Unprocessed food challenge...can i do it?!

[FasterPussyCatGrrrl]

I feel like DS1 is eating too much processed foods, so i said to DH that next week i'm going to challenge myself to not give him ANY processed foods at all...(not proposing to do it forever, is more to see if i can)

I can make my own bread (just about). So, no organix stuff, fish fingers, beans etc.

Does anyone not give their kids ANY processed foods, and do they find it easy?

how old is ds?

It's really easy to make chicken nuggets and fish fingers - just chop, coat in breadcrumbs (from your home-made bread, natch!) and cook.

What do you mean by processed? Is cheese processed? Natural yoghurt? Milk (it's pasteurised and homogenised after all!)

The not-made-from-absolutely-basic-ingredients stuff we give DS is:
Bread
Almond butter (almonds, oil, not salt)
Unsalted rice cakes
Pasta (brown, rice or buckwheat)

Not sure about tahini, butter, yoghurt (not really processed in the 'bad' way, but are 'manufactured'!)

I'm trying to think of other things, but not managing just yet. It's really easy for us, but that's because we just don't buy jars and frozen stuff anyway. Making bread - well, I keep meaning to, but it's proved a step too far!

over 20mths. he eats lots fruit and veg, and i cook things like bolognaise, but having a 4mth old too, i've got a bit lazy.

we roll things in egg before the breadcrumbs, scootergrrl, do you? If not, how do you get it to stick?

littlefog- he's dairy intolerant, so doesn't matter!

99% of the time I do, but do have a feww emergency supplies in the cupboard/freezer for when in a rush. I make my own fishfingers
nuggets
bread
mince
sausages
burgers
yoghurt
icecream

i find it quite easy, but then i use things like tinned tomatoes which you can argue is processed food

frogs - i sometimes dip in milk to make the crumbs stick. my dd is a bit funny about egg (she can get a rash)

can you freeze home made nuggets and fish fingers- i assume you can?

yes you can

make a big batch and freeze in portions

Yes provided the chicken/fish hasn't been frozen previously.

What's your definition of processed?

I don't give mine fish fingers and the like because dd doesn't like crispy breadcrumb coating. Also not that keen on beans.

But they eat lots of ham, cheese, smoked salmon etc which are obviously high in salt which is my main concern about processed foods. And you could include them in your definition of processed.

It's as easy to coat a bit of fish in flour and fry it as to do fish fingers, cut up a chicken breast and fry it instead of nuggets, cheese on toast with tomato instead of ready made pizza. So in that sense it's not hard but if children have a pre-conception about what they think they like, and they think they like fish fiingers, it could be very hard.

I don't want to sound smug. My dcs eat a very limited, and getting more limited all the time, diet. I struggle to come up with meals they will eat. It's just that they don't tend to like processed foods.

i'd say ham is processed, unless you buy an untouched joint and cook it yourself. there's water and additives in packet ham usually.

i think it'll be interesting not reaching for packets for a week.

Are you going to make your own pasta? I always mean to do that and never have.

And, um, thingies too. Wossnames. Little potato thingies to eat with sauce... like pasta...

Sorry - crisis involving DS hittng DD with the poker . My crumbs seem to stick ok to chicken but need egg or suchlike with fish. Ut's really nice if you marinade the chicken in buttermilk first too.

Gnocchi?

gnocci? never had that...

not making my own pasta. i've failed already! (at least pasta is just wheat though, no salt, sugar etc)

Gnocci! That's it.

it's all gone tits up already!

i wasn't really prepared properly, and he's mad for beans, breadsticks and organix rice cakes at the moment.

ah well. will try and do better towards the end of the week.

there is a Whole Earth brand of beans that have the basic ingredients - you can get it at a Health food store.