Ultra Processed Foods - Your Alternatives?
Discussion
dci said:
Tony Angelino said:
What's the thinking behind not eating pasta, rice and spuds please?
Pasta can be packed full of all sorts of rubbish as it's a processed food. Rice and spuds are about as natural as can be so help yourself.
I'm still eating processed food and ingredients like rice, wheat, brown sugar etc. but avoiding ultra processed foods as far as is reasonably practical.
Tony Angelino said:
What's the thinking behind not eating pasta, rice and spuds please?
Sugar basically. They aren’t totally bad for you, but the spike in sugars just does that, spikes your appetite. You don’t need these foods at all, they tend to make you eat more. Just be aware, cut them out, think of them as a treat! I love a roast dinner, so spuds will always be on my plate for roast dinner 
but I don’t ever eat them when I’m cooking during the week now. Used to be on every meal. Curry is the answer. A few quid spent at somewhere like The Spicery and you can make simple veggie curries in minutes. I recon I could make a decent chickpea and sweet potato curry from scratch quicker than you could microwave 2 frozen lasagnas. Healthier, tastier and cheaper we eat curry maybe 3 times a week and I rarely put meat in them.
BoRED S2upid said:
Curry is the answer. A few quid spent at somewhere like The Spicery and you can make simple veggie curries in minutes. I recon I could make a decent chickpea and sweet potato curry from scratch quicker than you could microwave 2 frozen lasagnas. Healthier, tastier and cheaper we eat curry maybe 3 times a week and I rarely put meat in them.
Ooh, that's exactly what I do! can I share something I wrote for my Facebook friends? Absolutely nobody:
Me: BUTTERNUT SQUASH BIRYANI b
hES!! Oh God, David's been in the kitchen again. Damn right.
Got given a butternut squash - one of the perks of being a bus driver is random gifts and lost property - so decided to make use of it. Didn't have much else in, so typed the contents of my fridge into Google. Didn't fancy edible lube and stilton sandwiches, so decided to make a curry instead. Can't go wrong with curry can ya?
First things first, what the f
k do you do with a butternut squash other than laugh at the size and shape of it and take inappropriate selfies? Well, I cut off the top and tail, then sliced it lengthways before scooping out the seeds and stringy bits. Kept them though, cos then I can grow my very own butternut squash tree. Or something. After trying and failing to separate the flesh from the skin using a spoon, I employed a potato peeler and then cut the stupid thing into small cubes. Not so phallic now are ya?
Every good curry starts with onion and garlic, so chop some up and get them softening in a pan in some olive oil/coconut oil/butter. Sprinkle in some cumin seeds if you've got them. Don't worry if not.
While they're doing their thing, grab some mushrooms, slice and add to the pan to soften for a couple of minutes.
Spices next. I combine mine into a little glass jar then chuck the whole lot in together. Dunno why, it's just what I do. The jar never gets washed either, spices are dry so it ain't minging, and it smells amazing with the remnants of hundreds of meals developing a nice patina.
Oh yeah, you probably want to know what to add to the spice jar. Cumin, natch. Paprika, smoked preferably. Chillies or Cayenne pepper for some kick. Bit of cinnamon maybe? Go easy though. And some salt and pepper to taste.
Sling that little lot in, along with the chopped up butternut squash, and stir to combine. Should get nice and fragrant.
Tin of chopped tomatoes, in they go, stirring through until they darken. I was struck by inspiration at this point and squeezed in some honey. I love honey.
Should look and smell like curry now. That's cos it is, do keep up.
But Dave, didn't you say this was a biryani? Shouldn't there be rice?
Yeah alright, I'm getting to that. Now, I'm no stranger to the local curry house, but I'm not actually very sure how they make a biryani, so I'm probably way off the mark here. What I did was take some rice, and chuck it in the pot. Then added some vegetable stock (2:1 ratio is good) I was cooking mine in the pressure cooker so popped it on high for 2 minutes and let it do its thing. Otherwise, you'll want to bring it to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes or so, depending on what rice you're using. You knew there were different types right? You didn't? Ah. Well, good luck. I'm sure it'll be fine.
