View Full Version : Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - how much processed food do your kids have?
I've just seen the first episode in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in the USA. I hear that Jamie is bringing the programme to Australia in future, so it got me thinking, how bad is the average Aussie family's diet?
How often do you give your kids processed food - be it takeaway or frozen chicken nuggets, even a cook-in sauce which has preservatives, colouring, etc.
I was appalled when I was away with my kids recently at the options at the attractions we went to. Chicken nuggets was pretty much the only option everytime. Very few kid-friendly sandwiches, soups or pasta dishes.
So let's have a poll (remember it's anonymous, so be honest, no-one will know that your kids have Maccas way too often because it's easy)
Remember, this is an average and we appreciate that some weeks are more difficult than others to find the time to plan, shop and cook. For the purposes of this exercise, rice and pasta don't count as processed food if you are starting with plain rice or pasta from a packet.
Blueberry Crumble
19-07-2010, 11:57
I watched this the other night too- I LOVE JO, I think he is fantastic! I ended up going onto Youtube and watching the entire series in one hit lol!!
I found it amazing the resistance he got from that town, especially Alice the "cook" and the radio guy, they didnt like being TOLD!
It has opened my eyes- I dont use any packet mixes anyway, my theory is if the ingredients looks like a chemistry lesson, it is a no no. I bought breadcrumbs the other day, a popular brand. I wanted just bread crumbs, but when I looked at the ingredients list I was shocked at the amount of garbage in it!
I dont do frozen ready meals either... no nuggets. He gets crumbed fish about once a month because he loves it, but that is it!
He does eat some junk though
MummaBear03
19-07-2010, 12:01
We don't do processed foods. YUCK!!! All those numbers on the packet, we can live without that thank you very much!
I'll keep on checking labels and avoiding processed food/take away food and I don't care what people think of that.
we try to keep things BASIC ... and I try to ensure that the kids have fruit and veges in their most natural form (as in .. i dont count the fruit in a muesli bar .. lol - its so much sugar).
I'm lucky though - my boys seem to like salad and veges .. and they LOVE most fruits - so its not as much of a battle here as it is in some households?
I prefer to use just a tin of tomatoes and some tomato paste when I make savoury mince - although at least now they are making more and more sauces that have less preservatives/ colours in them ..
EvangelinaOne
19-07-2010, 12:06
My Children eat sometimes have cereals such as wheat bix for breakfast or wholemeal/wholegrain toast. They also have vegemite sometimes and biscuits.
They almost never have processed foods with dinner and we don't do dessert.
I don't mind them having treats but we don't give them treats as a reward more so they learn to eat properly and know that it is ok to have treats sometimes.
bubbleandme
19-07-2010, 12:11
we're really working on getting rid of processed food. i'd say DS is 95% free, and i'm probably 90%.
i found some left over breakfast muffins in the freezer this morning, so defrosted them and goodness, you could smell the chemicals in them! that was scary. i guess i'm just a bit more tuned in now to the smells and taste.
faroutbrusselsprout
19-07-2010, 12:11
I think there should be another option on the poll.
DS1 has takeaway about once a month so waaay less than three, but that's what I'll tick for now.
Hollywood
19-07-2010, 12:12
For evening meals, never.
The only processed food DS has regularly is wholemeal bread, cereal (eg All Bran Dual) and baked beans. The rest is all natural, made from scratch. He eats fruit for snacks.
missie_mack
19-07-2010, 12:15
processed take away would be pretty rare in this house. DS' favourite is thai and it comes from a pretty authentic thai restaurant that is near us (its awesome people travel good distances to go there :D) Occassionally we might grab a pizza but that might be once a month. I rarely use jarred foods or frozen foods due to allergies... so perhaps we aren't doing too bad here :)
He eats pretty badly at his father's house, something I cannot control. Apart from that, the only take away he has with us is about once a month when we get pasta.
He's a fussy bugger, but on his bad nights the worst I'll give him is pasta with vegies and cheese only.
If I'm making nuggets or whatever, I'll get a chicken boobie from the shop and make some at home with rice flour.
He does eat bread though, I certainly don't have the time to make that!!
This may be ignorant, but what exactly is processed food? I know takeout qualifies, but what about, say, bread? Is that processed?
Also I agree the poll is a bit skewed, DS has takeout type food maybe a couple of times a year, but certainly not never and definitely not even once a month.
Purplebird
19-07-2010, 12:20
We try and cook from scratch all the time. It's cheaper as well as being healthier. My two would barely ever have take out (maybe once a month) and they rarely have processed food. Any treats they have are homemade ones.
We're looking good so far! For this poll, I wouldn't count bread as processed food (although it is, I guess), I'm thinking more about the frozen meals, frozen nuggets and takeaway food.
In England and the US there is a far, far greater variety of ready-made meals that you microwave or put in the oven. Fortunately, Australia doesn't have anywhere near the quantity of those types of meals available.
I'll try and add another poll option in, if I can, for the 'very rarely' has processed food.
SassyMummy
19-07-2010, 12:33
Less than 3 I think.
We might have take away once a week when we're not too poor, but otherwise I make up most of our foods.
We've been trying jarred curry sauces lately, but mainly because I want to see what type of curry I actually like, and it's cheaper for me to just buy a jar for this purpose. Once I figure it out, then I'll be making my own.
I have nuggets in the freezer - but they're usually pulled out when we've come home late and don't have much time to make dinner.
