Please help me kick the processed food habit

Fusspot

I live on my own and can't seem to get round to cooking properly for myself. Believe me I have tried. I was talking to my sister in law tonight about it and she has helped me to see that being on my own doesn't always mean wasting fresh veg and it doesn't always mean that things take longer or more effort to cook.

I have a mini oven with hobs, a microwave, a 3.5 litre slow cooker, a saucepan and a frying pan. I have no desire for a full big oven again as its too much for me on my own. The mini one is adequate for me and easy to maintain and clean.

However, my eating habits are in the main - Birds Eye chargrilled chicken breasts with McCain jacket potatoes and Birds Eye steamfresh veg. Or just McCain jacket potato and cheese. Or toast and butter. Or a microwave ready meal.

I do have fresh chicken breasts, mince, fish and sausages in the freezer which I bought on the spur of a moment of 'trying to eat better' but then I forget to take it out of the freezer to thaw so just end up having something I can cook from frozen instead.

I made a butternut squash soup in the slow cooker last week which was a success after previous attempts failing but I have to be in the mood to do it.

I always end up wasting veg and chucking it out after its 'sell by' date but my sister in law says she ignores the dates and uses her own judgement. I feel I waste too much stuff which puts me off buying it for myself.

I also work full time and get home around 6.30 so want something quick.

Any help would be gratefully received.

trailingspouse

I totally understand where you're coming from - OH works away a lot, and cooking for just little old me sometimes seems like too much bother.

Here's what I do - maybe it will help?

One night a week (usually a Friday) I have something pre-prepared (usually a pizza). The rest of the time I cook from scratch. I cook from scratch when OH is around, and I don't see why I should eat any less well when he's away.

I make the cookery a bit of an event sometimes (not always - sometimes I just stick a chop under the grill and boil some potatoes!!) - cook a curry from scratch, try a new recipe, that kind of thing. I make enough for at least two meals, so over time I build up a stock of food in the freezer for those times when I really don't want to bother.

What frustrates me most about going solo is the fact that supermarket packages assume there will be at least two of you. For example - you can't buy a single chop, or less than 250g of mince, or a single fillet of fish. Freezer bags are your friend!!

I buy fresh veg, but I agree there can be waste - try meal planning, and literally just buy what you need. A single carrot is enough for one person at one meal! Bags of salad are a no no, unless you're going to eat salad at every meal (including breakfast) for three days - but an iceberg lettuce will keep for a reasonable length of time. I also find bags of baby spinach are good - use it as a salad until it starts to go over, then cook what's left. I keep frozen peas in the freezer for the times when I've underestimated how much I'll need!

You could start by just making changes at the weekends, when you have more time for the cooking. Then, as you discover recipes that are quick (or you build up a stock of home made meals in the freezer) you can extend into the week.

Home-made meals are so much tastier, much better for you (not so high in fat, sugar, salt etc), and cheaper - why would you deny yourself that?

VintageLady

I too would suggest making small changes to begin with as this might make it more of a lifestyle change rather than a fad. Meal planning is definitely a good one to start with but I find it difficult doing a whole week so I do about 4 days at a time. Frozen veg are actually very handy and I often whip up a quick soup with them. I used to make a large batch of basic spag bolonaise sauce which I would then portion out and freeze. I'd reheat it in the microwave and add different herbs or spices depending on if I wanted pasta sauce, chilli, curry, etc. That with some cous cous used to make a very speedy supper. Or you could microwave a potato and then pop it in the oven to crisp up for a quick jacket potato. I'm also vegetarian and most veggie "meat" products you cook from frozen anyway which is quick.
Hope this helps! In the long run I feel making these changes will be good for your body and wallet.

Prinzessilein

I live alone and don't have a full oven...I have a microwave, mini-oven and slow-cooker....and no hob. (Although I am considering buying a single hotplate...maybe an induction one?)

I applaud your decision to eat less processed food....a great New Year resolution!

