Topic: Ultra Processed Foods

[Draex]

I don't know. Frozen veg and dry rice. I'd try and cook that in some way.

Thats what the oil is for, forgot the soy sauce of course, makes any meal!

[Kenny's Jacket]

Farm Foods is ace for Frozen veg. 

Ive recently bought frozen peppers, dry fry them with fajita powder and chicken or prawns
Champion

[redbyrdz]

Thats what the oil is for, forgot the soy sauce of course, makes any meal!

Soy sauce is great.

Think a lot of soy sauce will fall under UPF though. I'm sure you could make it at home, but the stuff you can buy is probably UPF.

[jillcwhomever]

Farm Foods is ace for Frozen veg. 

Ive recently bought frozen peppers, dry fry them with fajita powder and chicken or prawns
Champion

I brought some frozen onions from Morrisons when I made some French Onion soup as I couldn't be arsed crying for a week as I did last time, when I used fresh ones! There wasn't any difference in taste I have to say. I have just made a Carrot soup today and added a potato to it which has completely taken out the sweetness of the carrots. Meh!

[Andy82lfc]

This is the thing with that Guardian article and ones before it, they give broad indications but never any specific examples.

Cereals for example, is this all cereals or specific ones, which ones? Why don't they give a list? Same goes for pre-baked goods, etc.

It makes it sound so broad it's hard to tell if anything is UPF rather than simply a PF.

[Draex]

Soy sauce is great.

Think a lot of soy sauce will fall under UPF though. I'm sure you could make it at home, but the stuff you can buy is probably UPF.

I think it's "moderately", but I use the light one so I don't kill myself with salt.

This thread has been great for information, turning 40 has made me and the misses try and get healthy.

[duvva 💅]

Yes! I was put off so much veg growing up because it was boiled mush. Sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage are all delicious roasted/pan-fried. Especially when you add garlic and a bit of seasoning.

Same all veg I was served as a kid was tasteless boiled mush. These days now it’s cooked properly I eat a far better variety, particularly now I don’t eat meat or fish.

Have recently made an effort to cut out more UPF as well. Things like Coke Zero have gone which I lived on. Changed my cereal to CornFlakes as it’s one of the least processed. Changed to Rude Health Oat ‘milk’ again the least processed variety I could find. Try and eat things like eggs for lunch. Do have baked beans which I believe are UPF but one of the least bad?

We generally cook our evening meals from scratch which helps avoid stuff. But it’s still so difficult, I now drink more cordial but that counts as UPF, just can’t drink water.

Anyone know any reasonably priced alternatives to cordial?

[jillcwhomever]

Same all veg I was served as a kid was tasteless boiled mush. These days now it’s cooked properly I eat a far better variety, particularly now I don’t eat meat or fish.

Have recently made an effort to cut out more UPF as well. Things like Coke Zero have gone which I lived on. Changed my cereal to CornFlakes as it’s one of the least processed. Changed to Rude Health Oat ‘milk’ again the least processed variety I could find. Try and eat things like eggs for lunch. Do have baked beans which I believe are UPF but one of the least bad?

We generally cook our evening meals from scratch which helps avoid stuff. But it’s still so difficult, I now drink more cordial but that counts as UPF, just can’t drink water.

Anyone know any reasonably priced alternatives to cordial?

The best cordial I think is Blackcurrant I started having it warm when I had Covid earlier on and it really helped me when I was coughing away in the evening. Most of the cordials around are expensive. If you can't drink water what about fruit flavoured water instead? There is a huge range of that available and it doesn't cost much at all.

[Draex]

Same all veg I was served as a kid was tasteless boiled mush. These days now it’s cooked properly I eat a far better variety, particularly now I don’t eat meat or fish.

Have recently made an effort to cut out more UPF as well. Things like Coke Zero have gone which I lived on. Changed my cereal to CornFlakes as it’s one of the least processed. Changed to Rude Health Oat ‘milk’ again the least processed variety I could find. Try and eat things like eggs for lunch. Do have baked beans which I believe are UPF but one of the least bad?

We generally cook our evening meals from scratch which helps avoid stuff. But it’s still so difficult, I now drink more cordial but that counts as UPF, just can’t drink water.

