Avoiding Processed Foods Requires You To...???

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by C33

O.P you talk about mouth entertainment and the term is spot on.

Just like popular entertainment doesn't want you to think, your mouth entertainment is controlled by people who don't want you to taste.

Processed foods are addictive, which is why you want more and more of them.Popular T.V is addictive as well.

If you eat like the masses, you will think like the masses and vice-versa.

Also, fast food is a solitary pleasure. You don't have the sense of communion that people used to have when eating together some slow food. Most of the time, people eat fast, processed food in front of the t.v.

Food is not supposed to be entertaiment, but the media have done a good job in making us think it is. It's supposed to be nourishment and can be a great pleasure of life.

The way you think about food has been manufactured. You are eating food that has been specifically processed so you become addicted to it.Your body starts malfunctioning, which affects your brain and the ability to think clearly.

Ultimately this is your choice. If you decide to avoid processed food, you will have a period of withdrawal that lasts for about a week.

Years ago I cured myself from bulimia that had been brought by eating processed food. I chose to eat organic food, and yes, it cost me more, but the bulimia was gone within 2 months.

It might taste good but it's not good for you. A pack of tortilla chips at WholeFoods is not that much more expensive than a pack of Doritos.

what is entertainment, and what should and shouldn't be entertainment?

[missbhaven]

As a chef, I know it's easier and cost efficient to make it big supply rather than small supplies every time. Stock and store your excess for later.

I still have pine nut parmesan and spicy eggplant bacon, plus crackers, from my raw food binge. My cookies got murdered long time ago, I am a cookie monster.

Meal planning is also essential. You can plan to make a big thing once to last a week or a month. Like rice, first cooking is eaten right away. Then you have fried rice and dessert rice options, or simply reheat for a later day. Soup and slow cooker meals are best often the day after, plus they are easy to freeze and store ( usually lasting 3 months in the freezer.)

Advanced prep, or mise en plus as it is called, adds to convience of cooking. If time is an issue buy precut items, or do it all at the start of the week. Many of the foods we like are prepared then assembled together. But many things can be reused from dinners. Roasts and left over meats can be cut for cold cuts for sandwich insides. Vegetable scraps are saved for stock which is used almost in every cooked dish. Mushy fruit is frozen for smoothies or pie insides.

Also, check out good cafes/restaurants. Many offer prepared soups and other specialities which were made from scratch in a little fridge/freezer section. We sell frozen focciacia where I work (sourdough starter, yeast, flour, water, salt and either rosemary or real roasted pepper topping).

But chips, they are the most time consuming price of work I've done. You need a GOOD mandolin! I mean a professional grade not a $50 one. Otherwise you'll have semi chips. They never last the night when I BAKE them. (Though I am sure a fryer method would be quicker.) It takes a whole oven to do 1 side dish for 1 person. Beets trump potato when it comes to making them at home, they are soooooo good when made. For a corn type chip where it is a dough base/ cracker style type, I recommend a pasta maker to roll your dough super thin then baking or frying them. Dusting your flavors while still hot, if not in the dough itself. For something like a ranch dressing you would need powdered milk in your flavor dust. For most flavors look up the ingredients in the liquid form, and just get powdered dried versions.