After the beeping to tell me the pressure thingy had done it's pressure/no more pressure thing, I popped the lid and stirred in a tablespoon or so of double cream. Not gonna lie, I was getting a bit turned on by how good this looked and smelled. Good job I've got that edible lube in the fridge...
Before plating up, I was struck by more inspiration and cracked an egg into a frying pan, and loosely scrambled it to make an omelette to pop on top.
And that's it. Sweet, creamy, and probably not very healthy, but bloody delicious. I've met my weight target anyway, and I'm all about maintenance now, rather than weight loss so f
k it.Only 2 pots to wash up as well, which is always a bonus.
Enjoy.
I'm 100% behind reducing processed foods and have been for a long while, long before the term UPF was coined. And, as such, having been in and around the food industry for far too long I'm always interested to hear what people mean when they say "buy the best quality you can". Especially when it comes to things like meat.
Processed meats are simple to put into good and bad boxes but actual "meat", maybe not so.
Processed meats are simple to put into good and bad boxes but actual "meat", maybe not so.
Edited by 21TonyK on Wednesday 20th March 19:21
21TonyK said:
I'm 100% behind reducing processed foods and have been for a long while, long before the term UPF was coined. And, as such, having been in and around the food industry for far too long I'm always interested to hear what people mean when they say "but the best quality you can". Especially when it comes to things like meat.
Processed meats are simple to put into good and bad boxes but actual "meat", maybe not so.
I agree, I think it’s almost impossible to know what is actually good for you unless you reared the animal or grew the veg yourself. So much government mandated interference happens all along the food chain which no one really knows if it’s good or bad long term for anyone. What is the cow fed, what is in the mandated vaccines and treatments? Why is white flour still fortified with niacin, thiamin and chalk? Processed meats are simple to put into good and bad boxes but actual "meat", maybe not so.
It’s a minefield, and is definitely a step way too far for any normal human who just wants to eat and work! Our food is far from pure from any source, so I would just say try and mitigate those sources and risks.
Tony Angelino said:
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
Get a copy of the above book. It is excellent on this subject matter.
Also just read your post that mentioned BMI, Given that you’ve previously been around 10% body fat, which is very healthy indeed your muscle mass is probably making your BMI irrelevant.
Is Owen Farrell obese? Because his BMI score says he is.
Edited by Gone a bit AMG on Thursday 21st March 09:20
I keep reading eat porridge oats instead of cereals.My usual breakfast is 2 Weetabix in full fat milk with a sliced banana. I've tried swapping the Weetabix for porridge but it always leaves me still hungry.
As for potatoes now being the devil's food I just can't accept it.Everyone ate potatoes when I was growing up and obesity and diabetes weren't a problem like they are today.Plus this thread is about ultra processed foods and spuds are anything but, even oven chips aren't UPF
As for potatoes now being the devil's food I just can't accept it.Everyone ate potatoes when I was growing up and obesity and diabetes weren't a problem like they are today.Plus this thread is about ultra processed foods and spuds are anything but, even oven chips aren't UPF
Bluevanman said:
... Plus this thread is about ultra processed foods and spuds are anything but, even oven chips aren't UPF
As with all things UPF you need to look at the details.
MCCAIN NAKED OVEN CHIPS STRAIGHT CUT (Potatoes (97%), Sunflower Oil (3%))
TESCO HOMEBASE STRAIGHT CUT OVEN CHIPS (Potato (88%), Vegetable Oils [Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil], Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Maize Starch, Turmeric Extract, Paprika Extract, Dextrose.)
Neither will be as good a homemade chip cut from a real potato, but one does appear from the list of ingredients to be less processed than the other.
As a society we have become disconnected from local ingredients and seasonal eating. We expect everything to be available 52 weeks of the year. As a result foods have more stuff in them to survive the extended journey to the shelf.
I did see somewhere a 5 ingredient rule as a good benchmark of UPF i.e the longer the list the more processed it is.