DS is almost one and has never even had commercial baby food, let alone processed crap. And that's the way it will always be, there is no way i'm putting that stuff in his body.
My sister used to nanny a little boy in the UK, and he basically just lived off of chicken nuggets and frozen pizzas etc before she got there. She gave him some fruit when she first arrived and his bowels didn't know what hit them - very sad.
MummaBear03
19-07-2010, 12:53
We're looking good so far! For this poll, I wouldn't count bread as processed food (although it is, I guess), I'm thinking more about the frozen meals, frozen nuggets and takeaway food.
In England and the US there is a far, far greater variety of ready-made meals that you microwave or put in the oven. Fortunately, Australia doesn't have anywhere near the quantity of those types of meals available.
I'll try and add another poll option in, if I can, for the 'very rarely' has processed food.
Thanks, I can vote now! hahaha
We have Frys vegan chicken-style nuggets in the freezer. They were bought a couple of months ago. I haven't needed to use them yet but they are there for if we need to.
narribri
19-07-2010, 12:54
My baby hasn't arrived yet, but DH and I very rarely have any sort of processed food. Cooking fresh food from scratch is a big focus in our household at the moment, and we never have takeaway (can't afford it!).
I'm similar to a PP, I went through a stage where we tried lots of jarred curry sauces to find out what we liked - then I started making them from scratch. I'll use the Continental packet mixes occasionally, then if we like the dish or the style of dish I'll replicate it from scratch. I use processed foods as part of the learning process - if we like the processed version, then I'll do my research and learn how to make it from scratch, but if we don't like the dish to begin with then there's no point stocking the pantry with all the new spices and ingredients I'll need to make it.
Its surprisingly easy to make good food from scratch, and it tastes so much better! Much better for you without all the nasty preservatives too.
MummaBear03
19-07-2010, 12:58
We don't buy lunch box snacks either like LCMs or muesli bars or dried fruit or any such rubbish either.
I am very food conscious...I suffer with allergies and intolerances, so over the years I have learnt a great deal about food. I am very picky about what we eat. What upsets me is that I do get negative comments about it sometimes - it's as if having a healthy pantry is some sort of obsessive trait - not just a guide to a healthy life!!!
DD is 14 months and I can honestly say she is yet to sample processed food (except for a chip she swiped at a party the other day:rolleyes:). DS is 4. We have takeout once a week. For me this is usually sushi or noodle box. Sometimes pizza (gluten free for me). DS will eat whatever takeout we eat once a week.
At home we have no biscuits, processed muesli bars/fruit bars, chocolate, lollies, icecream, dessert foods, foods with added refined sugar, frozen nuggets/ready meals etc in our fridge/freezer or pantry. And we are not hungry lol!! One of our friends was here one day looking in our pantry. His comment was 'what do you eat?' Unprocessed food, brother!!!!
MountainGirl
19-07-2010, 13:04
Never.
I make all our snacks. Ie: cookies, slice, museli bars, dried fruit. They eat fruit, cheese off the block (I realize cheese is processed).
I make all the kids meals from scratch using vegies from our garden, eggs from our chooks,... And I buy preservative free sourdough bread from our local gourmet bakery.
They drink either water, full fat milk or fresh squeezed juice.
I make hoummos, avocado dip etc.
They think frozen yogurt (which I make) is ice cream:)
they eat very well and are sceptical of things that come in packages!!!!
Ana Gram
19-07-2010, 13:09
This is difficult to answer as our takeaway is vegan, so nothing like KFC or Maccas. I'm having takeaway right now but it is stuffed capsicum.
We do eat Lord of the Fries occasionally but that is also streaks a head of what is considered normal takeaway.
petalwings
19-07-2010, 13:11
McCains "healthy choice" frozen meals were on special at woolies for $3.08 and at Iga for $3.48 a few weeks ago. And I have stocked up. I never really thought too much about it. Ds1 refuses to eat maccers or hj's but I do get him take away sushi a few times a week for afterschool snack. We have Japanese take away about once a week, pizza once a fortnight, subway on the weekend after footy. For lunch ds 1 almost always gets a lunch order- fried rice or teryaki beef. We have wok in a box once a fortnight too. Breakfast is almost always instant porridge in individual sachets. I cook two- three meals from scrach each week if my budget permits. I find take away can be cheaper. Snacks at home are Asian ramen noodles. Ds2(7 months) has rice cereal a few times a day, finger foods- steamed brocolli, carrots, cauliflower, cheeses and a few spoonfuls of a raffertys garden sachet. He really, really loves grandmas chocolate custard.
I just realised how much junk I'm putting in my childrens bodies. Will try to change.
Practically everything is processed in some way, milk, bread, unless you grow it yourself you're probably having it every meal and then some.
We never eat pre-made/frozen/canned/bottled/packet dinners, I make all meals from scratch, but even things like sauces used as ingredients are full of additives!
We get take away pizza maybe twice a year and never from a chain place, always from a local proper wood fired pizza restauraunt, but we make our own pizzas usually. Thai again twice a year maybe. Take away only happens here when there's been a traumatic event and neither of us feels like cooking.
Processed meats (deli type sandwitch meats, sausages etc) once or twice a week.
We only buy our mince and sausages from a butcher we know and trust whos mince is 100% meat, no additives at all (he makes it right infront of us)
We're starting to make our own bread, no bread maker, elbow grease and the oven work fine.
We are as careful as possible as hubby and DS both react badly to 90% of additives out there. :rolleyes: Good think I love cooking.
