Ultra Processed Foods - Your Alternatives?
Discussion
RoadToad84 said:
996Type said:
Thank you, that recipe sounds delicious, will give it a go!
+1! I'm a big fan of fried cabbage and that sounds right up my street. I also enjoy frying cheese into either a patty, or a wrap type thing.
Another staple of mine is chicken soup. This is essentially a biproduct from stock making.
1kg chicken wings (£2) two onions, two carrots, two sticks of celery.
Roast the wings at about 200degreesC for 15 minutes. Add the veg and toss to coat in the released fat. Check after another 15 minutes and remove when nicely browned.
Put everything in a stock pot top up with cold water and barely simmer with a bouquet garni for as long as you can - I do overnight in a very low oven.
Strain the stock. I reduce this and use it in sauces etc.
Remove the meat from the bones and chop coarsely. Separate the mushy vegetables and blitz them with a stick blender, Recombine the veg puree and chicken pieces, add a chicken stock cube and water to a desired consistency. A little bit of soy and worcestershire sauce helps. Will need seasoning too depending on how salty the stock cube is.
I like to add a good amount of sweetcorn or some cooked mushrooms. Would give 8 restaurant starter portions and 4 sensible portions.
Decent amount of protein and veg. Proper umami hit so quite satisfying/filling. I'd guess sub 300 calories for a big portion. Cheap as chips - suspect the gas/electricity to cook is the most expensive 'ingredient'.
I've been trying to go UPF free (or as reasonably practical to do so) for the last 3 weeks. I can't say I feel a massive improvement in my general mood but I am snacking far, far less as I feel fuller for longer and my energy levels are at least as good as when I was eating 'normally'. I've lost 4lb as well.
I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
Tony Angelino said:
I've been trying to go UPF free (or as reasonably practical to do so) for the last 3 weeks. I can't say I feel a massive improvement in my general mood but I am snacking far, far less as I feel fuller for longer and my energy levels are at least as good as when I was eating 'normally'. I've lost 4lb as well.
I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
What upf are you thinking you need to incorporate that you can’t find an alternative for?I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
Flumpo said:
Tony Angelino said:
I've been trying to go UPF free (or as reasonably practical to do so) for the last 3 weeks. I can't say I feel a massive improvement in my general mood but I am snacking far, far less as I feel fuller for longer and my energy levels are at least as good as when I was eating 'normally'. I've lost 4lb as well.
I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
What upf are you thinking you need to incorporate that you can’t find an alternative for?I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
Ready rolled pastry to help make home made meat pies (I think M&S do a UPF free all butter ready rolled pastry but haven't found one in the shop yet). Naan breads and onion bhajis.
Paxo stuffing & Bisto Best gravy. Salad cream. I bloody love salad cream and substituting it with Tiptree Mayo is a tough one.
I know I could make my own salad cream, gravy and what have you but it's a balancing act between the time and hassle of doing this versus the benefits and quality of life.
Tony Angelino said:
Flumpo said:
Tony Angelino said:
I've been trying to go UPF free (or as reasonably practical to do so) for the last 3 weeks. I can't say I feel a massive improvement in my general mood but I am snacking far, far less as I feel fuller for longer and my energy levels are at least as good as when I was eating 'normally'. I've lost 4lb as well.
I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
What upf are you thinking you need to incorporate that you can’t find an alternative for?I'm not exactly miserable but I am starting to struggle a bit with my meals as I am getting a little bored with my repertoire, I may start to introduce a few more UPF foods to make life a bit easier.
Ready rolled pastry to help make home made meat pies (I think M&S do a UPF free all butter ready rolled pastry but haven't found one in the shop yet). Naan breads and onion bhajis.
Paxo stuffing & Bisto Best gravy. Salad cream. I bloody love salad cream and substituting it with Tiptree Mayo is a tough one.
I know I could make my own salad cream, gravy and what have you but it's a balancing act between the time and hassle of doing this versus the benefits and quality of life.
I thought you were going to say something like chips, pasta or bread.
I’m sure eating those things every now and then won’t do you any harm.
Flumpo said:
Ah, I see. They are pretty much UPFs without a natural alternatives!
I thought you were going to say something like chips, pasta or bread.
I’m sure eating those things every now and then won’t do you any harm.
I've made most of the easy swaps from the off, bread is either sourdough or from the local Turkish bakery so has no nasties. Chips I try use maris pipers chopped up, left to soak, boiled and then airfried in extra virgin olive oil but I have a bag of frozen chips from the Lidl that are potato and oil as the only ingredients. Pasta we're still having anyway with it only having 2-3 all natural ingredients. I thought you were going to say something like chips, pasta or bread.
I’m sure eating those things every now and then won’t do you any harm.
Tony Angelino said:
Sausages, bacon and ham. Pork pies & breaded fish.
Ready rolled pastry to help make home made meat pies (I think M&S do a UPF free all butter ready rolled pastry but haven't found one in the shop yet). Naan breads and onion bhajis.
Paxo stuffing & Bisto Best gravy. Salad cream. I bloody love salad cream and substituting it with Tiptree Mayo is a tough one.
I know I could make my own salad cream, gravy and what have you but it's a balancing act between the time and hassle of doing this versus the benefits and quality of life.
While still processed, buying sausages etc from your local butcher or farm shop will likely contain less preservatives/fillers etc. Will taste a heck of a lot nicer too. Ready rolled pastry to help make home made meat pies (I think M&S do a UPF free all butter ready rolled pastry but haven't found one in the shop yet). Naan breads and onion bhajis.