Bluevanman said:
I keep reading eat porridge oats instead of cereals.My usual breakfast is 2 Weetabix in full fat milk with a sliced banana. I've tried swapping the Weetabix for porridge but it always leaves me still hungry.
As for potatoes now being the devil's food I just can't accept it.Everyone ate potatoes when I was growing up and obesity and diabetes weren't a problem like they are today.Plus this thread is about ultra processed foods and spuds are anything but, even oven chips aren't UPF
Fair point about spuds. Back in the day your main meal was probably meat and 2 veg with spuds. Which is someone looked into it was probably far healthier than some of the processed foods we are eating. As for potatoes now being the devil's food I just can't accept it.Everyone ate potatoes when I was growing up and obesity and diabetes weren't a problem like they are today.Plus this thread is about ultra processed foods and spuds are anything but, even oven chips aren't UPF
Oats are pretty good. I go to overnight oats as a snack instead of raiding the biscuit tin. I find early morning a bowl of oats is too heavy but mid afternoon sorts me right out. Good for cholesterol as well.
BoRED S2upid said:
Fair point about spuds. Back in the day your main meal was probably meat and 2 veg with spuds. Which is someone looked into it was probably far healthier than some of the processed foods we are eating.
Oats are pretty good. I go to overnight oats as a snack instead of raiding the biscuit tin. I find early morning a bowl of oats is too heavy but mid afternoon sorts me right out. Good for cholesterol as well.
In and of themselves, potatoes are fine in moderation. It's the fact that your typical daily intake will be: cereal (loaded with sugars), sandwich for lunch (loaded with sugars), crisps and cake (loaded with sugars), adding a carb heavy evening meal to the mix just further compounds the issue. Oats are pretty good. I go to overnight oats as a snack instead of raiding the biscuit tin. I find early morning a bowl of oats is too heavy but mid afternoon sorts me right out. Good for cholesterol as well.
Edited by RoadToad84 on Thursday 21st March 11:18
Couple of things I've done recently:
- dropped all the shop-bought, processed protein snacks. Replaced with greek yogurt & honey, eggs and homemade protein bars (protein powder*, 100% peanut butter, honey, oats, milk and then whatever other bits you fancy throwing in)
- dropped ultra-refined seed oils. Replaced with ghee, coconut oil, butter, olive oil and avocado oil, all organic where possible. Found a local, cold-pressed, extra Virgin rapeseed oil which I've also been using.
Still love an oven pizza or a Quorn nugget every now and again mind.
- dropped all the shop-bought, processed protein snacks. Replaced with greek yogurt & honey, eggs and homemade protein bars (protein powder*, 100% peanut butter, honey, oats, milk and then whatever other bits you fancy throwing in)
- dropped ultra-refined seed oils. Replaced with ghee, coconut oil, butter, olive oil and avocado oil, all organic where possible. Found a local, cold-pressed, extra Virgin rapeseed oil which I've also been using.
Still love an oven pizza or a Quorn nugget every now and again mind.
- I use Bulk because a) there's always a discount code and b) they have a short ingredients list. Buy a bag of protein powder from Home Bargains or wherever and the ingredients list is ridiculous!
C4ME said:
As with all things UPF you need to look at the details.
MCCAIN NAKED OVEN CHIPS STRAIGHT CUT (Potatoes (97%), Sunflower Oil (3%))
TESCO HOMEBASE STRAIGHT CUT OVEN CHIPS (Potato (88%), Vegetable Oils [Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil], Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Maize Starch, Turmeric Extract, Paprika Extract, Dextrose.)
Neither will be as good a homemade chip cut from a real potato, but one does appear from the list of ingredients to be less processed than the other.
As a society we have become disconnected from local ingredients and seasonal eating. We expect everything to be available 52 weeks of the year. As a result foods have more stuff in them to survive the extended journey to the shelf.
I did see somewhere a 5 ingredient rule as a good benchmark of UPF i.e the longer the list the more processed it is.