We've been having take away a bit more than usual lately because of my MS, maybe once a week - once a f/night. Just because cooking makes me feel sick.
Other than that DS eats largely cheese and fruit for snacks, or some bread with preservative free cream cheese. The occasional tin of no salt baked beans for lunch if we are having a bad day.
When I am home, I try and make big batches of healthy food and freeze for meals, but hubby is guilty of preparing pies and chips for tea his days home.
I voted rarely, as its definately less than 3 times a week.
designertaste
19-07-2010, 13:29
Im not a health nut. I focus more on balance. DD has fresh fruit, veges, bread, vegemite, weetbix, Mcdonalds every now and then. I don't fret if she eats a chip at a party, Or licks a lolli pop that a friend bought. She's a child and eats good and bad. She's doesn't crave fatty food. She eats what she's given.
As for takeaway i buy it once a fortnight. My hubby is American and loves his fatty foods. I love food...and im not goona fuss over any food or make my child cough up a piece of bread because it had butter on it. I just dont think thats the way food should be. Be smart with your food and be balanced. thats my motto.
missie_mack
19-07-2010, 13:43
She usually has a slice of wholemeal bread with cream cheese or hommus (processed). Crusketts (processed). She has baby cereal (processed) and or tamar sugar free yoghurt with fruit (processed), a couple of jars of baby food a week (processed), formula (processed), tinned fish (processed), pasta (processed), couscous (processed). Perhaps it's easier to say what isn't. Fruit, veges, eggs? Anything else?
You right. Most people eat processed food in some form without even realising it stocks and stock powders, soup mixes, packet slow cooker meals, pasta mixes, canned goods, vegetables pastes (like curry pastes and even tomato pastes) all are processed foods. You only have to look at the line up at the deli at coles or woolies to see the amount of processed foods being consumed! Its just so ingrained in our culture much of it probably flies under the radar and meanwhile people are only considering foods like frozen pizzas, sauces, chicken nuggets, fish fingers and the the likes...
I think we are all guilty of eating processed foods, the depth or amount just varies. I am probably quite fortunate not to have grown up with this kind of stuff coming from a farming heritage but I know my DH grew up on it. Infact I don't think my inlaws keep much in fresh vegies for dinner besides onions and potatoes! I really struggle to believe anyone who is piously sitting there and saying they eat no processed foods what so ever :rolleyes:
SassyMummy
19-07-2010, 13:57
We have Frys vegan chicken-style nuggets in the freezer.
They're so yummy! lol. They taste just like regular chicken nuggets... even DP, who is a big whinger and never tries anything new, gave one a go and said he couldn't tell the difference between it and a nugget containing actual chicken. :D
Y
I I really struggle to believe anyone who is piously sitting there and saying they eat no processed foods what so ever :rolleyes:
If you read the OP she does say 'for the purpose of this poll processed food is :ecomcity: and listed what it was so I think that people are answering based on what the OP has asked about. ;)
My kids don't eat take-away or processed foods that were mentioned in the OP. I have never, nor will I ever buy a frozen dinner, chicken nuggets, frozen pizza etc. I voted never ever.
missie_mack
19-07-2010, 14:16
My kids don't eat take-away or processed foods that were mentioned in the OP. I have never, nor will I ever buy a frozen dinner, chicken nuggets, frozen pizza etc. I voted never ever.
I wasn't talking about the poll :no: I said those who say they never ever eat any processed foods ;)
I wasn't talking about the poll :no: I said those who say they never ever eat any processed foods ;)
Yeah but I said I think they're saying that they never eat processed foods but are talking about what is mentioned in the OP. Does that make sense?
You right. Most people eat processed food in some form without even realising it stocks and stock powders, soup mixes, packet slow cooker meals, pasta mixes, canned goods, vegetables pastes (like curry pastes and even tomato pastes) all are processed foods. You only have to look at the line up at the deli at coles or woolies to see the amount of processed foods being consumed! Its just so ingrained in our culture much of it probably flies under the radar and meanwhile people are only considering foods like frozen pizzas, sauces, chicken nuggets, fish fingers and the the likes...
I think we are all guilty of eating processed foods, the depth or amount just varies. I am probably quite fortunate not to have grown up with this kind of stuff coming from a farming heritage but I know my DH grew up on it. Infact I don't think my inlaws keep much in fresh vegies for dinner besides onions and potatoes! I really struggle to believe anyone who is piously sitting there and saying they eat no processed foods what so ever :rolleyes:
I think you should be a little less cynical, actually. I have many friends who rarely shop at supermarkets at all, and certainly don't use meal mixes or commerical stocks etc (it's not difficult to make your own stock or curry paste). Why is that difficult to believe?
Admittedly I was under the assumption that this thread is in reference to processed frozen goods and junk etc, as that is what Jamie Oliver is trying to stop (I think most will - the title *does* mention Jamie Oliver). However, I do make most things from scratch - I never use meal mixes, curry pastes or soup mixes etc. But - I use tomato paste and I purchase canned kidney beans and sometimes crushed tomatoes. Oh and cheese too.
MountainGirl
19-07-2010, 14:30
I believe anyone who is piously sitting there and saying they eat no processed foods what so ever :rolleyes:
I don't think there is anything 'pious' about a choice you make in regards your childs diet. I think that's a little rude tbh.
I assume the OP is getting at how many evening meals are takeway or stuff in boxes (eg. frozen pizzas/microwave meals/processed meat like fish fingers or chicken nuggets).
