ultra processed foods

[mint]

There was a programme on BBC1 last night on this topic.  It was called something, something we feed our kids.

Did anyone see it?  I found it very interesting and also found that, without thinking too much about it, I do buy and eat some of these ultra processed foods, biscuits mainly and I am not sure about the Greek style yoghurts I normally get.

Would be helpful if people have comments to make about these foods.

[Ken]

There is simply too much emphasis placed on the type of food eaten rather than the amount eaten. Eating processed or fresh food is almost irrelevant. If someone eats too much of either they will become fat!

Some may say that fresh food is best but others say there are too many chemicals in it from spraying, Bio; too expensive, processed not healthy enough. The arguments go around in circles but is really aimed at trying to reduce obesity.

The bottom line is people are fat and therefore more liable to disease simply because they eat too much!!

[Lehaut]

We eat as little processed food as possible i.e. pre made foods. Generally we buy the ingredients as make our own meals. We have done this for over 40 years. I have always had an interest in not stuffing my body with too many chemicals but it is not made easy as advice changes almost on a weekly basis. I avoided butter due to cholesterol fears only to find that the alternatives, full of hydrogenated fat are many times worse. In simplistic terms, the simpler the product the better it is for you and often tastes better.

All that been said it take a large amount of effort for "normal" people to change their habits. Lack of ability, confidence and probably time mitigates against working families. Having been involved in healthy eating campaigns in the military, its the closest I have seen to a mutiny when we told 240 sailors that we would help achieve this goal by cutting chips from the menu!!

Given the vast profits that are made from addictive food, often made with the cheapest ingredients, enhanced by even cheaper salt and sugar, industry and government will not change things soon.

[suein56]

Lehaut wrote the following post at 29 May 2021 9:08:

.. the simpler the product the better it is for you and often tastes better.

.. the vast profits that are made from addictive food, often made with the cheapest ingredients.

Have to agree with your words, we mostly cook from scratch .. but then we are retired so have the time. Tho we have had the same attitude most of our lives.

The nub, as I understand it, of the programme was the 'mouth satisfaction' element intentionally built into most processed foods .. coupled with taste designed to please the majority. 'Good for you' elements not being part of the equation.

I find it scary what is put into some food .. and the ever-increasing reliance by some people on a take-away meal.

Fast food, to your door with little thought of what's really in it .. just it's speedy and momentarily satisfying.

[Ken]

"Given the vast profits that are made from addictive food, often made with the cheapest ingredients, enhanced by even cheaper salt and sugar, industry and government will not change things soon"

I agree completely:

It is why people have to take some personal responsibility for their own eating habits. People are too quick to blame government or industry. Industry and government don't force people to be fat!!!! In addition it is the amount that is eaten, not the type of food itself. Your example of a near 'mutiny' The chips were not the problem; it was how many and how often!!!

[Judith-aka-Judith]

OH watched it .. was too late for me, I'm usually falling asleep by then with my meds!  But I had seen the trailers and know what he was saying.

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to find completely pure foods as already outlined by some on here, but likewise it is possible to remove quite a few of the over processed foods, albeit still eating some if / when there are no easy alternatives.

Having said that, we are all allowed a treat or two in llife, particularly if, as I think is probable, most of us do what we can to avoid eating over processed foods every day.  Even home made bread, unless you grow, mill and make your own flour, could come into that category!  So sense has to be applied.

Eating sensibly, in moderation, with a varied and mixed diet, with a few treats, which could mean the odd Macdonald trip, or a ready made meal, seems always to come out as the best advice.  After all, what are fish and chips but a ready made meal, and no-one says they are that bad for you (unless you eat nothing but fish and chips, of course!). Wink icon, which I do not know how to insert!

[chessfou2]

'Ultra-processed foods' = 'food-like products'. They are not 'real' food. 'Real' as in something that has recognizably come out of the ground, from a bush or tree, from the sea, or a farm (preferably small and local) via an abattoir.

We eat locally produced food, much of it bio, and cook from scratch, even the 2-3 Indian meals that we eat each month. We are lucky - we live in the "premier département agricole de Midi-Pyrénées" and we can afford to buy bio.

As a general rule, albeit not always strictly applied, if it comes in a packet and has a list of ingredients, we don't touch it. An occasional Tarte Tatin (from Picard) is an exception that proves the rule, as do the packets of Spanish meat products (occasional Jamon Serrano, and the occasional treat of Jamon Iberico).

[idun]

I didn't watch this program.

What I have watched is say the history of bakers and bread, including when flour was diluted with plaster of paris, etc........ yummy eh!

Poor people have all too often had poor diets, especially the women, endless babies and they served  their own meals last.

Truthfully, when I moved in with my boyfriend I bought everything from M&S, even all those years ago, one could get meals.The reason I did this was that our working hours were completely opposite and it was the quickest way for us to eat together.

And he was very ill on them, literally would vomit after every meal, and then I started cooking everything, and he wasn't ill. Wasn't as if I couldn't cook, I could, it was just the timing so we could actually eat at the same time.

My Dad says that his diet radically improved when WW11 rationing started as everyone ate everything on the list and it was in general a very healthy diet.