This is the same in many products, just a minute or so reading the ingredients list can make a big difference. As above:MCCAIN NAKED OVEN CHIPS STRAIGHT CUT (Potatoes (97%), Sunflower Oil (3%))
TESCO HOMEBASE STRAIGHT CUT OVEN CHIPS (Potato (88%), Vegetable Oils [Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil], Rice Flour, Maize Flour, Modified Potato Starch, Salt, Maize Starch, Turmeric Extract, Paprika Extract, Dextrose.)
Neither will be as good a homemade chip cut from a real potato, but one does appear from the list of ingredients to be less processed than the other.
As a society we have become disconnected from local ingredients and seasonal eating. We expect everything to be available 52 weeks of the year. As a result foods have more stuff in them to survive the extended journey to the shelf.
I did see somewhere a 5 ingredient rule as a good benchmark of UPF i.e the longer the list the more processed it is.
Snackright (Lidl) ready salted crisps: Potato (65%), Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Salt.
Walkers ready salted crisps: Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Salt, Antioxidants (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract, Citric Acid)
This is a good resource that keeps getting updated with supermarket finds on convenience foods for when you don't have the time or the inclination to go full home made.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6155182710...
I'd suggest, try not to overthink things too much.
If you can avoid UPF for the majority of your meals, you're on the right track. Have mainly meals from 'whole food' sources.
Nova classification can be helpful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_classification
For me
- Breakfast: either 4x eggs or Greek yoghurt with berries.
- Lunch (at work): chicken breast + brown rice
- Dinner: 'normal dinner' - meat/fish +/- potatoes/rice + veg.
Snacks: fruit or pumpkin seeds.
I typically cook with olive oil.
I don't eat gluten, so avoiding UPF is easier for me - no biscuits, cakes, processed bread etc.
I have gluten free dry pasta, it's absolutely fine. Made from corn flour and rice flour.
If you can avoid UPF for the majority of your meals, you're on the right track. Have mainly meals from 'whole food' sources.
Nova classification can be helpful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_classification
For me
- Breakfast: either 4x eggs or Greek yoghurt with berries.
- Lunch (at work): chicken breast + brown rice
- Dinner: 'normal dinner' - meat/fish +/- potatoes/rice + veg.
Snacks: fruit or pumpkin seeds.
I typically cook with olive oil.
I don't eat gluten, so avoiding UPF is easier for me - no biscuits, cakes, processed bread etc.
I have gluten free dry pasta, it's absolutely fine. Made from corn flour and rice flour.
Edited by g3org3y on Thursday 21st March 12:13
Sarkmeister said:
The book by Chris Van Tulleken is a good read. It goes into he whole UPF thing in depth. The overall message that if you simply eat non or minimally processed foods and you can't go wrong appeals to me. All my worst habits with food are associated with UPFs.
Just a heads up, this is available on Spotify Premium now. I'm about half way through, it's very interesting.Just throwing this in to the mix. Before demonising foods because of "ingredients" do your research and find out what those ingredients actually are.
I recently had one chef kicking off about premade food items "because". The because turned out to be added vitamin C as a preservative and a fermented sugar. The nutrient content was exactly the same (if not better) than unprocessed and everything in it was naturally occurring. It also presented better than anything the chef could make and therefore was more readily consumed by those who needed it.
UPF is a real thing but quite frankly its becoming the new vegan. You need to look way back to the late 40's and see what was happening in the UK and US food industries after WWII to understand how we reached this position.
The answer is to stop living on crap convenience foods. Eat reasonably healthily, avoid too much junk and have a go at making your own stuff if so inclined. Or, if you can afford one, employ a chef to do it for you.
I recently had one chef kicking off about premade food items "because". The because turned out to be added vitamin C as a preservative and a fermented sugar. The nutrient content was exactly the same (if not better) than unprocessed and everything in it was naturally occurring. It also presented better than anything the chef could make and therefore was more readily consumed by those who needed it.
UPF is a real thing but quite frankly its becoming the new vegan. You need to look way back to the late 40's and see what was happening in the UK and US food industries after WWII to understand how we reached this position.
The answer is to stop living on crap convenience foods. Eat reasonably healthily, avoid too much junk and have a go at making your own stuff if so inclined. Or, if you can afford one, employ a chef to do it for you.
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