Is there a game changer and is this it? UPF

[Sandcastles24]

Inspired by the tread on AIBU which has been deleted. It was a great thread despite the bad starting tone.
The podcast referenced here:
Addicted to food

It says that not all calories are equal. Our weights have got out of control since the introduction of mass production of convenience food in the 60s. Brazil has categorised food which should be avoided as a category 4: ultra processed food.
There have now been loads of studies that suggest it works even I'd they don't pinpoint the reason for the problem with processed food.
I have been thinking of giving this a go for a few years even though it doesn't sound easy at all. Now feels like the day!
I will cut out bought lunches and sauces but I won't be able to cut shop bought bread.

Is anyone else going to try and what will you cut or keep?

I think the Nova classifications are helpful. I think there's a difference between traditional processed foods you could effectively make at home or on a small scale: bacon, bread, cheese, preserves etc, and full on factory foods like pringles.

The epidemic of obesity/ related conditions is fairly recent. Modern foods or eating styles must be a factor. Maybe it's a double whammy of way more snacking (almost 100% UPF) and convenience foods being more fattening than traditional cooking.

OK, so I didn't do great today. I was in work for the first time in ages and had an UPF breakfast and lunch :😞 This evening was fine but I still feel bad.

@minuette1 interesting on Ghee for cooking i have never even comsodered that. I domt even know what it is. I currently have cold pressed rapeseed oil which seems good

@LadyEloise1 the link for the podcasts? It works for me.
It can be found on bbc sounds by searching for addicted to food

I bought a loaf from the bakery yesterday after reading about supermarket bread. It was £2. It weighs more and smells delicious. It toasts like a dream and I made my boys sandwiches this morning and after school he said it was the nicest sandwich I've ever made him.

I had boiled egg and toast this morning and it kept me full much longer than supermarket bread.

I'm sticking to this, it's too good!

@NoAprilFool and @picklemewalnuts I love home made hummus too but my DH won't touch it. I leave the skins on the chickpeas because I like the extra fiber which probably doesn't help.
My tip for making it is to microwave a clove of garlic for a few sec before adding. It takes away the bite

@ticktickticktickBOOM what beautiful feedback 😍 ❤️

I've just lost 3 stones by going back to basics, avoiding tier 2, 3 and 4 processed food - my health coach said that all food is processed to sone degree but the minute it stops looking like its original core ingredient then it becomes problematic (eg shop bought pasta, bread etc as well as all the convenience foods) / I found by completely cutting those out I lost the weight - then I started re-introducing things I love too much to live without - but the best quality I can afford eg 'proper' cheese, grass fed butter etc - but cooking from scratch again (I'd got really lazy) and avoiding jars of sauces etc - every now and then it slips because life happens but it's much easier to take the reins again when life calms down and get back into a healthy groove without feeling deprived. It really is a game changer!

When I was first diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic, I restricted UPF as much as possible and lost two stone in six months without even trying. This was 20 years ago. Go for it.

(Crisp and Dry which is also rapeseed oil is our oil of choice)

I can do this dead easy, until.... I binge eat crap. It's so frustrating.

The bread was sooo nice I just had to post about it! @Sandcastles24

@Sandcastles24 You might find a couple of books interesting - Spoon Fed by Prof Tim Spector, and Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson.
There is a lot of sense in these books and they do help you to understand, and indeed question, where accepted ‘wisdoms’ have come from. The role of industry, especially the sugar industry, is also mentioned, and it is an eye-opener.
They both cover quite a diverse range of dietary factors without any evangelism, but they will
make you question what you thought you already knew about food.
I’ve taken on board some things from the books, and I do feel better for it. And yes, lost weight.
Good luck!

Would supermarket bakery bread be less processed than packaged?

Look in the ingredients. If there's anything in it that you wouldn't find in your kitchen cupboards, don't buy it.

The preservatives and shelf-life extenders of many of our processed foods have a lot to answer for!

I had a look online and some contain palm oil and dextrose.
But the ingredients for the sourdough is
*
Wheat Flour, Water, Salt, Malted Barley* Flour.

Which seems quite good.
Though £1.80 for 400g

I use my bread maker to mix, knead and prove the dough. After that, I tip it out to shape into a boule and leave to rise again in a colander lined with a tea towel. I score it with scissors and put in the oven. It's about 4 -4.5 hours total but only about 5 minutes of hands on time for each step (so 15 minutes hands on time). I put it on when I get home so it's ready after I've had dinner and I'm not tempted to eat it all when it smells of warm bread. Keeps well for a few days and looks much more impressive in real life.

Get a breadmaker. Packaged bread really disagrees with me but I'm OK with freshly made, even if it's not arsisanal sourdough.

I was forced to give up cheese at menopause, though. It dies horrible things to me.

Theya re less processed than packaged but still more processed than traditional bread. They have an excess of yeast in to make them rise faster and have more salt. Many have additives.

@LadySpratt I haven't head of either of those books I will take a look.

That is actually positive that the supermarket bakery bread is at least less processed. I generally thought it wasn't that different just heated up in store to look good. I don't really have enough counter space for a breadmaker

Is there a small local bakery? I know they are getting rarer but our local bakery sells several breads made with flour, yeast, salt and water. They also do done ancient grain / spelt bread. I use it for toast so slice then freeze and it keeps for ever.

I think there's a difference between traditional processed foods you could effectively make at home or on a small scale: bacon, bread, cheese, preserves etc, and full on factory foods like pringles
I hope so as we eat a LOT of pasta. I've just done a weekly shop trying to avoid UPFs - harder and more expensive than I thought!

Good sourdough bread is better for you and so good. Unfortunately most supermarket sourdough is a cheap impersonation and has yeast and other things in which real sourdough doesn't. If you can find the real stuff it is around £5 per loaf but lasts really well and makes superb toast once it starts to go a bit dry after a couple of days.

Real sourdough does contain yeast, but it’s a natural /wild yeast made by capturing wild yeast in a flour and water starter. This then grows into a ‘mother’ that is split and fed regularly. One of my locals bakeries has a ‘mother’ that is over 20 years old.

This is a good resource, the NOVA classification to work out if what you are eating is UPF

world.openfoodfacts.org/nova

Hi thanks for the info on this. I had heard about the omega oil problem before and have been looking for something sustainable - which this is pretty much for me as we eat a lot of unprocessed and home cooked anyway.

Couple of questions - is white rice okay as a grain (I know wholemeal is better all round, but I don't particularly like it)

Also would there be any instant (ish) gravy solutions? I always use meat juices but do add granules to them. I can't imagine just greasy juices or watery stock.

Thank you!