I wouldn't think anybody cares whethere kids have "technically" processed food like wheetbix.
Anyway, I would say we get takeway food once a week. Normally pizza or Indian. My son (21 months) will eat it with us.
I try and avoid using too much frozen or jar stuff for main meals, due to the high sodium, and low vegetable content. If I make pasta, I'll normally use some no-added-salt tomato puree or paste (obviously making from fresh tomatoes is better, but I think the NAS purees/pastes are okay, particularly when you add lots of fresh veggies).
Ohhh okay, well we do eat processed foods then. We have tinned beans in our minestrone, use tinned tomatoes in our spaghetti bolognaise, processed bread, oats in the morning (I assume these are 'processed' in some form or another), etc.
I make a lot from scratch, but still use processed flour?? Is flour processed?
Anyway, I don't feel guilty because I don't believe processed EQUALS fattening, bad, evil. I don't have all the time in the world so will continue to use tinned tomatoes and beans.
Hmm I ticked less then three but I guess thinking about it we still probably have more then I'd like to think.
We rarely get takeaway..maybe once a month, (though on a bad month once a fortnight). We are prtty boring and eat mostly meat grilled or baked in the turbo oven and three to five vege either steamed or baked in the Turbo. I do buy pre crumbed chicken breasts and and use suaces out of jars at times. Though I try to stick to the more basic ones, eg soy sauce, Whistershire sauce, tomatoe paste, canned tomatoes and/ or tomatoe sauce. I also buy garlic and ginger in jars that I noticed when I actually read the label have added stuff... He also has rice cakes, rice crackers and water crackers, bread, vegemite, jam, and cheese.
So as far as preservatives and colours go, I know we eat more then I'd like to think about.
I was thinking about the show today when I was in the fruit and vege section at the supermarket and my 2 year old was pointing out the vegies and fruits and helping me put them in bags. So, he at least does better then that poor boy who thought a tomatoe was a potatoe or visa versa. He also thinks Mum cooking tea and eating vegies is normal ....he actually likes them and goes crazy over fruit. He had a tantie today actually over wanting a bean to eat as we were walking around, and a month or so ago was screaming the shop down wanting "PRUNES Mummy!, PRUNEEEEEES!!":o:o
Good on Jamie Oliver. I can't believe how uneducated Alice is being that she's supposidly a "cook". I live behind a school ground and I don't know what food is available to buy in the canteen there but by the number of mini chip packets, mini biscuit packets and bikie and cheese dip packets that blow over my fence, I am guessing that parents and canteen here aren;t all that clued up on health food for children either.
MunchiesMummy
19-07-2010, 15:23
:wave:
Love that show too - cant wait for this weeks episode.....
I am now feeling a bit guilty as to what I feed my DD :o ....and here i was thinking we did pretty good.
She eats at least 2 fruit and 5 veg every day - have just discovered she loves raw brocoli, cali and mushies too so sometimes she has them raw.
HOWEVER - she does get chicken nuggets and fish fingers (at LEAST 3 x a week - on day care days as I am late home and need easy meal).
Other times she eats our food - spag bol, savoury mince, beef strog, corned beef and veg etc etc.
We eat wholemeal bread, cheese, milk, yogi etc which I thought was good for her?
She does have treat foods - bickies, and cheerios (cereal) every now and then.
I use tinned toms and meal mixes but I thought as I was using lots of fresh veg etc in with them that would still be "good" food? :confused:
Bum - I have no idea - ok does someone please have an easy recipe for me to make homemade nuggets and fish fingers that I can freeze? That might make me feel better :crying:
We are additive-free which knocks out most processed food.
The Jamie show made me so sad, all that crap being fed to kids who then go hyper or moody or whatever (my 3yo is awful when he's had additives). Then these kids are probably labelled with some disorder and medicated :(
Bum - I have no idea - ok does someone please have an easy recipe for me to make homemade nuggets and fish fingers that I can freeze? That might make me feel better :crying:
:hugs:
I make nuggets with chicken breast. Just cut them up into the size you want, roll them in rice flour and stick them in the pan or oven :)
Fish fingers, I've never made them but I've made battered fish before it couldn't be that hard. I'd say just cut up the fish into 'fingers', roll them in a batter/crumb mix and stick them in a pan/the oven!
In terms of processed food, I'm really talking about the 'almost' ready-made meals, such as frozen meals, frozen nuggets, frozen pizzas, etc, etc.
I'm not talking about flour, cheese, milk, oats, etc. Yes, these are processed foods, but we're not all going to start grinding our own flour and very few of us will ever bother making cheese, for these foods we can just buy the best quality we can afford and perhaps try to avoid the very processed slice cheeses, stringers, etc, etc.
Munchies mummy don't feel bad, there is nothing wrong with having chicken nuggets and fish fingers, as long as they are integrated into a balanced healthy diet, if your DD gets plenty of fruit and veggies and fresh food every week then Í don't see the problem.
I study full time and no way to I have time to grow, prepare and cook all my food from scratch.
So I go to the supermarket, try and buy plenty of fresh healthy food and ensure DS has a balanced diet, I refuse to feel bad for not making my own bread or cheese.
If you can do that then that's good too but we have to be realistic about how much time some working or studying parents may have to make their own pasta from scratch etc.
Lemonhead
19-07-2010, 15:45
In terms of processed food, I'm really talking about the 'almost' ready-made meals, such as frozen meals, frozen nuggets, frozen pizzas, etc, etc.
