to do but I need to get off my arse and make my own as I can do it with my eyes closed and used to before work took over!

I’m definitely living the lentil idea and as we have chickens I have 20 eggs per week so egg based dishes are definitely not a problem! Thank you for the link to the other thread, I’ve kept it in my favourites!

Frozen cakes are a fabulous idea for me and flapjacks wouldn’t have time to be frozen 🤣

Yes pancakes are ideal! I eat them once a year and always live them and say I’ll make them more but never do! I make home made Yorkshire puds so I always have left over batter!

Who makes their own breakfast cereal? I do admit I love crunchy nut! I love the stuff 🤣 definitely interested in a process free alternative or yuck alternative? I’m against smoothies due to the sugars but I’m happy to try anything to cut down on processes, as I said I now WFH do kitchen time isn’t an issue but my stomach might argue with that fact 🤣

Sorry about the spelling! iPhones and autocorrect are a nightmare 🤣

@HungryHippo11

The sort of processed foods which I would struggle to avoid: Stock cubes Tinned tomatoes and tomato puree Wine (for cooking) Pasta/rice

With those ingredients plus various herbs, spices, meats etc. Then I could make lots of different dinners and lunches.

Stock can be made pretty easily and then frozen (ideal way to use up the last bits of flavour from a Mumsnet Chicken!), which then provides the perfect base for soups.

I wouldn't regard tinned tomatoes as ultra processed in the slightest, any more than I would tinned fish, frozen veg or rice (that you actually have to cook rather than chuck in the microwave for 2 minutes on high). I wouldn't have thought that a decent wine would be, either - and tomato puree is a way of accessing greater amounts of lycopene compared to fresh.

Because I had to go gluten and cow's milk/lactose free for medical reasons, I found my consumption of ultra processed foods almost vanished overnight - because everything that's quick and easy in the supermarket contains both. However, what I have discovered is that since doing that, I've actually been wanting something sweet each day (fruit or a GF nut/seed/fruit bar) which I wouldn't ever have done before - so I think there must be so much sugar added to normal 'savoury' foods that I'm missing it.

In terms of quick and easy foods, soup is probably one of the quickest - cook onion/veg/a potato to give the creamy texture if wanted, chuck in some frozen stock, sea salt and whatever spices or herbs, blitz. Curry (tonight's dinner) - onion, garlic, ginger, spices, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, some toasted cashew nuts, rice. Because I can have ewes' and goats' milk without issues, if I want a sweet breakfast thing, I will have yoghurt, some frozen fruit, a few brazil nuts, couple of dates and some sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

I like things that generally haven't been messed around with too much. If they come from a plant and are vaguely recognisable as being a bit of a plant, fine. If they are clearly a bit of or came from an animal, fine. If you can't tell whether they've been made from a chicken or a Rhinoceros, they are probably better left on the shelf.

It's not so bad. And if I'm avoiding ultraprocessed foods for 95% of the time, I'm not going to panic over the few things I do have.

If you want an easy sugar hit option, buy a packet of dates. Medjool particularly good. They are sweet like fondant-fancy sweet.

Can't think they are great for your waistline or GI. But they are surely better than a fondant fancy.

I do actually have quite a few canned items from emergency peas and carrots to baked beans and chick peas so I’m more than happy to use canned items and canned tomatoes are a staple when I do cook and after doing some
digging canned items do appears to have the same if not better nutritional value to some fresh veg!

Yes homemade rice pudding! Excellent idea, I bought some pudding rice during lockdown but we had the heatwave so it never happened and then I forgot about it, great idea thank thank you

I will Definitely look into lots of soup ideas, I will try to remember to do the MN stock chicken carcass instead of cubes 😁

So for easy meals I have:-

Various soups (not just my normal Chicken)

Curry

White sauce mix for my sauces (I just need to stop being bone idle for this, I buy purely for convenience on this one)

Pies and pasties

Roast dinners with organic ingredients

Omelettes or anything egg based as I have far too many eggs so give them to neighbours instead of using them all

Sandwiches and pizza using homemade dough (That might be a weekend treat rather than daily)

Desserts

Flapjack
Pancakes
Homemade rice pudding
Fruit and cream
Muffins or any homemade cake as according to this forum it can all be frozen so definitely no more awful shop bought cakes! This alone is life changing as I love baking but baking for one is expensive and creates food waste so I’m so happy you can freeze it all 😁

If anyone knows how to get a sugar fix for breakfast or a good breakfast recipe where I can add natural sugars that aren’t highly processed that would be amazing 🤩

@LtGreggs

If you want an easy sugar hit option, buy a packet of dates. Medjool particularly good. They are sweet like fondant-fancy sweet.

Can't think they are great for your waistline or GI. But they are surely better than a fondant fancy.

I do actually have some from Xmas in my cupboard 🙈 I’ll get nibbling and see if it resembles a French fancy or a packet of chocolate hobnobs 😆

I've been forced to cut out ultra processed foods due to IBS. I'm quite thankful in a way as I wouldn't have had the motivation to be so healthy if I didn't have to. I eat porridge with fruit/seeds every morning, or yogurt and oats. For snacks I have yoghurt, fruit, dates or nuts. The only shop bought bread I can eat is M&S sourdough which makes me think it must be relatively high quality. M&S are good actually - their pizzas for example often have a list of simple ingredients you would have at home.