Anyone know any reasonably priced alternatives to cordial?

Water, we've tried everything and they are all horrible and sugar free stuff is worse than the ones with sugar.

[jillcwhomever]

Water, we've tried everything and they are all horrible and sugar free stuff is worse than the ones with sugar.

The fruit flavoured water is fine, I don't understand how people cannot like those.

[Kenny's Jacket]

The fruit flavoured water is fine, I don't understand how people cannot like those.

I dont, I only like still unflavoured water.  Dont even like a slice of lemon

A lad in work used to out cucumber in his water, made me gag at the thought

[buttersstotch]

Isn't the key with all the UPF that it's near enough impossible to avoid them from our diets? I think the biggest thing is awareness that what you think and is perceived to be 'healthy' actually isn't as healthy as it claims to be.

The judgement of UPF is so broad it's impossible to tell what is and what isn't. I've found that I just make conscious decisions, I love stuff like crisps, chocolates, coke zero - we shouldn't need to cut all these items out of our diets. It's little things like if you buy micowaveable rice.. some of the more expensive varieties are just backed with colourings, emulsifiers. Same goes in the supermarkets if you buy meat with pre-flavourings.

[jillcwhomever]

I dont, I only like still unflavoured water.  Dont even like a slice of lemon

A lad in work used to out cucumber in his water, made me gag at the thought

There is a firm that uses wonky fruit and adds it to water one of which is cucumber flavoured and it's lovely, it really clears the pallet. If you think about it logically cucumber is made up of water! So, how can it make you gag? 

[Kenny's Jacket]

There is a firm that uses wonky fruit and adds it to water one of which is cucumber flavoured and it's lovely, it really clears the pallet. If you think about it logically cucumber is made up of water! So, how can it make you gag? 

I really liker cucumber too, just dont like flavoured water, and absolutely hate sparkling, it taste like gas.

[Sangria]

The best cordial I think is Blackcurrant I started having it warm when I had Covid earlier on and it really helped me when I was coughing away in the evening. Most of the cordials around are expensive. If you can't drink water what about fruit flavoured water instead? There is a huge range of that available and it doesn't cost much at all.

When I had covid I had a craving for orange juice.

[jillcwhomever]

I really liker cucumber too, just dont like flavoured water, and absolutely hate sparkling, it taste like gas.

Each to their own. 

When I had covid I had a craving for orange juice.

I was drinking orange juice through the day and going on to warm Blackcurrant at night, say nothing of making endless drinks of honey and lemon. Tonics like that definitely help though.

[rob1966]

I brought some frozen onions from Morrisons when I made some French Onion soup as I couldn't be arsed crying for a week as I did last time, when I used fresh ones! There wasn't any difference in taste I have to say. I have just made a Carrot soup today and added a potato to it which has completely taken out the sweetness of the carrots. Meh!

When our kid was at catering college he was telling me that frozen veg is better than Supermarket fresh as its picked, cleaned and frozen really really quickly, whereas fresh veg can sit about for days, as its moved around the country.

I can attest to that as I've worked on the fridges, for Tesco, Iceland, Somerfields (now Co-op), Farmfoods and a company in Rainford. Last year for example I took a load of fresh veg up to the Aldi RDC in Bathgate outside Edinburgh, it was picked on a farm in Essex, no idea how long it sat in the fridges there, it then got driven to Rainford, went into the Fridge there, put in another trailer which I then took to Aldi, it then goes in their fridge until its picked and sent in their wagon to the store. So even in that example, best case scenario is if it was picked on the Friday, the earliest it got to a store was Sunday night, but more likely Monday.

[jillcwhomever]

When our kid was at catering college he was telling me that frozen veg is better than Supermarket fresh as its picked, cleaned and frozen really really quickly, whereas fresh veg can sit about for days, as its moved around the country.

I can attest to that as I've worked on the fridges, for Tesco, Iceland, Somerfields (now Co-op), Farmfoods and a company in Rainford. Last year for example I took a load of fresh veg up to the Aldi RDC in Bathgate outside Edinburgh, it was picked on a farm in Essex, no idea how long it sat in the fridges there, it then got driven to Rainford, went into the Fridge there, put in another trailer which I then took to Aldi, it then goes in their fridge until its picked and sent in their wagon to the store. So even in that example, best case scenario is if it was picked on the Friday, the earliest it got to a store was Sunday night, but more likely Monday.