OK, going by that Id say about 3 times a week DS will eat something processed.
This can include:
- takeaway
- processed cheese slices
- potato gems/chips
We dont eat ready made frozen meals, or frozen pizza/nuggets etc
I feel comfortable feeding DS what I feed him. he is healthy, a good weight, bright eyed and has a good amount of energy :). We dont grind our own flour or bake our own bread but we are healthy and eat well.
Lemonhead
19-07-2010, 15:47
If you can do that then that's good too but we have to be realistic about how much time some working or studying parents may have to make their own pasta from scratch etc.
I dont work or study but that would still be too much for me to do! I think you do what fits in with your lifestyle and as long as you arent feeding the kids takeaway and unhealthy food every night you're doing well :).
PS: While writing that I was eating Mi Goreng and drinking green cordial hahaahahah!
MunchiesMummy
19-07-2010, 16:45
:hugs:
I make nuggets with chicken breast. Just cut them up into the size you want, roll them in rice flour and stick them in the pan or oven :)
Fish fingers, I've never made them but I've made battered fish before it couldn't be that hard. I'd say just cut up the fish into 'fingers', roll them in a batter/crumb mix and stick them in a pan/the oven!
:hugs: Thanks - just a question - so I just cut them and then straight into rice flour? No egg or anything needed?? ALSO (sorry :o) If I was to do bulk and freeze would I freeze raw or cook and free and reheat?
I am going to try crumbing fresh fish too :D
:thumbsup:
Fuchsia!
19-07-2010, 16:45
I would love to see a lot of those disgusting foods taken away. The damage they can do to children is so bad.
I think once in a blue moon is ok, but seriously these things that are on the market these days is just horrific. I wish more people would be more educated on what they are feeding their kids.
Even these so called "healthy" foods are laden with preservatives and additives.
Hollywood
19-07-2010, 16:47
In terms of processed food, I'm really talking about the 'almost' ready-made meals, such as frozen meals, frozen nuggets, frozen pizzas, etc, etc.
I'm not talking about flour, cheese, milk, oats, etc. Yes, these are processed foods, but we're not all going to start grinding our own flour and very few of us will ever bother making cheese, for these foods we can just buy the best quality we can afford and perhaps try to avoid the very processed slice cheeses, stringers, etc, etc.
That's how I thought you meant it, so I still stand by my answer on the poll of "Never". We never ever buy 'almost ready' food in packets, it's so easy to cook something myself. I grew up like that too, my mum was amazing the way she cooked a meal from scratch every night and she had a 2 week rotation so we never got the same thing two nights in a row.
Now that I'm staying with my dad, his partner and I share the cooking of the evening meal, and tonight I'm cooking Moroccan chicken in the slow cooker and will serve it with potato mash and green vegies.
MunchiesMummy
19-07-2010, 16:48
Munchies mummy don't feel bad, there is nothing wrong with having chicken nuggets and fish fingers, as long as they are integrated into a balanced healthy diet, if your DD gets plenty of fruit and veggies and fresh food every week then Í don't see the problem.
I study full time and no way to I have time to grow, prepare and cook all my food from scratch.
So I go to the supermarket, try and buy plenty of fresh healthy food and ensure DS has a balanced diet, I refuse to feel bad for not making my own bread or cheese.
If you can do that then that's good too but we have to be realistic about how much time some working or studying parents may have to make their own pasta from scratch etc.
:hugs::D Thanks - yeah I know realistically for me making fresh pasta etc isnt going to happen - I want to feed dd (and DH and me) as healthy as I can but I will still buy bread etc - but we go for wholemeal so hopefully thats ok :yelclap:
:hugs: Thanks - just a question - so I just cut them and then straight into rice flour? No egg or anything needed?? ALSO (sorry :o) If I was to do bulk and freeze would I freeze raw or cook and free and reheat?
I am going to try crumbing fresh fish too :D
:thumbsup:
I think the chicken + rice flour was a failsafe recipe so they try to keep it as minimal as possible. I do the chicken and rice flour then straight into some canola oil on a pan, I find on a pan makes them more crispy, although oven baked would be much healthier I'd assume.
I guess if you wanted some more flavour/crunch you could do an eggwash + flour + breadcrumbs or riceflour. I usually do eggplant this way. Mmmmmm eggplant *drools* :laughing:
:hugs: Thanks - just a question - so I just cut them and then straight into rice flour? No egg or anything needed?? ALSO (sorry :o) If I was to do bulk and freeze would I freeze raw or cook and free and reheat?
I am going to try crumbing fresh fish too :D
:thumbsup:
You'd need something to get the rice flour to stick. We use cornflake crumbs here for our nuggets. It's a bit tastier (we can't use egg cause of allergies...so we use egg replacer but it's completely tasteless). I'd buy the chicken, do the prep work that day and then they'd just need to be cooked - rather than re-heating. They get a bit dry when you re-heat - if you're oven baking them anyway. You can also add some lemon juice in to the egg too.
Honestly, I would never feed my kids bought chicken nuggets, even if they could (no allergies). It was JO that turned me off them for life when in his school dinners UK he showed the kids just how chicken nuggets were made :barf: I reckon if you looked on you tube you might be able to find it. I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. I just don't think many people realise just how disgusting chicken nuggets are! :)
SassyMummy
19-07-2010, 17:12
Making your own nuggets/fish fingers/etc is pretty easy... basically just cutting up chunks of chicken breast meat or slicing up white fish fillets, and then crumbing them. Very simple. Using tenderloins for hte nuggets is even tastier IMO.
