Maybe you have recently seen Chris Van Tulleken on the TV talking about UPF (ultra processed food) where he stated that all bread from the supermarket is ultra-processed and that ALL the cereals we eat are the same.
I knew that certain foods were processed with added ingredients which made them have the label we are all familiar with, ‘Junk Food’ but I didn’t think that cereals fitted into the category of UPF.
Any food we buy that isn’t fresh and hasn’t been cooked from scratch at home has probably got ingredients in it to make the shelf life longer and also taste so good that we want more of it. UPF is typically defined as anything with one or more ingredients that you wouldn’t tend to find in a home kitchen: stabilizers, modified starches, industrial sweeteners, glycerine, and xanthan gum.
Living in a world where we work harder, have less time to cook, and want a life of convenience means we have slipped into a life of thinking we might eat relatively healthy when in fact our staples are actually creating health problems for us.
How do we solve this? Well in Southsea we live in an area that has a diverse range of independent foodies all wanting to create delicious food for us to eat. That’s great news and as well as this we are super lucky to have award-winning bakeries on our doorstep. This means you can get fresh bread locally that isn’t UPF and is good for you.
Below are some bakeries and deli businesses selling fresh bread that you can enjoy!
This recently opened deli owned by Southsea Coffee has a fresh delivery every day from Hoxton Bakehouse so you can pop here and buy a Sourdough loaf for your breadbin!
Priced at around £4.80 might seem steep but owner Martyn said, “The great thing about sourdough compared to supermarket bread is you don’t need to eat as much of it to feel full. Where you might have 2 or 3 slices before, you only need one slice to feel like you have eaten well. The nutritional value is great and the loaf will last a week. You can toast it by the end of the week and you know the bread is fresh and has been well prepared and baked before it arrives here. ”
Bread Addiction has been a well-loved bread staple in Southsea for a few years now. They have a statement of “We are a Southsea based artisan bakery and patisserie. Here at Bread Addiction, we believe in the traditional way of making bread. Using only organic flour, pure water, sea salt, natural levain and a pair of hands to make our delicious bread.”
You can now order bread online to be delivered or collected which can solve the ‘having time’ issue, and if you want to feel traditional you can pop there to pick which loaves you want to buy!
Herbies is a well-established health store on Albert Road that serves its community well. Expanding its pantry over the last 3 years means you can buy amazing independent coffee and lots of food ingredients.
Offering fresh bread from the Sourdough Bakehouse every Wednesday and Saturday means if you live on that side of town you can have fresh bread where you can put an order in and pick up from here.
Sourdough Bakehouse -Elm Grove
This joint on Elm Grove offers fresh bread baked onsite and also bakery delights to take away. They supply across the city to other indies as a wholesale business.
If you feel that buying fresh bread is expensive then you could have a go at making your own! Lockdown proved that a huge number of people took to creating artisan bread in their kitchens!
Everything in Balance
The bottom line is that it is ok to eat what you want, and if you fancy a crumpet, no one is going to judge you. All it means is that as long as you are aware of what UPF foods are out there, you can make the choices. Chris Van Tulleken has spoken on TV and radio about UPF and has a book on this subject. He wants there to be fundamental changes in the way labels are organised when it comes to food. He doesn’t feel that it should be like cigarettes which we know are bad for us and hidden away at the supermarket, but he does want a change in the way we see labels clearly. We need to understand what ultra processed foods are in the shops to help us make our informed choices.
Asking friends and looking into what healthy cereals we could make at home, a few friends said they make up a cereal the night before with oats. Adding layers like natural yogurt, and oats and mixing with fresh fruit or making your own compote is a healthy choice to make. Here are some cool recipes to try!
Eating porridge is the best cereal choice we can make and I guess if you weren’t a porridge kind of person you could make a batch of flapjack that will last a few days. Corn flakes and shredded wheat are minimally processed, but when the manufacturer adds sugar, flavourings or colourings, they become ultra-processed cereals so if you are wanting to be healthy then try to eat the ones without added sugar or coatings on.
If you know of any other bakeries around the area that offer freshly baked bread then please let us know!
Featured Image – Southsea Local