That's an interesting point rob to be fair, maybe frozen veg is better overall. I do like fresh vegetables if I'm honest but I am suspicious as to what they may have put on them to keep them fresh. The best way is probably to grow your own, I shared an allotment with my sister and her partner and I have never felt better in myself then when we were growing our own veg and fruit. Going to get a Blueberry plant tomorrow, miss my cravings for blueberries. 

[duvva 💅]

There is a firm that uses wonky fruit and adds it to water one of which is cucumber flavoured and it's lovely, it really clears the pallet. If you think about it logically cucumber is made up of water! So, how can it make you gag? 

I’ve heard Kenny gag on a cucumber, wasn’t pleasant

[duvva 💅]

When I had covid I had a craving for orange juice.

Each to their own. 

I was drinking orange juice through the day and going on to warm Blackcurrant at night, say nothing of making endless drinks of honey and lemon. Tonics like that definitely help though.

You have to watch what orange juice you get though. Some of the processes used to ‘create’ orange juice are enough to make you want to vomit

[Elmo!]

Farm Foods is ace for Frozen veg. 

Ive recently bought frozen peppers, dry fry them with fajita powder and chicken or prawns
Champion

If you don't already you should make your own fajita seasoning, it's really easy and much cheaper, and you can use it for all sorts, not just fajitas.

Just mix up some cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano and some chilli powder.

[Kenny's Jacket]

I’ve heard Kenny gag on a cucumber, wasn’t pleasant

No one likes a bragger Duvva 

[Draex]

When our kid was at catering college he was telling me that frozen veg is better than Supermarket fresh as its picked, cleaned and frozen really really quickly, whereas fresh veg can sit about for days, as its moved around the country.

I can attest to that as I've worked on the fridges, for Tesco, Iceland, Somerfields (now Co-op), Farmfoods and a company in Rainford. Last year for example I took a load of fresh veg up to the Aldi RDC in Bathgate outside Edinburgh, it was picked on a farm in Essex, no idea how long it sat in the fridges there, it then got driven to Rainford, went into the Fridge there, put in another trailer which I then took to Aldi, it then goes in their fridge until its picked and sent in their wagon to the store. So even in that example, best case scenario is if it was picked on the Friday, the earliest it got to a store was Sunday night, but more likely Monday.

Fruit is clearly frozen or chilled to some sort of level to keep it "fresh", any we get like strawberries, rasbs etc. Are turning on the day despite the use by date.

[thejbs]

When our kid was at catering college he was telling me that frozen veg is better than Supermarket fresh as its picked, cleaned and frozen really really quickly, whereas fresh veg can sit about for days, as its moved around the country.

I can attest to that as I've worked on the fridges, for Tesco, Iceland, Somerfields (now Co-op), Farmfoods and a company in Rainford. Last year for example I took a load of fresh veg up to the Aldi RDC in Bathgate outside Edinburgh, it was picked on a farm in Essex, no idea how long it sat in the fridges there, it then got driven to Rainford, went into the Fridge there, put in another trailer which I then took to Aldi, it then goes in their fridge until its picked and sent in their wagon to the store. So even in that example, best case scenario is if it was picked on the Friday, the earliest it got to a store was Sunday night, but more likely Monday.

I think it’s par in terms of nutrition. Frozen veg is flash boiled/steamed before being frozen and that destroys some of the vitamin content. Fresh veg loses some of its vitamin content as it degrades. Depends what I’m making but I generally prefer fresh veg.

[thejbs]

If you don't already you should make your own fajita seasoning, it's really easy and much cheaper, and you can use it for all sorts, not just fajitas.

Just mix up some cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano and some chilli powder.

And your own KFC batter is really easy…

My wife made homemade Nutella recently and was annoyed when I said it tasted ‘just like the shop one.’ It was a massive compliment.

[Indomitable_Carp]

We were given one of Rukmini Iyer's books which I would also recommend.

I'll check them out, thanks!