Even just making your own hot chips is pretty easy - all you need is a tiny bit of oil, potatoes and an oven.
Of course, sometimes you just feel so awful, going to a maccas drive-through/popping some frozen nuggets in the oven is the easiest choice, and I'm sure nobody would condemn you for that. If I had the money, I'd do that tonight - send DP for take-away cos I feel like garbage.
missie_mack
19-07-2010, 17:13
You'd need something to get the rice flour to stick. We use cornflake crumbs here for our nuggets. It's a bit tastier (we can't use egg cause of allergies...so we use egg replacer but it's completely tasteless).
We can't eat egg either :) Water can do the job otherwise milk or buttermilk. When I make chicken strips/nuggets for kids parties I actually soak the chicken in buttermilk overnight and it will actually improve the flavour. A bit of rice flour, cumin, garlic, cracked pepper and bake them in the oven with a little olive oil and they can compete with KFC chicken ;) Despite the name buttermilk is often lower in fat than normal milk and more palatable than skim for this type of feat
We can't eat egg either :) Water can do the job otherwise milk or buttermilk. When I make chicken strips/nuggets for kids parties I actually soak the chicken in buttermilk overnight and it will actually improve the flavour. A bit of rice flour, cumin, garlic, cracked pepper and bake them in the oven with a little olive oil and they can compete with KFC chicken ;) Despite the name buttermilk is often lower in fat than normal milk and more palatable than skim for this type of feat
Yeah, we can't have milk either! But will have to try the rice flour/spices combo!
I second the buttermilk or you can use yogurt (which can also act as a tenderiser). You can make your own yogurt but I buy farmers union European yogurt and it has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. And it is pretty cheap too :)
Eta: just saw you can't have milk either...eek. flour and spices will work otherwise :)
Thermolicious
19-07-2010, 17:37
Bum - I have no idea - ok does someone please have an easy recipe for me to make homemade nuggets and fish fingers that I can freeze? That might make me feel better :crying:
I do my own fish fingers/chicken nuggets basically just flour, egg wash (or yogurt) then into some breadcrumbs I have made (put some home grated parmesan cheese and fresh chives into the bread crumb mix-yum!). You can either cook straight away I just drizzle mine with olive oil and bake for 20 min at 200c turn after 15min or freeze on a flat tray then tip into a bag or container, to cook from frozen I do them for 25-30min.
We are additive-free which knocks out most processed food.
The Jamie show made me so sad, all that crap being fed to kids who then go hyper or moody or whatever (my 3yo is awful when he's had additives). Then these kids are probably labelled with some disorder and medicated :( I think the same thing happens too sometimes, I don't think that there is much education about additives which is why I like this kind of tv show.
Honestly, I would never feed my kids bought chicken nuggets, even if they could (no allergies). It was JO that turned me off them for life when in his school dinners UK he showed the kids just how chicken nuggets were made :barf: I reckon if you looked on you tube you might be able to find it. I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. I just don't think many people realise just how disgusting chicken nuggets are! :)
Oh I've seen Jamie Olivers fowl dinners with the reclaimed meat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanically_separated_meat)? :barf: never ever ever will you eat hot dogs or nuggets after watching that!!!!!
Ok going by this thread hubby and I eat processed food once a month the boys eat fit chips maybe once a month for lunch (we eat take out after they are asleep). I make everything from scratch (peanut butter is my one and only gripe and from next week I wont be buying orange juice).
peanutbutter&jelly
19-07-2010, 17:38
Bum - I have no idea - ok does someone please have an easy recipe for me to make homemade nuggets and fish fingers that I can freeze? That might make me feel better :crying:
I flour-egg with a carrot/sweet potato/pumpkin puree (from the Jessica Seinfeld book "deceptively delicious") - bread crumb, using fresh bread crumbs I've made (aka, chucked in the food processor and buzzed the heck out of!
Then I oven bake with a spray of olive oil.
For an evening meal, about once a week, if that. I prefer not to, it just rings of "I'm about to gain 3kg overnight AND feel really gross afterwards" (physically not mentally!), and if he eats it, usually I do to.
So yeah, for an evening meal once a week-ish, add in a lunch meal or 4 for overall... those meals being subway though, not maccas or kfc :D
I like to cook, I like to use fresh produce a lot and I like seeing my DS get excited over good food :)
KatiesMum
19-07-2010, 17:39
I said less than 3 times a week - but the truth is it is roughly once a fortnight when we go out for dinner with FIL (DD usually has fish and chips)
At home I dont like the frozen stuff so dont feed it to DD. She will normally eat salad/vegies and whatever meat I happen to have (sausage/chop/roast meat etc). I make her chicken and vegie pies or vege sausage rolls which she LOVES and are soooo much better than the yuck from the shops (and they freeze great ;))
Hubby makes his own pasta/pizza etc - but that is purely because he is italian and fussy :laughing:
Oh - She does like sausage which I classify as processed though ... and she goes to school 2 days a week and will take a treat for after of an LCM bar or the like occasionally.
BornToBe
20-07-2010, 11:12
No kids yet, but we do make all our meals from scratch and I will hope to continue that way.