I would suggest baby-steps....no need to abandon all processed foods overnight! (And there are times when processed is still my go-to option.....I confess I ALWAYS have a tinned steak and kidney pud on the shelf for those can't-be-bothered-to-cook or I-need-comfort-stodge-NOW days!)

Planning is a great tool! Sit down on a Friday evening and decide what you fancy for the coming week...and then plan your shopping. Buy loose veg rather than pre-packed, so that you buy one or two carrots which you will eat rather than a bag of ten and bin eight!

There is nothing wrong with plain frozen veg. It is often just as nutritious as fresh veg. Some fruit too is perfectly fine frozen - I often have a bag of frozen berries.

Once in a while, spend a little time at the weekend making your own microwave ready meals! Shepherds Pie, Curry, Chilli, Even a Roast Dinner can be frozen in individual portions.....you can always defrost in the microwave before cooking if you don't have time or forget to take them out to defrost naturally....just remember to bring the food up to temperature when cooking (especially rice!).

You say you use McCain jacket potatoes...well that can stop right now! Bake a potato in the microwave and then for the last minute pop it into a hot oven to crisp up the skin. It takes no longer (or not much longer for a huge potato!) than heating up the pre-prepared one - then add a little grated cheese (buy a block of cheese, grate it and freeze in one portion bags!)

Make sure your freezer is one-person friendly...if you buy a pack of 8 sausages, then don't put the whole pack in the freezer, bag it up as 4 packs of 2 and freeze them....it makes it easier to grab what you fancy, without wondering if you are doomed to either bin the remaining 6 or eat sausages every night this week! (been there...done that!)

Look at the food you love to eat - and think about what choices are workable for you hen going less-processed...for example burger and chips....if you use frozen burgers and oven chips, you have a few options...I would look at oven chips, you can make them yourself in the same time as heating up ovenchips (cut potato into chips or wedgies, boil for 4 mins,spray with frylight and bake for about 20 minutes turning once...maybe sprinkle with spices for spiced wedgies)...for the burger, you could either make your own..(and you KNOW then what is in it...beef, onion, pinch of salt and pepper, maybe an egg to bind) and freeze them raw...or you could 'upgrade' from prepacked frozen and buy butcher made ones as a compromise.

If you let people here know what your fave ready-meals are, I am certain you will be given recipes for making less-processed versions of them!

[Deleted User]

I have a Betterware lettuce keeper which is great and my iceberg lettuce lasts for ages in it I don't like bagged lettuce as its covered in chemicals to preserve it.If you haven't got one of these they just wrap your lettuce in tinfoil and stick in the bottom of the fridge same goes with celery or cabbage foil keeps it really fresh.Also tear bits of lettuce off never use a metal knife to cut it as it turns the lettuce brown.

I have sadly had to live alone for the past 13 years since I lots my OH and for the first year I did what a lot of widows do I lived on toast and jacket spuds.Then I thought this is silly I didn't live like this for the past 40 years and shouldn't now, so I made a point of cooking properly from scratch, and freezing left overs or extra portions.
Try baby steps maybe one or two meals a week until you get used to trying something different.If I buy a block of mince I will always portion it up before freezing into 8oz or even 4 oz portions A 4 oz portion will with a bit of carrot and a small amount of diced onion make enough to stuff a roasted red pepper or fill a jacket spud or even a small shepherds pie. I have even bought a large family sized steak pie when on the offer or reduced in M & S and divided it up into 6 slices and wrapped in foil individually froze each slice.When I take a slice out in the morning for that nights dinner it goes in the fridge and then I only need to make the veg whilst the pie is reheating in my remoska. I make a big pot of mashed spuds and using an ice cream scoop will freeze a plateful of scoops then bag them up so I can just take a scoop or two from the freezer to go into the microwave with my pie then its only some steamed veg that takes a few minutes to cook and i have a nice hot dinner.
Lots of easy ways to do without the junk and getting back to eating what tastes nice.As I say try one or two meals a week to begin with

moneyistooshorttomention

I've noticed one of the current trends - comes up on blog after blog of healthy food eating type - is one of having, say, a major cooking session on one day a week (eg spending a few hours on a Sunday doing it) and then stash boxes of the prepared food in the fridge and/or freezer.

