Today you will learn about why you should just say no to processed food and how to prepare some delicious alternatives to packaged food including whole-wheat bread, oat and almond crackers, and tahini bliss balls.
Just say no to processed food
Do you consume processed, packaged food like biscuits, instant noodles, chocolate, soft drinks, chips, ice cream, or “diet” namkeens? Even the commercial bread that you may use for toast and sandwiches is considered a packaged food. Read the ingredients and you will find that most commercial breads contain refined and chemical ingredients like maida or white flour (even if the package cover claims it is brown, whole-wheat, or multigrain), sugar, oil, emulsifiers, preservatives, and alloxan (which is a cause of diabetes).
Watch this video by Nandini Gulati to learn the truth about processed and packaged foods, why you should just say no to them, and about healthier alternatives.
Key Points
- Don’t be fooled by claims on the front of food packages—always read the list of ingredients on the back.
- If the ingredients include products that you would not cook with, don’t buy it!
- Count chemicals, not calories.
- Always look for food with no chemicals, dairy, sugar, oil, or other refined products.
- To learn about the health effects of various chemical ingredients, search online for the name of the chemical ingredient and “health effects.”
- As Michael Pollan said, “If it comes from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t!”
Today you’ll learn how to prepare some delicious, homemade alternatives to packaged food including whole-wheat bread, oat and almond crackers, and tahini bliss balls.
Processed bread alternatives
Learn how to prepare different kinds of homemade breads and spreads including whole-wheat bread—a delicious alternative to commercial bread.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Breads and Spreads:
- 1 packet dry yeast
- Pinch of date paste
- 1 kilogram whole-wheat flour (atta)
- Warm water as needed
- Salt to taste
Processed cracker alternative
Learn how to prepare millet – oats crackers —a delicious alternative to commercial crackers.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Millet - Oats Crackers:
- 100 gm jowar flour
- 100 gm oat flour
- coconut / oat or rice milk for kneading
- ajwain (carom seeds)
- grated ginger
- fresh or dry herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley according to your choice
- sesame seeds
- salt to taste
Processed sweet alternative
Learn how to prepare tahini bliss balls—a delicious homemade alternative to packaged sweets.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Tahini Bliss Balls:
- 3 cups of amaranth puffs
- 200g of dates, chopped and pitted
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- ½ cup of tahini (sesame butter)
- 50g sunflower seeds
- 100g dried apricots or figs chopped
- 100g sultanas
- 100g walnuts chopped
- 1 cup of dried coconut flakes
Saru Aggarwal used to have processed and packaged foods every night with her brother. She was very skeptical and did not think she could live without these. But now she feels that there are tasty replacements for everything. So she can eat, enjoy, and maintain her weight.
“The date balls could replace Kit Kat any day! That would be the smartest choice I would ever make.”
1. Processed Food Documentary – Processed Food vs. Nutritional Needs
2. Trailer: Food Inc
Buy full movie here
