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 😂😂😂

@mibbelucieachwell oatcakes are processed, they’re just not ultra processed. Though most contain palm oil which is an ultra processed oil when used in this things, though because they’re generally a better option I tend to not worry about it too much in oatcakes

@porridgeisbae Id recommend the book Ultra Processed People, the new research is showing just thinking about salt, fat and sugar really isn’t the whole picture at all. Diets matched for salt, fat and sugar but differing in UPF content have quite different effects on the body

Add a small screw top container of full fat Greek yoghurt (plain, unsweetened) with fruit such as chopped pineapple or mango or berries for a healthy gut.

@porridgeisbae you don’t have to buy into this if you don’t want to but this is a thread where the OP is asking for tips to reduce upf in her dc lunch. If you look at the list in the OP I’m sure you agree it is not optimal. Ok for an occasional treat but not packed together everyday for lunch.

@gotomomo I think you make a good point about having ham once a week. There are lots of people eating things like bacon, sausages and other processed red meats most days. Of course it’s ok to have anything if it forms a small percentage of your diet and the bulk is healthier fare.

I also think whilst it is fine to go the whole hog and make your own bread or buy very specific brands that are less processed, it is possible to reduce the amount of upf without doing this. Most people could significantly reduce their upf intake by cooking more from scratch and eating more whole foods even if they have a couple of slices of bread each day. It is a faff to make your own bread, whereas I think there are lots of straightforward evening meals that can be prepped without upf.

My children have a sandwich (granary bread), that’s the worst thing they get.

organic yoghurt

mixed berries

babybel

banana

Cucumber

Thank you. Lots of ideas.

dinners are fine as I cook every night with fresh ingredients

I seem to have missed your post with ideas for non UPF items that are not neglectful 🙄

@PinkRoses1245 no, neglect is no lunch.

I'm wary of some NHS advice due to the emphasis on low fat (and low sugar but artificial sweetener is fine) approach that is still widely shared.

Full disclosure - I worked in cardiac rehabilitation in the days when leaflets were sponsored by flora. Things have improved, and the NHS advice now broadly supports a Mediterranean diet, but industry still has too much leverage.

I don't strictly ahere to a UPF free lifestyle but I do try and make some swaps and be conscious that I'm not going full on UPF for every meal, every day.

So for sandwiches, I buy chicken, turkey or beef. I found a few variations at Morrisons and Tesco that don't have any UPFs, added extras, nitrites etc that you find in ham etc. I do with cranberry sauce which isn't UPF free but she doesn't have much.

I will use ham from time to time, especially if my husband has brought it back from shop.

I used to bake bread but haven't been well recently, so have just used normal shop bought loafs recently - sometimes I'll use Crosta and Mollica wraps instead, which are UPF free.

I'll then add some of the following:

Hummus with carrot sticks and cucumber sticks
Slices of tomato
Popcorn
Watermelon
Cheddar cheese all chopped up, no idea if processed or ultra processed?
Raisins

I am adding a Soreen bar with this at the moment, but I would like to get back into baking a batch of cakes or flapjacks again now I'm feeling well again.

Mine have left over from dinner in a flask otherwise a homemade wrap or a crosta and mollica pizza slice. Then a homemade treat flapjack/cake/biscuit and some fruit.

I do a sandwich (turkey ham or chicken), a yoghurt, breadsticks and cubes of cheese and a banana.

That said, are cold cuts of meat a UPF?

@Hubblebubble have a look at the packages but most sliced meats contain preservatives such as nitrates. You can buy “chicken breast pieces “ or of course roast you own.
Cheese from a block or tinned tuna are safer options.

Thank you all.

today was -
cooked chicken fillet (from yesterdays dinner)
dragon fruit
cucumber
babybel
and mini oreos

I have the 4 portion lunch boxes from shein

we don’t have beige dinners so I have took some comfort that I can only change little bits at a time

I’m to old to be worrying about me but I want to at least try for my DD where I can

@Hubblebubble most store bought bread is ultra processed, have a look at the ingredients.
@Jtdoyoveme it’s definitely not too late to worry about you!

Thank you. I say that flippantly…I am trying to reduce our household UPF but my focus is my DD

I am 39 so know I am soon to hit menopause and have read the benefits of cutting UPF

we do 'leftover bakes'

basically whatever we have for dinner, chop up, mix with egg (and milk in case dinner was on the dry side) and bake in muffon cases.

@BuffaloCauliflower I get it from a bakery in the market. Varies from tiger bread to sour dough and seedy loafs. It was the meat slice quality I was worried about. A PP suggested roasting and slicing a chicken myself, which is a fab idea.

@Hubblebubble have you seen the recipe for the bread? You’d be amazed what stuff goes into apparently artisanal products.

Would home made pizza base, with home made Sauce and cheese on top be non processed?

pasta tuna and sweetcorn

How processed is pitta? That’s a favourite here but with shop hummus, which is probably horribly processed!

@Jtdoyoveme Ohhh I remembered a great and super easy pizza base recipe which would totally work in a lunchbox. We have it weekly in our house for dinner. Equal parts self-raising flour and Greek yoghurt (250g of each does 2 big pizzas) mix, divide and pat into rounds about 1cm thick. Bake for around 10 mins, top with a tomato sauce (we just cook down tinned tomatoes with onion and garlic until thick while the base is cooking) and other toppings. Then bake for around 10 mins. Upf-free AND super easy!

That sounds lovely. I’ll give it a go!

If you don’t have the time to mix the pizza base, jus roll do a sourdough that has a really nice short ingredient list. You just roll it out, top and cook.