With my way of eating - that would be:

- making bread (and I've just swopped to bagging it up in a few slices per bag in the freezer)

- cooking up a load of soaked dried beans and portioning it out (though canned beans could be used instead)

- even chopping up a load of vegetables into portions and things like making up several days of sooked oatmeal/fruit type breakfast portions.

I'm working in that direction personally. It is a way of dealing with things that requires a decent amount of kitchen worksurface space - and I don't know how much of that you've got?? But, once it's done for the week - then that's pretty much that for the rest of the week.

I can tell you, from experience, that one length of worksurface only measuring 5.6 feet in length isn't enough for that way of cooking (hence one of the reasons I'm in process of getting my new kitchen urgently that I've been waiting for since I bought this house). But if you have a decent amount of worksurface space - then you could do that...

suki1964

Well done with the soup success. Now you know you can get it right, it's worth trying another. Soup is easily frozen as well. Get some sealable freezer bags, portion up and freeze flat. They don't need defrosting to use either

I bang on about soup as it was the one thing that I would make to get veg into me when I was cooking ( or not more often ) for just me. If I didn't have soup, my diet for the day was a crisp sandwich

Steam fresh veg, there's nothing wrong with at all. It's usually better then fresh as its picked, processed and frozen within hours

A jacket spud is a jacket spud. Just wash a large potato, dry, score a cross and chuck it in the micro on a bit of kitchen towel for between 7 and 10 mins, just squeeze to test for doneness. Five mins in a hot oven will crisp it up

Chicken fillet is really easy to cook from scratch in a frying pan in minutes. Google how to butterfly a fillet, then hammer it flat between two bits of greeseproof, quite thin with a rolling pin or saucepan if nothing else. You can season with whatever flavouring you want , or you can dip in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and just pan fry in a little oil and butter. It doesn't take long, you check it's done by just cutting through the centre

You just need to remember to take food out of the freezer to defrost. An alarm on your phone is a great tool for this. Set it for a time that suits you in the evening, say after Corrie or whatever programme you watch, then take out the food and transfer to the fridge for the following day

Your SIl has the right idea about sell by / bb dates. Fruit and veg you use common sense. In my house, unless it's running across the fridge, it's edible . However I also know it's a PITA buying a bag of something and wading through it before it's gone off. A greengrocer is your friend. You can go in and buy just one onion, two carrots, half a swede etc

Same as the butcher, you can buy as little as you like. I've been know to buy 1 sausage, two cliches of black pudding and a slice of veggie roll when I've wanted a fry :rotfl:

queengoth

I can tell you, from experience, that one length of worksurface only measuring 5.6 feet in length isn't enough for that way of cooking (hence one of the reasons I'm in process of getting my new kitchen urgently that I've been waiting for since I bought this house). But if you have a decent amount of worksurface space - then you could do that...[/QUOTE]

Sorry but I have to disagree with this , I live on a boat and my only only kitchen work surface is about 2ft. It's perfectly possible to batch cook with this small space. I can fit a pan and a chopping board on that. Other pans on top of the stove for different meals. Onions, mushrooms and peppers go into nearly everything and any additional ingredients get chopped and added to that particular pan.

I get a Huge pack of chicken breasts from a butchers for about £20 that contains usually about 18 large chicken breasts, with a sharp pair of scissors and some freezer bags I cut down each breast either into strips or chunks or just pared down to slightly smaller size then butterflied.

I freeze some of the strips in a bag with herbs and spices ready to either bake or stir fry and eat in wraps. Most of the butterflied breasts are frozen and because they are flat take very little time to cook from frozen for just plain chicken or fillings like cheese or herby butter for your own kievs.

