UPF Discussion Thread

[sunlovingcriminal]

Hi all, wondering whether any of us here would be up for a UPF discussion/support group?

We recently watched the panorama documentary on UPF, as well as reading the ultra processed people book- and have decided to make a lifestyle change for our family.

So, out with the cereal, fruit yogurts, packaged breads, squash and pre-made sauces

And in with the homemade everything...

It is taking a lot of prep and cooking. We're both a bit exhausted and overwhelmed but quite determined.

We have 3 teenage boys- so it's going to be interesting seeing whether we can get them to enjoy both the cooking and eating.

We're one week in and I do already feel better. I am not as hungry- my urge to snack has gone- and my reliance on artificial sugar fixes seems to have diminished.

Still on the hunt for alternatives to stock cubes though! Other than making from scratch (which I fear may be inevitable!).

Would be great to hear some inspiration from others, or great non-upf swaps!

@RedRobyn2021 bearpawk says it'll last about two weeks in the fridge.

Please please can someone tell me what oil to use for frying? I've got peanut oil for fish and I've avoided rapeseed oil for years. I've googled and reputable sites give such conflicting advice. I use sunflower oil to fry some things but it degrades with heating? Is avocado oil the way to go? Is sunflower oil ok in dressings as not heated?
Im sure someone on here has a better grip on the evidence than I do
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Great stuff @Dinopawus
@RedRobyn2021 apparently around 2 weeks. I've just ate some I made 2 weeks ago and it's fine.

EVOO is fine

@Georgyporky unfortunately Vegeta has got a lot of MSG and is an example of a UPF flavour enhancer

Just looking for a little advice from all the upf experts. I've bought a bread maker but most of the recipes that come with it want you to use powdered milk which I don't want to use as I assume it's upf? Can you use any recipe in a bread maker or just the ones that come with the machine? Thank you! I've loved all the tips on here so far.

Personally, I think powdered milk in bread tastes too sweet and is weird.

I do 2% of yeast and salt and around 66% water.

So for 500g flour, I would use 350 mls water, carefully add 500g flour on top, then add 10g salt to one side and 10g yeast the other.

Then programme the machine as you prefer.

I'm not sure how to do it with live yeast though.

Anyone on fb there's a great Upf group with lots of helpful info

I try to cut out UPFs as much as I can, but I'm on a low income and it's really difficult to afford it, so I don't do as well as I'd like.

Only thing I miss is diluting juice with all the flavours and sweeteners! I can't afford the non-UPF versions, so we just drink water or water flavoured with raspberry syrup I found which is reasonably priced. It lacks that kick though and the sugar is probably bad for teeth.

@OtterandPuffins i had all those recipes that came with bread maker too. Not sure why they suggest them. Now I just use the recipe on the side of the flour packets. Generally flour, yeast, salt, and warm water

I use avocado oil for frying, but add a little sesame oil if doing a stir fry because I like the flavour.

Also using avocado oil for mayonnaise.

EVOO for salads.

Can I ask what people’s attitudes are towards high days and holidays? I have had a birthday weekend where I ate out twice and then two separate weeks away with the kids within the last month. We eat out lots when away so this has been a disaster for upf.

I have a motto that I try to make sure everything at home is non upf so that we don’t need to worry too much when out and hopefully it all balances. I think this is the only way I could get the kids on board with it. They want to be able to eat what their friends are eating when they are out.

Yep same here

This is a really sensible and realistic idea imo

We also don’t worry out and about that much. We would make a birthday cake at home rather than buy, but have always done that. And we do choose to go to places we know have better ingredients if possible ie the ice cream parlour in next town is all homemade and ingredients shown.
But if we get invited somewhere or go somewhere else that does have more processed, I don’t worry really. It’s not a super regular occurrence.