I always try and make the kind of meals that give enough leftovers for a couple of lunches as I find having to cook separate lunch and dinners too much. And yes, things like muffins and cakes freeze well.

Another poster mention weetabix, I like them but are they processed or are they as natural as a large manufacturer can do? I could be tempted to swap but are they just as bad as my crunchy nut (except without the extra honey and sugar)

I'm trying to do this as well.

In terms of breakfast, I eat porridge with rolled oats or sometimes sourdough pancakes. It's been hard to find a granola that doesn't have vegetable oils or too much sugar in it, so I'm making my own with coconut oil. The vast majority of my food is made from scratch now - the one thing I need to master is making my own pastry.

@silentpool

I'm trying to do this as well.

In terms of breakfast, I eat porridge with rolled oats or sometimes sourdough pancakes. It's been hard to find a granola that doesn't have vegetable oils or too much sugar in it, so I'm making my own with coconut oil. The vast majority of my food is made from scratch now - the one thing I need to master is making my own pastry.

The whole clean earring is a minefield if your new to it isn’t it? Pastry isn’t an issue for me but I think I’ll struggle with breakfast ( I’m not a morning person hence my reliance on Kellogg’s).,, you do my breakfast and I’ll get off my arse and make your pastry 🤣

Breakfast- I do overnight oats, large porridge oats, linseed ,raisins and pumpkin seeds soaked in milk. In the morning I add berries, which I let defrost overnight if frozen, and a drizzle of honey.
Most simple cakes freeze, I bake a lot in loaf tins and freeze slices, apple cake, date apple and walnut, ginger all do well. Not to mention brownies.
I do a chocolate and orange streamed pudding in the oven which is fab.

Eating* 🙄

Cut peaches in half and bake with cinnamon and honey for half an hour. Then ping them in the microwave and have with green yoghurt.

Incredible dessert/snack

Should have said DH adds chppped dried apricots to his overnight oats but too sweet for me.

@CorianderAndCream

Cut peaches in half and bake with cinnamon and honey for half an hour. Then ping them in the microwave and have with green yoghurt.

Incredible dessert/snack

Oooh are Canned peaches ok for this (I also have canned fruit 🤣) I assume green yogurt is Greek yogurts or is there some Kermit based delicacy that I’m not aware of 🤣 (autocorrect is a bloody nightmare as you can tell from some of my posts)

For cereal, how about granola? I make Nigella Lawson’s, if you google it it should come up! Natural yoghurt, honey and berries and away you go! It’s sweet but not terrribly...it has raisins and maple syrup in it though!

Some meal ideas I love:

Spring greens steamed in foil in the oven with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chilli. Topped with peanuts and paired with tofu sliced and marinated in turmeric and soy sauce with water. Cooked in an air fryer.

Chickpea and tomato passata with rad al hangout and cumin. Cook and top with a fried egg and coriander/mint yoghurt.

Pasta with kale, passata, fresh toms and red onion.

@RainingYetAgain

Breakfast- I do overnight oats, large porridge oats, linseed ,raisins and pumpkin seeds soaked in milk. In the morning I add berries, which I let defrost overnight if frozen, and a drizzle of honey. Most simple cakes freeze, I bake a lot in loaf tins and freeze slices, apple cake, date apple and walnut, ginger all do well. Not to mention brownies. I do a chocolate and orange streamed pudding in the oven which is fab.

I’ve not googled this so being lazy but a few people on here have mentioned overnight oats, what exactly are they and how do you prepare them? (Besides doing something overnight)Is it a posh name for Quaker Oats or something different entirely? I’m an oat novice and class ready brek as winter breakfast of the gods (yes I really am 40 and not 4)!!!

@maisiedaisy64

For cereal, how about granola? I make Nigella Lawson’s, if you google it it should come up! Natural yoghurt, honey and berries and away you go! It’s sweet but not terrribly...it has raisins and maple syrup in it though!

My husband fancies nigella so I’m sure we won’t have an issue checking her out on google thank you 🤣 I’ve never made granola so that’s also on my list thank you 😁

@Dogmum40 yes lol Greek yoghurt not Froggy themed.

Canned peaches wouldn't work in the same way I'm afraid they need to be fresh! You could cook canned peaches down in a pan as a kind of peach-sauce though. Just don't get the ones in syrup.

And overnight oats are rolled oats mixed with milk, fruit, cocoa, chia seeds, cinnamon etc (to your taste) and left in the fridge overnight. They kind of... cold cook and soak in and become porridgey

@CorianderAndCream

Some meal ideas I love:

Spring greens steamed in foil in the oven with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and chilli. Topped with peanuts and paired with tofu sliced and marinated in turmeric and soy sauce with water. Cooked in an air fryer.

Chickpea and tomato passata with rad al hangout and cumin. Cook and top with a fried egg and coriander/mint yoghurt.

Pasta with kale, passata, fresh toms and red onion.

Ras al hanout not Ras as hangout 😂

Only thing I think is missing from all this great advice is homemade banana bread. You can have it as dessert with custard, sliced as a snack or toasted and spread with peanut butter. If you have it with an egg/bit of cheese and fruit it's a fab brekkie too.