If you try to avoid processed foods or certainly ultra processed foods …

[Anonymous]

I try to buy healthy versions of processed foods - Made Good granola bars instead of regular ones, for example. But they are expensive. With teens in the house and limited time, we are just not able to cook from scratch like we used to. Congratulations to those who are better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. OP, I clicked on this thread because I too would love a site or guidance on how to do this. Ignore the unhelpful posters who are just hurr durr make beans and rice only! Welcome to your new life!

Does anyone have any good ideas on substitutes for crackers or chips? Crackers are not horribly processed in the sense that I can bake them from my choice of ingredients. Wonder if anyone has tried that and has recommendations. As for chips, I see several air fryer recipes. To me, sliced potatoes, salt and olive oil are not very processed at all. But it's a lot of work, and I'm thinking there are brands out there that only use those three ingredients. OK to just go that route?

I don’t know about the brands you mention but I ended up slicing an Apple super super thin and it kind of simulates the crunch. I sometimes dip it in peanut butter. Not exciting! But it works most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Look, most people just don't eat like this, due to a number of factors, so maybe try grasping the fact that we're not all as perfect as you and some of us need a bit of encouragement and motivation to prioritize this kind of cooking and eating? And yes, when I've come home after 10-12 hours out of the house, of course takeout is faster than simmering lentils, onions, and carrots in chicken stock and white wine. Duh.

Agree. And some of us find oatmeal and beans absolutely disgusting and cannot bear eating them. Can't stand sweet potatoes, either.
And, some people have allergies and other food intolerances from this list of foods.

There are four categories of plant foods - whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. There is infinite variety across those categories. The foods I listed were examples, feel free to pick others if it works better for you. Or are you “intolerant” of all of them?

[Anonymous]

Folks, ignore the unhelpful witch. Any other good tips to share? Thanks to the thin apple slicer poster and the sourdough bread poster!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks, ignore the unhelpful witch. Any other good tips to share? Thanks to the thin apple slicer poster and the sourdough bread poster!

I make granola at home — I ended up reading up on highly processed foods and was upset to discover that my favourite Quaker Oats granola still had some weird stuff in it.

Recipe:
4 cups rolled oats
1.5 cups seeds or nuts of your choice
.5 cup oil
.5 cup sweetening (I usually use maple syrup but honey, sugar, etc or nothing or less than this are fine too)
Spices to taste

Mix well, press onto baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350F. Stir granola on sheet. If you like it crunchy, press flat. Bake 10-15 minutes. Let cool and crumble into an airtight container for storage.

[Anonymous]

Popcorn is a whole grain and gives you crunch and salt. Make it on the stovetop or get an air popper. Plus it’s cheaper than other snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to those whole replied usefully rather than scathingly. Does anyone have recipes/recs for convenience toddler snacks? Obviously we do fruit, but sometimes I want something with a bit more protein and sometimes my younger kid needs a carb hit and I’d love to avoid stocking crackers/goldfish/etc all the time! Older child can have nuts/trail mix (dead easy to make myself) and but it’s a chocking hazard for my younger. I often make quick breads/muffins/etc but I’d love some ideas for options with a longer shelf life.

Chickpeas. You can season and roast them for crunch. Or just dump a can in pot, heat, add some lemon, olive oil, salt and cumin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

Agree. People have been cooking whole and simple foods for centuries. It’s only in recent decades that everyone suddenly became too busy to make themselves a meal, therefore they must get take out and buy microwave food. In reality, people waste time all day on their phones, computers, waiting in drive thrus, placing takeout orders and we have more conveniences than ever in our lives in just about every way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

Agree. People have been cooking whole and simple foods for centuries. It’s only in recent decades that everyone suddenly became too busy to make themselves a meal, therefore they must get take out and buy microwave food. In reality, people waste time all day on their phones, computers, waiting in drive thrus, placing takeout orders and we have more conveniences than ever in our lives in just about every way

+infinite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

Agree. People have been cooking whole and simple foods for centuries. It’s only in recent decades that everyone suddenly became too busy to make themselves a meal, therefore they must get take out and buy microwave food. In reality, people waste time all day on their phones, computers, waiting in drive thrus, placing takeout orders and we have more conveniences than ever in our lives in just about every way

I eat mostly unprocessed home cooked foods but….come on. Do you really not understand how lifestyles are different now? In the past there was often one person in the family who just had the job of doing cooking and home stuff. Two working parents make this all much more challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Look, most people just don't eat like this, due to a number of factors, so maybe try grasping the fact that we're not all as perfect as you and some of us need a bit of encouragement and motivation to prioritize this kind of cooking and eating? And yes, when I've come home after 10-12 hours out of the house, of course takeout is faster than simmering lentils, onions, and carrots in chicken stock and white wine. Duh.

??? Dump the lentils, some frozen onions, some frozen chopped carrots, and stock in an instant pot, set the timer for 8 min, and walk away. By the time you’re done changing out of your work clothes and changing your kid’s diaper, the instant pot will be done and dinner is ready.

This still requires doing SOMETHING to prepare food and many times many Americans (including myself) are tempted to do NOTHING to secure a meal, such as grabbing fast food or a processed snack. Your providing instructions in a snippy way doesn't take away the effort in meal prep; you are genie and your nasty attitude doesn't conjure up food in a miracle way on our tables.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

Ok so you are still a half hour away from food when you want it. Sometimes this isn't appealing after a long day at the office (and yes I am in office 5 days a week so I can't pop over to stove to prepare soup in the middle of the day before dashing off to pick up my kids)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. The reward is in eating the food itself: I find “whole”/unprocessed foods delicious and I know how to cook them well. I also prefer how my body feels and how my temperament is after eating these foods.

Maybe get a whole foods/plant based foods cookbook for some inspiration!

One of the biggest misconceptions of those eating the standard American diet is that eating whole foods cannot be enjoyable and delicious. Hence the need to "motivate" themselves to make the change.

I actually think that for most, the need for motivation is because of the additional time and money required to eat this way.

False. Rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, green vegetables, pasta, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc are not expensive. And preparing them does not need to be time consuming.

Correction- those things didn’t USED to be expensive. Grocery inflation hasn’t left any foods unscathed. Nuts, in particular, are quite expensive in my world, not sure about yours.

And in this context “time consuming” is an utterly meaningless term. How much time is “time consuming” to you? I for one don’t think eat raw potatoes, or uncooked rice, or unsoaked uncooked beans…

At what point did I say to eat the foods raw. Dump the rice into a pot with water and boil. Done in 20-30 minutes depending on the type of rice. No work required from you and you can do other things while it cooks. Put the potato in the microwave and done in 8-10 minutes with no work from you.

And they’re still less expensive than other foods.

Ok so you are still a half hour away from food when you want it. Sometimes this isn't appealing after a long day at the office (and yes I am in office 5 days a week so I can't pop over to stove to prepare soup in the middle of the day before dashing off to pick up my kids)

But your alternatives involve either driving to the store to pick something up or making an online/phone order and waiting for delivery. Both of which involve as much effort and/or waiting time as dumping some rice and/or lentils in a pot and waiting 30 min for them to finish.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been reading up on UPF, too, and trying to cut down. Honestly, it seems like I almost anything that comes in a package is going to have some UP ingredients. So I’ve been working to find ways to make the things we like to eat most. The baking is easy— I make all the cookies, muffins, cakes my family eats. Those things freeze well, too, so even for the busy times I can have something available.
Like someone else, I now make my own granola.
Wish I had a book or website to recommend but I haven’t found one. I did read Ultra Processed People and found it very interesting, but very short on resources.