Paxo stuffing & Bisto Best gravy. Salad cream. I bloody love salad cream and substituting it with Tiptree Mayo is a tough one.
I know I could make my own salad cream, gravy and what have you but it's a balancing act between the time and hassle of doing this versus the benefits and quality of life.
RoadToad84 said:
While still processed, buying sausages etc from your local butcher or farm shop will likely contain less preservatives/fillers etc. Will taste a heck of a lot nicer too.
Absolutely, I was always a butchers man for stuff like that. I suppose it's a case of slowly adding the little pleasures back into the diet a bit at a time and hopefully stop before I hit the tipping point of too much UPF and lose the benefits I appear to have seen. It will make it a much more sustainable diet though if I can have a decent growler or bacon sarnie of a weekend like before. Been down this road more militantly than usual recently, and my advice would be quite simple. Firstly avoid anything in the supermarket that has packaging that you can’t see the contents, or there is a picture of the meal on it. So that immediately eliminates ready meals and cereals which are the worst of the lot.
Seed oils, avoid like the plague,so that means most shop bought bread. Bread shouldn’t be a problem really, so stick to sourdough if you need to buy it, making your own is very easy as is soda bread or a simple white loaf. Just takes a bit more effort, granted. But you can slice it and freeze it. Check ingredients of anything with seed oils in it, you’ll be amazed. For cooking, use coconut oil or butter.
Yes buy the best meat you can get, eggs, eggs and more eggs.
Pasta, rice and potatoes are a no. Same with any fizzy drink at all. No takeaways or eating out.
Lastly the above are rules, but rules can be broken and don’t be too hard on yourself, just if you can stick to it, it becomes habitual and the odd treat becomes just that, and more enjoyable with less guilt. Same if you like alcohol, I won’t put pressure on that one as it’s my vice
Seed oils, avoid like the plague,so that means most shop bought bread. Bread shouldn’t be a problem really, so stick to sourdough if you need to buy it, making your own is very easy as is soda bread or a simple white loaf. Just takes a bit more effort, granted. But you can slice it and freeze it. Check ingredients of anything with seed oils in it, you’ll be amazed. For cooking, use coconut oil or butter.
Yes buy the best meat you can get, eggs, eggs and more eggs.
Pasta, rice and potatoes are a no. Same with any fizzy drink at all. No takeaways or eating out.
Lastly the above are rules, but rules can be broken and don’t be too hard on yourself, just if you can stick to it, it becomes habitual and the odd treat becomes just that, and more enjoyable with less guilt. Same if you like alcohol, I won’t put pressure on that one as it’s my vice
Jeez you sound like fun! You’ll be ranting down the supermarket food aisles next, there is no food that you should avoid altogether, never ever take advice from someone who speaks in absolutes regarding nutrition, there is no problem with someone having a fizzy drink if it takes away the need to scoff a cake or a ton of chocolate bar’s I know many people that have used this method in successful weight loss programs, food shaming simply doesn’t work
Edited by mcelliott on Wednesday 20th March 09:27
The last paragraph is important! However the fun for me is that I’m in good shape and feel healthy, that is now where the endorphins come from, not from a cream cake! If you truly want to get healthier, lose weight etc, then I believe you’ve got to change your mindset and your diet will follow. “diets” don’t work because it’s a tail wagging dog philosophy.
That’s more an answer now to the original question, you replace your UPF with the feeling of looking and feeling good, if you’re still looking to them to make you “happy”, I don’t think you’re going to succeed. Again, no problem at all once in a while, not going to kill you
Edited by Scarfie on Wednesday 20th March 09:50
Scarfie said:
Been down this road more militantly than usual recently, and my advice would be quite simple. Firstly avoid anything in the supermarket that has packaging that you can’t see the contents, or there is a picture of the meal on it. So that immediately eliminates ready meals and cereals which are the worst of the lot.
Seed oils, avoid like the plague,so that means most shop bought bread. Bread shouldn’t be a problem really, so stick to sourdough if you need to buy it, making your own is very easy as is soda bread or a simple white loaf. Just takes a bit more effort, granted. But you can slice it and freeze it. Check ingredients of anything with seed oils in it, you’ll be amazed. For cooking, use coconut oil or butter.
Yes buy the best meat you can get, eggs, eggs and more eggs.
Pasta, rice and potatoes are a no. Same with any fizzy drink at all. No takeaways or eating out.
Lastly the above are rules, but rules can be broken and don’t be too hard on yourself, just if you can stick to it, it becomes habitual and the odd treat becomes just that, and more enjoyable with less guilt. Same if you like alcohol, I won’t put pressure on that one as it’s my vice
What's the thinking behind not eating pasta, rice and spuds please? Seed oils, avoid like the plague,so that means most shop bought bread. Bread shouldn’t be a problem really, so stick to sourdough if you need to buy it, making your own is very easy as is soda bread or a simple white loaf. Just takes a bit more effort, granted. But you can slice it and freeze it. Check ingredients of anything with seed oils in it, you’ll be amazed. For cooking, use coconut oil or butter.
Yes buy the best meat you can get, eggs, eggs and more eggs.
Pasta, rice and potatoes are a no. Same with any fizzy drink at all. No takeaways or eating out.
Lastly the above are rules, but rules can be broken and don’t be too hard on yourself, just if you can stick to it, it becomes habitual and the odd treat becomes just that, and more enjoyable with less guilt. Same if you like alcohol, I won’t put pressure on that one as it’s my vice
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