Not necessarily entirely unprocessed - for example I rely hugely on my tinned tomatoes, I use pre-made curry pastes and tinned pulses (beans, chickpeas etc). Our cupboard consists mainly of these plus tinned fish for hubby, and tons of rice/pasta/noodles. I will also sometimes purchase products that are highly processed - for example, plain corn chips, or taco shells, mountain bread and the like that has very few ingredients (no artificial additives). I've really gotten quite hooked on fair-trade, organic white chocolate lately too. :o
We buy bread from a bakery that uses local stone-ground flour (yummo), though I really want to get into the habit of baking our own.
Our freezer has naught but organic beef mince and chicken, bought cheap and frozen into meal sizes. A way to afford organic meat on a limited budget is to buy chicken drumsticks when reduced to clear, and chop the meat off for stir fry meals, pasta and the like. This way it can cost as little as $1 per serve.
We buy a mix of organic and conventional veg and fruit, probably once per week and spend around $40 at the f&v shop. This feeds two adults (one of them preggo and eating for 6 ;) ) for a week. A regular lunch consists of tossing potatoes, pumpkin and onion with a bit of olive oil and garlic, chucking it in the oven for an hour and eating the whole bloody pan! Haha.
I quite enjoy making my own versions of store bought regulars. Baked beans is a fave, and tomato sauces - for pizza & pasta dishes, we bake our own sweets (jam drops, muffins) etc.
All this is mainly possible because hubs works at home, and enjoys cooking. If we were both full-time workers, I truly doubt we would find the time or energy to devote to keeping our diet as natural as possible. As it is, when we're both buggered we'll usually pick up take-out Indian or similar, probably once per fortnight, max.
Fuchsia!
20-07-2010, 16:23
Is this JO show a series? If so what night was it on cause i want to watch the next one and can't remember what night its on
MummaBear03
20-07-2010, 16:31
Friday at 9pm.
Friday night, after Masterchef :thumbsup:
Thermolicious
20-07-2010, 16:58
For those that have IPhones (or Ipads??) there is a great free app called Whole Foods Market, you can search recipes by ingredients and dietary preferences it also has an "On Hand" search as well as being able to search via 'Course, category and special diet'. It lets you save recipes to your favorites and you can add the ingredients to a shopping list that you can email to yourself then print off :thumbsup:
Happy2be3
20-07-2010, 18:26
We don't do processed foods. YUCK!!! All those numbers on the packet, we can live without that thank you very much!
I'll keep on checking labels and avoiding processed food/take away food and I don't care what people think of that.
Loves it! :):iagree:
Although.. I AM addicted to Hungry Jacks.. I check everything else we eat (additives, colours, flavour enhancers etc etc)
Baked beans maybe once a week is about as crappy as we get. He used to have a piece of crumbed fish occasionally but has gone off it.
Happy2be3
20-07-2010, 18:35
I love Jamie Oliver and what he's doing.. did anyone else have heart palpatations (I did!) when seeing how much food was being just chucked in the bin!??? :crying:
And the flavoured milk bottles were NOT being recycled, just being thown in the bin with all the uneaten food... how very very very sad:(
I think the parents of those kids going to those schools serving that kind of food need to be make accountable. All they need to do is say "no, our kids will not be fed that crap!"
Fuchsia!
20-07-2010, 19:31
Friday at 9pm.
Friday night, after Masterchef :thumbsup:
Thanks :)
I love Jamie Oliver and what he's doing.. did anyone else have heart palpatations (I did!) when seeing how much food was being just chucked in the bin!??? :crying:
And the flavoured milk bottles were NOT being recycled, just being thown in the bin with all the uneaten food... how very very very sad:(
I think the parents of those kids going to those schools serving that kind of food need to be make accountable. All they need to do is say "no, our kids will not be fed that crap!"
^^
We were horrified watching that part. Pieces of whole fruit getting thrown away, and nothing was recycled :crying:
BabelFish
20-07-2010, 23:43
Baked beans maybe once a week is about as crappy as we get. He used to have a piece of crumbed fish occasionally but has gone off it.
Baked beans are terrific - one of nature's superfoods. Did you know that? We give DD baked beans, they are REALLY good for you.
BabelFish
20-07-2010, 23:44
Dammit, I didn't read the poll properly. I put very rarely, but that's not right. For an evening meal, she never, ever, ever has processed food. She never has processed food for any meal. The only processed food she's ever had has been a taste here and there, which is why I put rarely.
Thermolicious
20-07-2010, 23:52
Yeah I missed the "for dinner" part too and put rarely, eh.
Mrs Nietzsche
20-07-2010, 23:57
What is a processed food? Is it baked beans? We have baked beans. Couldn't you call bread processed? or wheat bix?
DOes it just mean unhealthy? ie chico roll.
I struggle to answer this because many healthy foods, that I cook with, are processed ie diced tomatoes
Thermolicious
21-07-2010, 00:34
Yeah, I call what we eat whole foods, as in made with whole foods but I use tin tomatoes and tomato paste and flour (I do mill some wheat when I make bread now) etc. I think for the purpose of this thread they meant food like you said chico roll, sausage rolls junk food sort of stuff.
Yep, it was clarified a few pages back that they are only referring to all of that frozen, processed junk food you see on the show:
In terms of processed food, I'm really talking about the 'almost' ready-made meals, such as frozen meals, frozen nuggets, frozen pizzas, etc, etc.
I'm not talking about flour, cheese, milk, oats, etc. Yes, these are processed foods, but we're not all going to start grinding our own flour and very few of us will ever bother making cheese, for these foods we can just buy the best quality we can afford and perhaps try to avoid the very processed slice cheeses, stringers, etc, etc.
