High salt levels in processed foods

We eat like the Americans - the fattest nation on earth - and we're heading the same way. It's going to cripple the NHS and bankrupt the national finances. Maybe the time has come for some radical action?

Smokers and drinkers contribute to the exchequer via duty and taxes. In most years the Chancellor has made those pleasures more expensive. Convenience foods on the other hand get cheaper year by year. We all have the right to choose how we live, but perhaps the time has come for those of us who choose to indulge in self inflicted obesity to pick up the tab. Is there a case for compulsory health insurance for the medically obese?

 

unfortunatelty hex a lot of those who are overweight are also unemployed due to the fact that most low cost food is stuffed with hormones, sugar, e numbers and carbohydrates in order to stop you from vomiting when you eat it. so taxing them is not going to help. also do you really want a bunch of super fit, lean chavs? not me - give me lardy chav who gets out of breath saying the word ladder never mind carrying one to your house to get in the upstairs window you forgot to close.

seriously though most weight problems can be traced to self esteem problems - a 'fat tax' would probably cause more of that therefore worsening the problem in the long run. education and a 'glyciemic index tax' (where high gi foods had large taxes and low gi foods low taxes) would be a better way to go rather than singling out a particular group and blaming them......

 

Have to agree with Julian and should add that most people are unaware that that they are unaware they are overweight, far fewer think they are obese. Just think of all those friendly euthamisms for fat; cuddly, bigboned, chunky etc. If you have a waistline of over 37" you are in the heartattack zone but that doen't seem so big. I went up to 46" before I realised there was a problem. Most people don't know and don't want to know. So how can you tax us? a twice yearly visit to the doctors? A fatty patrol?

I suspect the only solution is education towards healthier eating and excersise. But as this flys in the face of our desired goals of doing everything as easily as possible and "feasting" it will be an uphill struggle. As was seen in the Jamie Oliver "School Dinners" there are a lot of ingrained negative attitudes about healthy eating.

 

A lot of this is down to money as well, poorer people simply cannot afford to buy proper food, ok they can afford to buy cheap meals to make proper soups and stuff, but they cannot afford to buy organic veg, fruit juices, cheese etc.

One of the problems I am finding is real life gets in the way, when I am at home I really try and eat healthily, if I am out and need food I buy a subway and I don't put sources or salt on it.

I think the government just needs to put people off buying cheap junk food. There is no way I can out all my junk but I should be able to eat more healthy stuff.

 

and self esteem. Once you get fat, you do less and the less you feel capable of doing, so you do less. It becomes a viscious cycle and one that is hard to break.

 

Don't feel you have to eat organic to eat healthily.

 

Organic is a bit of a bugbear for me. There is plenty of emphasis put on how much better it tastes.

Well not to my buds, it basically tastes the same and looks the same. However it does not last nearly as long. It is far to expensive and some of what is left on organic veg is just as dangerous as the chemical that keep it off.

You don't need organic to eat better. Not having enough money is not an excuse. If you can afford to purchase crap then you can afford to purchase healthy.

 

I haven't had a damn to eat today, this thread has some how put me right off. I suppose I better have some bread (no doubt that contains lots of harmful flower).

 

Exactly I can't believe people complain about the price of healthy eating! Its far cheaper than microwave meals. You just have to do a bit of work in the kitchen and a lot of people don't know how and don't want to learn. After being vegetarian for 11 years and now going back to meat, you realise just how expensive meat is, not vegetables – which is what a lot of people complain about.

 

Yup, you don't want that gluten!

 

<retches, but feels safe due to being a veggie for well over 20 years now…>

Tony.

 

White bread is processed out of two companies in the UK. All white sliced will come from either of these places.

They can process a loaf of bread in 2 hours. The break through for bread making came with the inclusion of hydrogonised fat, which allowed the bread to be proved much more quickly with the use of chemicals instead of yeast. The fat enables the bread to stay risen when baked.

Most every sliced loaf you buy you can squeeze back into dough, this is because its not really bread, its just fat keeping it all together. Unfortunately a fair proportion of small bakeries in the UK go along the same lines of purchasing the mix from the same two bread companies. In essence the same bread.

Bread making is a pain to do, I only do it once in a while. But like everything else the taste of real bread is quite a revelation for some. Near us is a mill that still grinds wheat flour which is wholemeal,. it makes a smashing loaf.

Bread is a product that we do not need. The processes that govern its making each day are quite off putting, its yet another processed food. But I like bread.

 

Well at this rate I will be living off a drip feed. I ask my mum not to buy any meet from Tesco so I can get it tomorrow from a proper butchers but I bet she still goes and gets some pumped up chicken on steroids.

I am going to see if I can last the day without eating any sweets, chocolate or cake but I doubt I doubt it some how.

 

My mum has a bread maker which makes real bread, the ingrediants are real (no chemicals etc) it just does all the needing(sp) for you. I personaly find its a little bit too tasty though and prefer the taste of processed bread.

So far I have discovered that my new healthy life style is still very unhealthy.

This why a lot of people don't bother, they know all the processed microwave meals are junk but then they are told veg is full of chemicals and stuff, consumers are very confused.

What about corn flakes are they healthy?

 

No.

Here are a few pointers.

Buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Organic is fine but so is non organic.
Buy fresh cuts of lean meat.
Buy better quality chicken. If you can see brown burn marks on the hock it means that for its short life it could not support its own weight so sat in its own piss, causing the burns.
Buy some canned lentils/kidney beans/chick peas. Get used to the taste these items are really very good for you, even out the can.
Buy oven chips and have as an occasional treat.
Do not dramatically change your life style, do it gradually.
Frozen vegetables are fine. Put them in cold water and bring just to the boil then take off, do not boil them.

 

We have a bread maker as well, but we use the packets of ready bread mix. Are these okay or are they based on the fat stuff too? Bit worrying really!

I love the image of a pumped up chicken on steroids! Lovely wording

 

uk bread is generally sh*te
u don't really have to eat organic food, even produce from a fruiit asnd veg store taste better than from a supermarket imo

 

Bread packet mixes are usually poor quality. They need to produce a consistent product which will always rise. Check the contents. If it says raising agents and not yeast then it will have a content of fat to keep the raise.

 

A single barm cake from Tesco contains 1g of salt! All I have had to today is some pressed apple juice (not the concentrate stuff), and some grapes.

is break from bakeries such as Hampsons likely to be any healthlier?

 

Hark! Tis the sound the hammer striking the nail squarely.