The What Not to Eat programme on Ch 4 last night was again an eye opener. The biggest for me was showing how prepacked sliced ham was made, it made me want to gag. The ingredients used (poor sub standard fatty pork, including cartilage and bits you definitely wouldn't cook up and put on your plate to eat, as well as the other powdered stuff that you wouldn't have in your own kitchen) and the method - basically mincing everything then squishing it all together tightly in a press, steam cooked in a can and then sliced when cold to put into plastic packets, was the stuff of nightmares. How anyone would want to eat prepacked sliced 'ham' after watching that I don't know. I almost never eat it now anyway, except maybe chopping a couple of leftover slices and putting it in a quiche, although husband often does. But even he said he wouldn't want to after seeing that, so we've agreed we're not buying it anymore.
Husband then said "But we don't really eat many UPF foods anyway do we?" - he's clueless about that sort of thing, he basically thinks UPF refers to McD's burgers, doughnuts and cans of fizzy pop and not much else. I went through our fridge and read out the ingredients list to him of some of the things in it, he was very surprised. I have to say I was also quite shocked - at least half of the current items in our fridge can be classed as UPFs. Shocked and ashamed, quite honestly, I've really let things slide over the past few months.
I explained to husband that UPFs are foods that have a long list of ingredients, including things that aren't strictly necessary like sugars (in all forms), salt, flavourings, colours, fats - all things to improve the taste and appearance to make us like them more so we buy and eat more of them. And then there are all the ingredients we've never heard of and wouldn't use ourselves when making something. I also pointed out to him that it's not only the ingredients, it's also the manufacturing process - basically, if it's made in a factory and by huge machines, then the chances are it's a UPF. He won't remember, of course, but that doesn't really matter - as long as I'm more careful from now on, read labels assiduously and endeavour not to buy things like that, then we'll be alright and he doesn't really need to know.
It is spurring me on to buy and eat better foods, another proactive thing to do towards improving both my and husband's health.
We watched it! Put me right off pre-packed ham to put it mildly! I sometimes cook a gammon joint & slice it myself - so I'll continue with that. I heard a saying, something like " if it doesn't rot, then it's not real food" - makes sense I suppose, although there are some healthy tinned foods which last for ages- eg. Tinned toms. Husband has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, along with being T2 myself, so we're really trying to cut out the crap!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch the programme, but I can imagine! I think, unless we're going to make absolutely everything ourselves, from scratch, the best we can do is limit the UPFs. It really is a minefield doing a food shop nowadays, though! xx
ReplyDeleteMy mum always bought ham from a shop that put a huge whole ham on a machine and sliced it while you waited. We used to buy a whole ham for Xmas but the price went so high we couldn't afford it anymore
ReplyDeleteI have not ate ham or other pressed cold meats for years, I'm the same with burgers and sausages unless from our local butcher.
ReplyDeleteI also watched that programme last night & was horrified by the compressed ham! I watched it last week also & I'm trying to read the list of ingredients on each item from now on although I have heard more about UPF recently on the television or by a lady called Sophie Morris who has an Instagram page! As the lady above says it's a minefield doing your shopping these days!
ReplyDeleteWe watched that too, yes ugh the ham!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is available here for watching. I will need to look on Youtube to see if I can find it.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.