Non UPF packed lunch

[Jtdoyoveme]

Hi all ☺️

daughter packed lunch is currently

• dunker/lunchable
• pepperoni
• cheese string
• fruit bag
• crisp
• treat (cake/biscuit etc)

I’m looking for some Non UPF swaps. I was thinking cooked chicken, babybel, fruit bag, cucumber, crisp and treat. Is there anything I can add to it? i saw eggs on a google search but don’t think her friends will appreciate that 😂😂😂

@BuffaloCauliflower if you read the research done by cancer research they actually say all processed red meat is carcinogenic, whether dry cured with salt or with nitrates. The dry cured may be better but it is still carcinogenic. Besides the OP was talking about pepperoni not prosciutto.

@ChristmasIsCome here Cancer Research are clearly referring to meat processed using nitrates. I suggested to OP some alternatives which are not made using nitrates. Of course it is sensible for us all to moderate our red meat intake, but this thread is about ultra processed foods, which roast beef for example, is not, despite being red meat

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/diet-and-cancer/does-eating-processed-and-red-meat-cause-cancer

@BuffaloCauliflower see below quote from the article you linked.

“Processed meat is any meat that's been treated to make it last longer, or taste better, by adding chemical preservatives such as nitrates. This could be through smoking, curing, or salting the meat. Processed meat includes ham, bacon, corned beef, and some sausages like salami, chorizo and hot dogs.”

They clearly place curing, salting and nitrates in the same category.

the additives making other things like UPF bread may well be just as harmful as nitrates in processed meat

Seems very unlikely.

@porridgeisbae the research on emulsifiers - found in a majority of supermarket sliced bread, if not all - and their effect on the microbiome is looking pretty alarming. I’m not trying to cut out all UPF because I don’t think that’s realistic, but one of the main things I try to avoid is emulsifiers

Sandwich, ordinary cheese eg cheddar you cut from a block, or crackers and cheese or ham carved off the bone (not reformed meat), fruit in a pot, crisps are ok occasionally, choose ones with fewer additives, batch cook treats eg oat squares are good, last all week (unless will power gave out )

Just avoid prepackaged snack's really and use leftovers like chicken etc for lunches, leftover pasta or couscous is another good option

Avoiding upf where you can is wise but I don't think it's necessary to be too strict, strike a happy medium where the child eats the food, it's compatible with the time available, it's healthy from a calorie/nutrition perspective and not too high in upf.

Mine got home cooked food for dinner, no upf and toast and fruit for breakfast, so I wasn't too worried if they had carved ham once a week

cheese strings is cheese heated up to a really high temp to make it a different texture - so it’s not the worst.

I give - tuna/cheese/chicken sandwiches with part baked rolls (they don’t have emulsifiers)
a good yogurt that is low in sugar or those mini packets of cheese.
chopped veg - cucumber/cherry tomatoes/peppers/carrot sticks
fruit
also sometimes make flapjacks or give popcorn.

I also send in hot food in a flash during cold weather.

That’s good to know re the part baked baguettes!

she does love toast or bagels for breakfast….what are a good replacement (currently but Tesco own thick toastie and New York bagels)

Thank you so much everyone ☺️

They look delicious!

People even try and claim my fat free unflavoured Greek Yogurt is a UPF. It's high in protein and calcium, really healthy and I'm not gonna give it up.

Once the NHS website tells me to avoid/limit a thing (which means there's a strong evidence base for it) then I'll give it up, but not before. Because there's a lot of flakery and bad 'science' around food. What mostly matters for food is the salt, sugar and fat content (and the red meat thing now of course.) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/what-are-processed-foods/

How about some organic cheese instead of babybel?

Have you read the book “ultra processed people”? It’s very interesting.

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/pizza-pinwheels.html

homemade these used to go down a treat

Sorry the above was for you, Porridge. There was a study done matching diets for calories, sugar and fat etc, the only difference was UPF or not. On the UPF diet they ate more and put on weight.

Its the edible chemical substances they put in the food that’s making so many people overweight.

And if your yogurt is fat free then it will be UPF because the’ll have put some weird chemical shit in there instead to give it a “creamy” mouth feel.

OP, I have been making banana bread for lunchboxes. It’s great because you can slice and freeze it and take it out as required. By lunchtime it’s perfect.

When mine were little they got:
2 veg they chose out of:carrot sticks, pepper, peas (defrosted peas not cooked!), cucumber, cherry toms cut in half,lettuce, radishes,cooked green beans, broad beans,celery etc
1 fruit (satsumas, cut oranges, chopped apples, banana, chopped grapes, blueberries, raspberries etc

1 out of Sandwich/wrap/ (with a savory filling - cooked chicken, cheese, marmite, humous) pasta salad/omlete/ left over dinner heated up and put in a thermos)
Pudding - either fruit or flapjacks, piece of cake, a biscuit

We do packed lunches every day - and tired of it!!! - for one DC. Also trying to limit UPF. (Other DC is a mega fussy eater and goes to a different school and has school lunch and wouldn’t eat half this stuff!)

-boiled eggs - easy win
-cut veggies - carrots / red peppers / cucumbers
-cut fruit - apples / melon / mango
-handful of seeds - only really likes pumpkin seeds
-Crosta and mollica wraps (not UPF) with hummus and carrot, or tofu sausage (I know this one is UPF but it’s healthy and DS loves it so I let it slide), or cheese (depending on what DC wants that day)
-leftover stir fry veggie and chicken rice. Dc only like it with soy sauce
-marmite sandwiches with homemade bread (we have a bread machine - but marmite is another UPF I let slide)

I do include prepackaged snacks but stick to the Organix oat bars which aren’t UPF. I sometimes put in Pom bears (I know UPF!).

I am enjoying this thread! I need new ideas!

It's bloody difficult if you're dairy free and with schools being nut and sesame free. Our go to sandwich was marmite but now we struggle to find any fillings or variety. They also won't allow hot food flasks.

@smilesup you should cook frozen veg. A few years ago they had a legionnaires outbreak linked to it.

Oh and pasta!! Lots of cold pasta! Homemade pesto (have to make it with seeds as is a nut free school) and olive pasta.

This is a great idea!

She doesn’t need a sweet treat. Sandwich made with sourdough bread, veg and fruit, dip. I’m pretty appalled that’s been her lunchbox, it’s bordering on neglect

Just in case it hasn't been mentioned yet - oatcakes aren't processed and are v convenient. They're lovely with cheese.

For a treat you could make these - they're really easy

4oz each of self raising flour, butter and caster sugar - you can reduce the sugar to 3ozs especially if you add dried fruit
2 large eggs

Cream the butter and sugar with electric beaters, sieve the flour over the creamed mixture , whisk the eggs with the same beaters and add to the mixture.Scoop into 10 or 11 bun cases which you've put in a bun tin obviously, then bake for 17-20 minutes at 180c.

Additional extras are dried cranberries, chopped dried prunes, raisins, small cubes of fresh apple. Deeelish.

Would she eat quinoa with things through it? You could boil up a batch with spring onions, soy sauce chilli and whatever other veg you fancy really . Will freeze well. Can be eaten hot or cold.

There are packets of ready made savoury quinoa too.