A UPF free Christmas??

[florentina22049]

After reading Tim Spector's Food for life and Ultra processed people by Chris Van Tulleken I changed my family's diet to a much healthier, more wholefood based diet. DC have been adapting rather well to it and we all feel much better. I fear that the Christmas period will put our efforts to the test though. All the Christmas foods in the supermarkets looks so UPF to me. I would love to hear what others who are also on a UPF free journey doing for Christmas? I really can't see us cutting out all these lovely treats...

Just started following this page for their daily advent calendar featuring non-UPF treats. Exciting finds so far! 🤗
https://instagram.com/go.upf.free

Chris Van Tullekens book doesn't say UPF needs to be entirely cut-out, he accepts it is part of modern life, he just recommends to be aware and to reduce the proportion of it in your diet. Unless, like him, you have such a problematic relationship with food that you cannot approach with any sort of moderation. I would just apply the framework I apply in day to day life - focus on home cooked meals made from mostly whole (UPF free) ingredients and allow myself a couple of treats at the weekend - there is no reason you can't keep this up over Christmas.

Some Christmas foods, like mince pies, can probably be made UPF free at home from scratch. But other foods, like pigs in blankets, would be very hard as I think UPF sausages are nigh on impossible to find. A bar of 85% dark chocolate is just not a suitable replacement for a tub of celebrations in my opinion, so enjoy them. Things like a bowl of nuts (still in their shells) is UPF free and I associate very strongly as a Christmas treat, as a kid I loved cracking into them, I still do now.

'Christmas foods' in terms of prepared 'party food' can be difficult, yes. But turkey, carrots, sprouts, potatoes etc. are non-UPF. I stay away from pigs in blankets and bacon for the nitrites.

Regarding that bar of choc and selection box/celebrations etc. the closest I've got is to melt it down with equal quantity of double cream to make a ganache. You can then mould that around basically any filling you like such as:-

fruit compotes sweetened with honey/jaggery
chopped toasted nuts
toasted seeds/spices
washed dried fruit not containing sulphites
desiccated coconut
mashed avocado
spike the cream with non-sulphite alcohols like rum for extra flavour

all non-UPF and the truffles keep well in the fridge ready to go for a few days. They look impressive for the amount of effort.

You can find non UPF free sausages.

See pipersfarm.com/collections/natural-sausages/products/pork-apple-sausages

No nitrites, no weird ingredients. Obviously they are "processed", as all made foods are, but not UPF I would say.

Meat from this company is not cheap, but it is reliably very good and if you are treating sausages as a "treat", then you are fine.

Not an affiliate, just pointing out that you can find better versions if you are prepared to pay. After all, the reason why UPF are full of bad stuff is because shops want it to last longer (pipers farm sends frozen) and because it is cheaper, or a combination.

Whether you think it is environmentally friendly to do this type or ordering from a low food miles company compared with walking to the local shops etc is tricky, but it is worthwhile for me.