Endeavor to eat non-processed foods but is that even possible? (restaurant, fast food)

[claudhopper]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I cook, so there are not a lot of processed foods brought into my house. It's not that I have any objection to processed foods or GMOs. It's that my home cooked foods taste a lot better and one family member can't eat wheat. I do suspect that the home cooked is a lot healthier, but that isn't really the main reason why I do it.

It's just about unavoidable to use some processed food. I buy processed dairy: yogurt, cheese, sour cream, butter. The brown rice and oatmeal I use has been hulled and the oatmeal has been rolled. The spices have all been processed in some way.

But if by "processed" you mean the heat and eat sort of things, it is very easy to avoid them. You just need to learn how to cook from scratch.

You might want to consider making your own yogurt. It's pretty easy. I'm going to try it as soon as I get some milk.

[nmnita]

Ok, for those who pride themselves in cooking from scratch fess up: what processed foods do you use, either all the time or on occasion? I am one who boasts about cooking from scratch, but do use packaged products from time to time:

1-Ramen noodles: about once a month, I have a favorite side dish that starts with it. use maybe once month.
2-Gravies, spices, out of an envelope: use from time to time for making dips or in a hurry and need to make a gravy.so when the little packages to on sale, I stock up. use about every couple of weeks.
3-Rice a roni: generally I start my fried rice with a package of it. maybe once a month. Also buy Sam's pot stickers. Probably once a month.
4-Sam's pre breaded Talapia or Cod: probably about every couple of weeks.
5-canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sauce and spaghetti sauce. I can my own during the summer, but sometimes run out. Right now I am down to just a jar or two of tomatoes.
So there is my list.

[Threestep2]

Canned tomato products, spaghetti pasta, tortillias, fruit juice, cheese, beer, salami.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by Threestep

Canned tomato products, spaghetti pasta, tortillias, fruit juice, cheese, beer, salami.

Them there things and the occasional cake mix. Salad dressing, mayonnaise, bread, crackers.

[randomparent]

Off the top of my head...canned tomatoes, canned beans (occasionally), muesli, yogurt, canned tuna/anchovies/sardines, sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, Better than Broth, dried pasta, Beyond Meat crumbles, tahini, peanut butter, Bonne Maman jams, bagels, tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa (depends on the time of year), frozen chopped spinach, some frozen fruits, cheese, and Tootsie rolls (my guilty indulgence).

I'm sure there are more, but that's what comes to mind without checking the fridge and pantry.

For those interested in weaning themselves off industrial prepared foods, here's a blog I recently found on-line that might provide inspiration

Zero-Waste Chef

[in_newengland]

I don't pride myself on cooking from scratch but we do most of our own cooking and rarely eat out.

I use canned tomatoes and spaghetti sauce
Tortilla chips and taco shells
Canned kidney beans
B&M brown bread in a can, actually all regular bread too
Frozen fish sticks
Hummus
I'd buy frozen pie crusts but hubby makes excellent ones from scratch
mincemeat for pies at Christmas
applesauce

[CSD610]

Spaghetti sauce jar *I could not make an edible spaghetti sauce to save my soul from hell*
the rare times we have chips and dip
bread
butter *Land O Lakes whipped Butter*
frozen vegetables
Gorton's beer battered fish filet or Schwann's *the only fish I will eat*
Old English Cheese *for the cheese sauce I created*
chicken/vegetable/beef stock

[mainebrokerman]

it would be easy for me to be a food snob and say I only use scratch or whole ingredients..... but my temptations get the better of me... I love ice cream, I love sweet bakery snacks like eclairs, cakes/pies/devil dogs

there should be the Lord's Food prayer- lead us not into food temptations and deliver us from sweets!!!!!

[fleetiebelle]

I've never claimed to be someone who cooks completely from scratch, anyway, but I use regularly:

Canned broth
Canned tomatoes
Canned beans
Frozen spinach
Frozen steam-in-bag veggies
Bagged spinach/kale
Jarred salsa/spaghetti sauce
Frozen pie crust/puff pastry

There's more, but that's the regular rotation.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Threestep

Canned tomato products, spaghetti pasta, tortillias, fruit juice, cheese, beer, salami.

never thought of cheese, pasta and fruit juice, beer, in that way: interesting. I guess when we really think about it, there are more processed foods we use than we think. I had forgotten I use canned beans a few times a year, Tuna, yes, frozen pie crusts and we purchase frozen pizza's from time to time; now the truth comes out.