Ofcourse most bought things have weird and wonderful stuff in them. I bake a tray of biscuits and they are soft very quickly, I have some bought ones  in my cupboard that are ok to mid 2022.......

Yes, I am sure that some things affect kids brains, as well as adults. We use endless chemicals in the earth, and organis, well, is it 'really'?

Also, I really do not want to live for ever.

I might watch this program now mint, see what they say, but honestly I doubt I will be in any way surprised.

[Ken]

For a long time I have read that processed food is bad for your health. I realised that I wasn't at all sure what processed food actually is! I had a rough idea but decided to finally find out. It would seem that all food, regardless of what it is; is processed!!! The exception being fresh food, vegetables, cereals etc, even meat.

The processing appears also to be a question of degree. Biscuits, soft drinks etc are highly processed whilst a bag of flour isn't highly processed but non the less is still processed.

So, the bottom line appears to be that your shopping trolly will contain mostly processed foods. For some it will 100% processed food as these people also buy frozen vegetables etc.

My conclusion is that simply saying processed foods are bad for you is disingenuous. Quite patently that isn't the case. The more fresh food that is eaten is obviously better but saying processed foods are bad is wrong, some are, many are not!!

[NickP]

Ken wrote: "My conclusion is that simply saying processed foods are bad for you is disingenuous. Quite patently that isn't the case. The more fresh food that is eaten is obviously better but saying processed foods are bad is wrong, some are, many are not!!"

Well said Ken, and to be fair even fresh food are often sprayed with chemicals or, as in the case of fruit "gassed".. In the early 50s, my family moved to Canada and I attended school there. I remember being told that children in the UK had the best teeth in the world, due to our wartime diet.

[Ken]

NickP :to be fair even fresh food are often sprayed with chemicals.

Very true. I know many people who wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating. Perhaps a wise precaution!! Personally I don't. So far so good!!!

You mention that your family moved to Canada. During my 'research' into processed foods there was a piece on processed foods and Canada. I won't go into detail; it would give you nightmares!!!!

[NickP]

We didn't stay very long Ken, we lived in Montreal and my Mother couldn't settle there.

[mint]

The programme was about ULTRA processed foods, as is the topic of this thread....duh!

If you'd watched the programme, you would have known that the first category wasn't called "fresh" or "unprocessed" foods.  It was called "natural or minimally processed".

I got the minimally processed, like milk but not pasta?  Why pasta is in the first category, I have been unable to work out.

Also yoghurt was ultra processed but they did say yoghurts for children.  Still not sure how "yoghurts for adults" would be categorised.

I do agree that labels can be confusing.

[Lehaut]

Just to reinforce my point about "profits over health" on this topic. Even the firms that produce this cr*p know it is bad for you.

https://www.courrierinternational.com/article/agroalimentaire-la-plupart-des-produits-nestle-sont-mauvais-pour-la-sante

[Ken]

It's all in the way way it is put I suppose but not all that Nestlé produce, processed or otherwise is cr-p! Quite obviously every producer of food processes to some degree. It is up to the consumer to decide what they want to eat. Still, I suppose it is much easier to blame them than take personal responsibility!

[Théière]

Oh boy

[Judith-aka-Judith]

Mint, so if it was talking about ULTRA processed foods, did they definte exactly what that meant ... given that we have now accepted that much food can only be delivered after having had some processing.  I feel that it means, more than it needs, but did they give any examples, to help define their usage??

[Théière]

https://youtu.be/T4PFt4czJw0

[mint]

Hi Théière, how's you's doin?

Now Judith and anyone else interested can look at your link[:)]

[nomoss]

We bought Kentucky Fried Chicken from a roadside stall near Preston in 1968, which I believe was one of the first outlets in the UK.

We thought it was extremely greasy and rather disgusting, threw away most of it, and have never bought it since.

I was told it was cooked with specially flavoured oil in pressure cookers to decrease the cooking time.

[Théière]

With the clear line of sight to KFC's cookers, its deep fried in conventional deep fat friers as far as I can see. It is marinated in butter milk before coating my nephew informed me, he worked in one whilst studying.

[Théière]

Hi Mint, I am well but missing France. Hope you are well also.

[Judith-aka-Judith]

[quote user="mint"]

Hi Théière, how's you's doin?

Now Judith and anyone else interested can look at your link[:)]

[/quote]

Link didn;t work for me, I can live in ignorance ...

[mint]

[quote user="Théière"]Hi Mint, I am well but missing France. Hope you are well also.[/quote]

Teapot, at least keep coming here?  Until such times when you are allowed to come back!  We have Australian neighbours who have been unable to come since the start of the pandemic (either France was in lockdown or Australia was in lockdown).  Dread to think what his house must smell like, all the traps in his showers, basins, loos must be all dried up.

To keep on topic, it amazes me the rubbish they eat.  They are educated people and do cook very well the few times we have eaten in their house.  Yet, when they pack up in autumn every year, they empty their freezer and give us the contents so as not to waste the food and therein lies the shock! I could never eat those frozen chips and vegetables they give us....yuck!

I do use frozen beans and peas when I haven't been able to go out to shop.  Can't for the life of me understand why people want to eat frozen carrots, courgettes, etc because they truly taste absolutely vile

[Théière]

Sorry Judith X