HOW TO...(Part 1) WEAN YOURSELF OFF PROCESSED FOODS

Posted April 2016

The makers of Dolmio and Uncle Ben's shocked the food world recently when it recommended that some of its products be eaten only once a week because of their high levels of salt, sugar and fat.  Other food giants say they're not planning to follow suit. 

67goingon50 believes Mars Food, makers of Dolmio & Uncle Bens', deserves credit for doing what's right, even if it hurts them financially.  That shows qualities not often seen in the corporate world -- courage, morality and integrity.   

The issue of processed foods is a difficult one.  There is no doubt that in our hyper-busy society many families rely on them.  But the problems are not just sugar, salt and fat.  

Some modern preservatives and additives can cause skin problems and other ailments.  Cutting out or reducing those preservatives can improve health.

If you are worried about what you and your family are eating and drinking, or if family members suffer from skin problems and other allergic reactions, it may be time for a re-think about processed foods.

Cooking from scratch seems inconvenient but there are plenty of easy-peasy satisfying recipes in this blog and from many chefs including Jaime Oliver and Yotam Ottolenghi. And, with the right recipe, the dishes don't take long to get to the table.

67 strives to keep costs low; learning to substitute some products for others in recipes also helps.  Generally, cooking your own food is much cheaper than buying processed.    

This week and in future, 67goingon70 will feature 'Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods Quick & Easy Recipes'.  67 starts this series with Quick and Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce.

Tips for replacing Processed & Take-away Foods with Home-made: (Some of this material is taken from previous How to's.)

• Planning is essential.  Make a meal plan each week, with an occasional day or two a month for favourite processed foods the family would rather not go without 
• Rethink the way you eat (1).  Many people skip breakfast, have a light lunch and are ravenous by evening.  Really, it

  

  Breakfast Smoothie 

  should be the other way around.  That may not be practical but it's perfectly possible to spread out nutritional intake throughout the day.  Yes, it's hell getting out of the house in the morning but a fruit & cereal smoothie takes minutes to prepare and less to consume (water down for kids and restrict amount to small glasses).  
• Rethink the way you eat (2) Serving a soup or salad as a first course means there is less pressure to serve a substantial time-consuming main course.  And there could be more leftover protein which can be dressed up as another meal, saving both time and money.
• Include plenty of salad ingredients in the weekly shop; satisfying whole-meal salads with more than lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, and cooked protein are quick to put together
• Fill your cupboards with the makings for easy-peasy meals: low or no-salt tinned tomatoes & tomato paste, dried spices, tinned pulses, pasta, noodles & low-salt stock cubes. Tinned fruit in juice, not syrup, is ok occasionally. 
• Slow cookers including or with a separate timer are inexpensive and perfect for getting dinner on the table quickly.  Add unpeeled sweet/potatoes wrapped in greaseproof paper, remove skin at the end of cooking time and mash.(See Making the Most of Slow Cookers)
• Replace cheap & nasty packages of noodles and soup

  

  Noodles in Broth
  with Meat & Veg

  sachets with your own stocks/broths, noodles, veg and protein -- just as quick and much better for you. 
• Get family members involved in chopping veg, forming meatballs or fishcakes, laying out salad and measuring ingredients
• A freezer (1) is a best friend in the kitchen.  Cook favourite recipes in batches, freeze remainder and serve with a twist. Example: Chilli Con Turkey is wonderful as a casserole but also brilliant served as 'Sloppy Joes' in deep crusty rolls. Note: Freezers also save on fuel costs, especially if you cook two meals at the same time.
• Defrosting frozen food (2) is not a problem if you remember to take it out of the freezer the night before (this is where the Plan comes in).  In a pinch, professional chefs put frozen food in its container in a clean sink or washing up bowl and let the cold tap run gently over it to speed up defrosting  
• Frozen foods (3) are healthier than tinned; there is no metal contamination. The food is often frozen close to picking time and can have more vitamins and minerals than 2 or 3 day-old shop veg.  Frozen peas are a favourite in any dish; most other frozen veg are brilliant in soups.  Frozen fruit is wonderful for winter crumbles.  Ounce for ounce, they are also cheaper.  
• Onions are a real bugbear if you're in a hurry; it's

  

  Ninja: John Lewis

  unbelievably irritating fiddling with onions when stomachs are demanding food.  This is where an inexpensive small food processor comes in handy - simply halve the onion, remove peel, quarter and toss it in the processor.  20 seconds and the onion is shredded and ready for the pan. (67 relies on a £49 Ninja but there are cheaper ones around)
• Onions (2) Very irritable chefs can try frozen chopped onions from the supermarket but check the label for preservatives; be prepared for less intense flavour

Quickbreads (in the Wheat-free section of the Recipes Page near the bottom) take minutes to prepare; they can be made the night before they're needed and well wrapped OR prepared, decanted into a baking tin, refrigerated and baked as soon as you get up or get in the door. Note: all wheat-free bread recipes can use wheat as well. 

Tips:

• See also Processed Foods Are Not Equally Harmful
• Many foods from delicatessens are not considered 'processed' but be aware of high fat (pates) & salt levels (olives)

                                                      *****

The Blogger's Personal Experience of processed food & preservatives

A few years ago, nasty patches of eczema began to persist.  With the help of steroid creams, the worst of it disappeared. I began to eat only things I'd prepared from scratch or which experience showed would not trigger a reaction.  Occasional flare-ups still which occur after eating some processed foods and certain 'trigger' foods associated with eczema.      

The usual triggers for eczema -- dairy, eggs, shellfish, salmon, wheat, soya -- did not cause a reaction if the product was organic or free-range, and were eaten in small quantities.  The food budget was adjusted: more vegetarian meals allowed the purchase of more organic/free-range food. 

The result? After two years of careful eating, an occasional mild outbreak of eczema occurs and is easily treated with common-all-garden vaseline and an aloe vera and cocoa butter cream (Mr Mistry, South End Green, London)

The big surprise is Hay Fever.  Since coming to England, for a few weeks every spring, I suffer horribly.  Sneezing, a permanently runny or blocked nose, eyes so itchy sometimes make-up had to be abandoned (a catastrophe for a vain person) played havoc.           

This year?  Nothing.  Maybe a few sniffles but that has been it.

67 can't be certain that giving up preservatives and additives is responsible but the personal evidence shows more than coincidence.

PS. May 2016
Re: hayfever, I take it back.  Pollen levels shot up in London in early May and I have been suffering, mostly with sneezing and a runny nose!  But it is true that I did not suffer, as I normally do, when the cherry trees bloomed.



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