Switching to healthier foods and NON Nestle foods and I need a little help please.

[MamitaM]

This year I've decided to slowly start switching out my unhealthy and heavily processed foods with healthier ones and to also avoid Nestle when I can. Whatever I have now I'll eat and whatever I get from the food bank I'll eat but I won't be replacing things like the jam I have b/c it's just sugar really and I find it doesn't even taste that good anymore.

I'm not that great in the kitchen... yet. I'm learning to cook more interesting and more healthy things right now, but I'm not quite ready to give up canned soup that I need for a couple things that I like to make. I'm also not ready to make my own healthy jam yet either.

Can you give me some ideas of brands that are good to try that are more natural, but not to terribly expensive? If I can't eat Cheerios anymore what can I replace them with?

[SubliminalDarkness]

Why not Cheerios? It's not a Nestle brand in Canada. And while some people would consider it to be unhealthy, I guess I feel like for someone who's trying to transition to healthier habits, it's best to do some here or there, and Cheerios don't rank super high on my list of offending foods. 

[MamitaM]

True, they aren't made my Nestle here in Canada just in the UK I think. I'd just rather not eat them b/c they are partnered with Nestle in a small way even. They might be one of the things I switch out later on.

[~Amy~]

The PC Toasted Oat O's taste way better than Cheerios anyway...still only 1g of sugar per serving, which is pretty darn good for a package breakfast cereal.  And they're cheaper.  Baby steps

[Owen'nZoe]

Do you have Full Circle brand there? Their Cheerios type cereal is really good and is very affordable. I don't know a lot about Full Circle as a company, but it is organic, the prices are cheap for organics, and as far as I can tell it isn't owned by a huge multinational, unlike a lot of the organics brands.

I know you said you are not ready to give up the canned soup yet, but that is one of the easiest subs to make from scratch. Really, it is fast and hard to mess up:

1) Melt 2 T butter in a saucepan on medium heat.

2) Add 2 T flour and 1/2 t salt. Stir the butter and flour together for a few minutes.

3) Whisk in a cup of milk, and keep stirring and whisking until it thickens.

That's it! You can add cut up sauteed mushrooms to the sauce if you want it to taste closer to cream of mushroom soup, or you can use it as-is (I almost never add the mushrooms).

[MamitaM]

I'm not sure if we have that brand here, but I can look the next time I visit the health food store. I may try my hand at soup then sometime. I don't actually eat soup as soup, but add it to things I make.

We have PC and I do like most of their stuff so maybe I can try their Cheerios.

[~Amy~]

Originally Posted by MamitaM 

I'm not sure if we have that brand here, but I can look the next time I visit the health food store. I may try my hand at soup then sometime. I don't actually eat soup as soup, but add it to things I make.

We have PC and I do like most of their stuff so maybe I can try their Cheerios.

Their Blue Menu granola is really good too.  DH likes it a lot and we buy it when we don't have homemade in the house.

[jldumm]

maybe if you can make a list of what you are eating. we could help you more. basically to sub processed things, you eat what looks and sounds like something that comes out of the ground, and not things that come in a box.

[MamitaM]

I like Ovaltine and was sad to hear it's owned by Nestle. So something similar to replace that with would be nice. I've been making my own oven baked fries rather then getting the store bought frozen ones to save money and b/c they are healthier. I've been craving cheesies the past couple of months, really badly but don't know how to replace those. I think I may have to allow them from time to time. I've al ready gotten rid of soft drinks and just drank more water and have made iced tea instead.

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by MamitaM 

I'm not sure if we have that brand here, but I can look the next time I visit the health food store. I may try my hand at soup then sometime. I don't actually eat soup as soup, but add it to things I make.

We have PC and I do like most of their stuff so maybe I can try their Cheerios.

I don't ever use it as soup, either - just in place of soup in recipes. :)

[Ihavefaith]

what am I missing about Nestle?

[SubliminalDarkness]

Good link on Nestle:

http://www.babymilkaction.org/pages/boycott.html

[mercy589]

jam is super easy to make too!  I get Ball freezer jam packets from the grocery store and just stir in the fruit.  :)  instructions on the back,

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Creations-Fruit-Pectin-Freezer/dp/B003VL1J46/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1295831768&sr=8-5

but they only cost a couple dollars...

[Owen'nZoe]

Originally Posted by mercy589 

jam is super easy to make too!  I get Ball freezer jam packets from the grocery store and just stir in the fruit.  :)  instructions on the back,

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Creations-Fruit-Pectin-Freezer/dp/B003VL1J46/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1295831768&sr=8-5

but they only cost a couple dollars...

 I have to say, I totally agree! I make two batches of jam a year (sometimes freezer jam, sometimes shelf-stable). It takes me a few hours for each batch (less for freezer jam), and we have jam for the entire year.

[jimblejamble]

I looove oatmeal with half a banana and a spoonfull of peanut butter mixed in! It's delicious, healthy, and very filling.