The chunked chicken then goes in chicken currys (add spices and tinned toms) chicken, onion and mushroom in gravy. Can be eaten like stew or frozen pastry added for pie. And sweet and sour (I cheat with a jar for this because I can never get home cooked to taste the same) with a tin of pineapple. Chicken in white sauce (again good for a pie filling) it's all allowed to go cold then freezer bagged into portions. Usually takes me about 2 to 3 hours including washing up and then it's microwaved from frozen when I want it.

I have another session with mince beef making burgers, (frozen raw) minced beef in gravy (shepherds pie or savoury mince) and a basic spaghetti Bol mix which can be turned to a chilli when next cooked.

I rarely buy other fresh veg because I put in the fridge and forget it so it's frozen all the way for me. It does take a little organising to start but I know what's in everything, the one processed thing I buy is the odd lasagne because I have never found a quick way to make it.
I hope this helps

Ilona

Well done to those who have written long replies, all good advice there. I will make mine short because I spend a lot of time writing my blog, and part of it documents my eating habits. I have lived alone the whole of my life, so I am well used to cooking for one person. I use the term 'cooking' loosely, I don't actually like spending a long time in the kitchen, so a lot of my meals require no cooking, they are what you can put on a plate straight from the fridge. Lots of salads obviously.

When I do cook I like to make a meal in one pan on the hob, so stews and soups, and stirfrys. I never use my oven, not worth it for one person, don't even have a small oven. I grill and use the microwave.

The only junk I have in my house is veggie burgers, veggie sausages, and sometimes a £1 quiche from Tesco. I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat dairy, so eggs, cheese and yogurt all ok.

For a start ignore sell by dates. I did a yellow sticker dash on Thursday night, got a load of salad, fruit, and veg, for £6.21. I will eat all of it, some straight away like green leaves, they go limp, but the hard veg will last up to two weeks. I never throw any food away. I don't care that I might not fancy it at the time, it gets eaten no matter what. It cost me money so I won't throw money away.

I made two large pans of stew, have eaten two portions, the rest, six portions, are in margarine tubs in the freezer, they are my ready meals.

Admitted I am retired, but with some planning this can be done by someone in work. It's all about timing, and making time to prepare meals. Do it on your day off, or go shopping later after work.

Good luck with this, OP, take note of what everyone is saying, there are a lot of clever people on here.
Ilona

moneyistooshorttomention

Hats off to you QueenGoth at managing with 2' worth of worksurface - as what I have currently is proving very frustrating to me.:T

PasturesNew

I am like you, I have a mini oven, SC, microwave - but I don't use the oven or the hob (fear issues/petrified).

I'll read the rest of this thread, then bung in my tuppence worth.

I suspect though you're trying to "live the life" of some "faddy mantra" about "processed foods" without realising that not all "processed foods" are "bad".

Too many "" in there, eh!

Yesterday I ate: 3 doughnuts and a packet of crisps. I lived.

EDIT: Right. Back.

OK, this "fresh food" malarky - there's nothing wrong with most tinned veggies etc. Frozen veggies are frozen very quickly, so they're often "better" than fresh ones that've been dragged around the country in crates for days.

I use frozen veg mostly. Except yesterday, no veg goes with doughnuts.

I've also got about 2' of workspace ... until the mini oven gets plonked there. My kitchen is "huge", but utterly useless and poorly planned.

Looks like you've had lots of assistance/suggestions above, so I'll butt out. My main problems are having an unworkable kitchen that's dark and unwelcoming .... having a fear of most things that plug in, or have gas, or water .... and really disliking cooking I also can't touch any raw meat and meat grosses me out; happy to eat it once cooked, but until it's cooked it's gross.

I've tipped chicken breast into the SC to make curries... without touching the meat. I also tip mince in to make chilli, again, without browning/touching it.

Vegetables can be lobbed into a SC to make soups too. Although they can get boring.