Same here. I think most of the places we eat with the children use upf for convenience and cost. We don't eat out often, usually once a month for a meal out or a take away so any 'harm' is minimal and offset by the importance of sharing an experience with friends and family. I do find I make some small swaps these days though, for example we had breakfast at our hotel and I had fruit instead of pastries but I also had toast, plant butter and jam so definitely not upf free

I use as much non UPF at home as I can , or if using a UPF try and use the least offensive version . What my teens buy out of the house is up to them and they have what they like if we eat out

Thanks for those that answered me, I guess it makes sense to keep a balance. I’m coming to the end of two weeks self catering and wondering if I should’ve packed more of our normal food from home rather than snacking on kitkat chunkies 😂

Just remember, the food manufacturers are consciously filling their products with crap to get you hooked. Sugar, salt, cheap fats, refined carbs, emulsifiers, colourings.....,.. it's all totally devoid of nutrition. It's actually bad for you! And yet people buy it and those companies make huge profits.....,, while you and millions of others crave this stuff, get fat and unhealthy, and find it so, so difficult to detox from this addiction.

Don't let them win. Once you have weaned yourself of this crap, you'll feel so much better. Useful hint: kicking the sugar habit is key! Apart from that - eat food, not too much, mostly plants (and protein!) 😎

Any ideas on what to take to eat when long-distance hiking? We go up to the Lakes every couple of months to camp and tick off Wainwrights. We're on a non-electric pitch so have a coolbox and blocks, but I'm struggling with what to take for lunches and snacks. I guess non UPF bread and cheese for lunch, fruit and nuts for snacks? Would home-made brownie as a treat be ok? (We usually do 10-14 miles a day, so something nice when we're knackered and still have a couple of miles to go always gives me a boost to finish).

At home I batch cooks things like curry, spaghetti Bol etc and freeze portions. We have a very good cool box and if we put three of those meals in the last one is only just defrosted on day three when off grid. Also help to keep other things in the cool box cool without taking up room like the blocks do. Then you just warm them up and boil some rice/pasta.
If you’re doing lots of walking I would think homemade flapjack/brownies would be very welcome.

About a third of the way through the UPP book and husband and I are both keen to overhaul our diet but we’ve run into two stumbling blocks, would love any advice!

• toddler & i can’t have dairy (allergy). she has to have oat milk according to the hospital, which I’m okay with leaving in, but it means we can’t use butter/cream etc - at the moment we use things like margarine or soya cream but I don’t think there’s a non UPF dairy free alternative? I suppose for some things coconut milk would be an option if we bought carefully?
• we eat an embarrassing amount of plant-based ‘meats’. I’m assuming if we want veggie meals going forward they’d have to be lentils etc (maybe tofu?), but no fake meat?

Very keen to make the changes but it’s looking like the pretty-much-vegan diet we’ve been on will probably end, as we’re so used to the convenience of veggie mince etc, not sure how to feel about that!

Instead of using a solid spread, can you just use EVOO? Or a spread made with olive oil?

Vegan protein can be tricky. Tofu can get a bit meh… I used to be 90% vegan but started eating fish and chicken again, as well as eggs, when I started working out with weights.

Maybe look for advice on a website for vegans?

@Porcupette I think if the rest of your diet is low processed then a small amount of UPF isn't going to be a major issue. Just choose it tactically, going for the things that make most difference from a convenience point of view and within that choosing the versions which have least additives or have other benefits.

I try to cut back on meat alternatives where I can but I do use some quorn as it's just too convenient with a picky pescatarian (his choice) 9 year old. Brown lentils are a pretty good sub for veggie mince, and there's always tofu as you say. Jackfruit is another possibility though be careful as it substitutes for meat in texture but doesn't have the protein content.

In your place I'd probably use some sort of non-dairy spread. This podcast may be of interest: https://joinzoe.com/learn/podcast-butter-vs-margarine ; basically says that while margarine is highly processed it's not as bad as it used to be (no more trans fats) and has advantages over butter in that it is lower in cholesterol.

On oat milk it's worth looking at the ingredients as some are less processed than others:

"So is oat milk ultra-processed? Of the best-known varieties – Oatly, Alpro, Mighty, Minor Figures, Rude Health – all bar the last one are UPF.
‘While some oat milks do meet the definition of UPF,’ says Van Tulleken, ‘they’re not the most harmful type. They contain no artificial sweeteners or phosphoric acid. However, they’re somewhat harmful, in the way any UPF is’, as they’re low in nutrients and don’t fill you up. As for non-UPF oat milks, they’re ‘not particularly bad’, says Van Tulleken. ‘I don’t want to demonise oat milk!’ Still, it’s liquid calories. ‘You consume it quickly and it’s not very satiating, so it may predispose you to weight gain.’