*babygirl*
21-07-2010, 00:54
All the sweets we eat here (except for the occasional chocolate) are home made and I like to prepare things from scratch so we eat alot of home made bread/ cakes/ lollies/ jams that kind of thing. I also cook every meal from scratch with fresh ingredients except for the occasional stock cube/beef stroganoff sachet/ tinned spaghetti... Everything else that comes out of a packet/tin is dried herbs or legumes/beetroot/pineapple etc but I mostly use fresh :)
We eat the occasional packet of chips or rice crackers etc.
dd's diet consists mostly of
eggs / wholegrain toast for breakfast with a freshly sqeezed orange/apple and carrot juice.
Lunch is another piece of fruit or some carrot sticks with some meat (ham chicken or beef) some rice/lentils/pasta or a sandjich with cheese and some yoghurt or a home made cake/sweet
then dinner is always lean mean cooked either grilled/stewed/baked... Never fried. With lots of fresh veges (raw veg salad or steamed/baked veges) or a meal cooked from scratch with meat/herbs/veges with rice or lentils and very rarely pasta.
DD loves maccas etc but it's a rare occasional treat. The only frozen food in my freezer is wedges for DP, frankfurts for DP and flour. The rest is meat or leftovers :)
our diet isn't this way only because it's better for you I think everything TASTES better fresh :)
Ana Gram
21-07-2010, 01:03
I see processed as a huge amount of ingredients, some of which are hard to identify.
I mean, I have a tin of lentils in the cupboard which is technically processed but it's ingredients are lentils, water and salt.
We don't eat processed foods that taste like crap. So apart from the occasional sweet biscuit or rice cracker (ok, very occasionally potato chips!) we avoid them like the plague.
I think my kids have had too much good food to appreciate frozen rubbish, though according to grandma they do love Maccas chips!
motheroffour
23-07-2010, 20:43
ha ha we had take away tonight but it was the first in months, I started a course in nutrition and work as a chef so I know about food and make most from scratch although dd3 does make custard from a box sometimes and she likes to make cakes except not from a packet and we do meusli bars and poppers, does bread count? sometimes smoked chorizo from the butcher(I love my butcher because he got in free range pork for me ) my kids complain because we never eat out.:D:chef:and I complain to dp bebause we NEVER eat out:(
Once every 3 months if that, working in kids nutrition really makes you think about what is going into there bodies
Sheer Bliss
23-07-2010, 20:51
DS is on a failsafe diet, so by default the rest of us pretty much are too. Although I won't go without my coke :laughing: but the kids know that isn't a kids drink anyway.
Most of what we eat for dinner is from scratch, with the exception of some jars of sauces, and packets, but they are all artificial colour, flavour and preservative free.
MummaBear03
23-07-2010, 21:24
OMG did anyone see how he made those nuggets? And the kids still wanted them :barf:
Sheer Bliss
23-07-2010, 21:28
:barf::barf:It was a bit of peer pressure though, 1 kid put his hand up, looked at his mate, so he did too and then they all did! Still very well brainwashed though!
MummaBear03
23-07-2010, 21:45
those poor little kids :crying:
DD never has processed food. We, about 95% of the time only eat organic fruit and vegies and drink unpasterised milk :D. She has coliac disease (as do i) and has now started on a new diet that is all natural, homemade foods that should hopefully help her behavior and bowel movements. We don't want to subject DD to all the sh1t they put in food now. We want her to be as healthy as she possibly can be.
mum2bubba
14-08-2010, 17:35
Alot, but they still have alot of fresh foods as well. Tonight they had chicken nuggets with brocoli and cauliflower.
mum2bubba
14-08-2010, 17:43
They're so yummy! lol. They taste just like regular chicken nuggets... even DP, who is a big whinger and never tries anything new, gave one a go and said he couldn't tell the difference between it and a nugget containing actual chicken. :D
Where do you get these? I've looked and looked.
lemongrass
14-08-2010, 19:36
Probably once a week, if that. When we get DS something most of the time he doesnt finish it anyway. But this happens because I dont really like junk food (if DH is the SAHP that's another story:rolleyes:). 90% of the time we eat asian style food made from scratch:yes:
honeydew
16-08-2010, 09:45
Since watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I've been alot more aware of what we are eating. I really didn't think chicken nuggets were that bad as I don't use oil to cook them (how ignorant is that? :o) until I saw what is actually in them. YUCK! I think alot of it is how you were brought up- I was never taught about the benefits of fresh food, or how to cook from scratch, and the only fruit that was ever in our house growing up was apples :rolleyes:
I've been making a conscious effort to make most things from scratch using fresh food now- kids snacks (savoury muffins, fruit muffins etc), I am making my own bread (soy & linseed is a fave as its so tasty), and including fresh vegies in lunch and dinner meals. The only fruit DS1 will eat is a banana blended with milk, so that's all he eats fruit-wise in a day. DD will sit and eat fruit until she bursts, so she's easy to please. Dessert is yoghurt, no icecream or junky type food.
We do have takeaway once a week and occasionally if we are out shopping with the kids we will grab something, but I don't have a problem with that if it is only a sometimes food.
So, in this house it is a work in progress but that show has really opened my eyes up and made me realise how much junk we really do eat. And also made me realise just how simple it is to use fresh food to make yummy, easy meals.
A Party of Five
22-08-2010, 18:23
Very rarely have processed food or takeaway (eg less than 5 times/month) :yes:
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