Avoiding E numbers by cooking at home
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Click below to read Part 3: All about E numbers part 2: Which E numbers are not good for us?
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If you would like to avoid E-numbers as much as possible then of course the perfect way to do this is simply to cook a meal at home. Ready meals, prepackaged, and processed foods are known for often containing many different E numbers, often these are mentioned as little as possible by manufacturers by putting the ingredients on labels using the long scientific names instead of the short E numbers.
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If you would like to avoid E-numbers as much as possible then of course the perfect way to do this is to cook a meal at home. Ready meals, prepackaged, and processed foods are known for often containing many different E numbers, often these are mentioned as little as possible by manufacturers by putting the ingredients on labels using the long scientific names instead of the short E numbers.
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For those who really want to avoid E-numbers as much as possible, checking food and drink labels before purchasing is a good way to make sure you're getting few or no E-numbers But to ensure that people can save both time and effort while still helping their health, people simply cook at home.
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For those who really want to avoid E-numbers as much as possible, checking food and drink labels before purchasing is a good way to make sure you're getting little or no E-numbers But to ensure that people can save both time and effort and still help their health, people simply cook at home.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
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It sounds very simple, the best way to make sure you don't consume E-numbers is by not buying products that contain E-numbers. Of course, this sounds like a pretty simple idea, and it's getting more and more popular. Many chefs on television like to talk about the benefits of using fresh produce and ingredients. Cooking at home is great fun for most people and if you do it well organized and keep practicing it doesn't have to take long at all.
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It sounds very simple, the best way to make sure you don't consume E-numbers is by not buying products that contain E-numbers. Of course, this sounds like a pretty simple idea, and it's getting more and more popular. Many chefs on television like to talk about the benefits of using fresh produce and ingredients. Cooking at home is a lot of fun for most people and if you do it well organized and keep practicing it doesn't have to take long at all.
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If you plan to prepare meals yourself, it helps if you think about what you want to eat that week. Then you may be able to suddenly bring in all the necessary ingredients and you will have everything at hand. The planning of the menu does not have to be done with military precision, of course, you can also prepare whatever you want at that moment. Some of the different ingredients you should have in stock include:
What exactly am I going to cook?
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Cooking without E-numbers can be as simple or as diverse as you want it to be. The obvious choice is to make all meals at home, be it meat, fish or vegetarian dishes. An added benefit of cooking your own food is that it is much easier to decide the size of the portions yourself. If you have a freezer, it can be much more cost-effective to bulk cook meals and then freeze the extra portions. At that moment you always have something to hand for emergencies and you don't have to go to a takeaway or buy a ready meal!
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
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If you are really working with E-numbers, it is even possible that you will make your own bread. There are a wide variety of bread makers available that make bread making a breeze - and very fast too. The ingredients are all readily available and you can make the bread as healthy as you want.
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If you or other family members often eat yogurt, it is even possible to make yogurt yourself. It is terribly cheap to make your own yogurt and it helps you make yogurt that is free of flavorings, additives, and E numbers. Natural yogurt is naturally tasty on its own, but you can also make it a little sweeter in a healthy way by adding a teaspoon of honey or a rich selection of fruit.
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If even if you want to avoid E numbers, don't miss out on certain treats like cakes or cookies. While these products are likely to be packed with synthetic flavors, additives or E numbers when they are store bought, making your own pastries and cookies can help you avoid ingesting these unnatural ingredients. At that moment you know exactly what you are eating. There are many benefits of cooking using natural ingredients, so why not give it a try?
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti -
15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango -
30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos -
95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
How easy is it to avoid E numbers completely?
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Once you know exactly what E numbers are and would like to avoid them altogether, how realistic is that? How easy is it to stop taking them?
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Different forms of E numbers are used in a large number of products today. Dyes are added to foods and soft drinks to make them look more attractive, preservatives are added to ensure that food has a longer shelf life, and binders are used to make our food look slightly better. All E numbers play a role in the processing of the foodstuffs as we know it today.
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However, although they are abundant, there are plenty of ways to ensure that you get less or even no E numbers. Maybe you have a child showing signs of hyperactivity after drinking colored or carbonated soft drinks, or maybe you're just worried about the health consequences of E numbers. Whatever the thoughts or reasoning, when you buy food from supermarkets or other stores, you have a degree of control over what you choose to buy and consume.
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25 minSmall dishflour, frozen puff pastry, egg, milk, walnut, mature cheese, paprika, dried Provençal herbs,puff pastry-sticks -
20 minSide dishEggs, lettuce, parsley, olive oil (extra virgin), tarragon vinegar, salt and freshly ground pepper,lettuce with egg dressing -
15 minSmall dishbaking flour, peanut oil, flat leaf parsley,ar'nabit mi'li -
15 minAppetizerScottish salmon fillet, butter or margarine, fresh dill, creme fraiche, dry white wine, arugula lettuce melange, pan tostado,baked salmon with white-wine sauce
Learning to Read the Labels
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To begin with, anyone who wants to avoid E-numbers will have to become an expert at reading food labels. The ingredients list on the packaging gives a good insight into what exactly is in our foods and drinks. As mentioned a little earlier, you should be aware that some manufacturers prefer the chemical names over the abbreviated E numbers. So even if it may seem at first glance that there are no E numbers in something, it may be that they are listed under a different (much more difficult) name.
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One way to solve this is to print out lists of E-numbers and bring them with you when you go shopping. At that point you can quickly and effectively check whether there might be any 'clogged' E numbers in it. Of course this is a bit time consuming at first, but if you often buy the same products you will soon know which ones E-numbers are in certain products and which alternatives you may prefer to buy.
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25 minMain dishbalsamic vinegar, garlic, steak, Spaghetti, traditional olive oil, fresh green olive tapenade, arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano,spaghetti with steak and arugula -
15 minAppetizerfennel bulb, arugula, red pointed pepper, black agnus carpaccio (a 100 grams), capers,black angus carpaccio with fennel -
35 minMain dishsweet potatoes, salad onion, garlic, cooking dairy, grated cheese for vegetable gratin, almond shavings, peanut oil, breaded schnitzels, Broccoli,crispy schnitzel with sweet potato gratin and broccoli -
30 minMain disholive oil, onion, tomato, risotto rice, laurel leaf, thyme, saffron, turmeric, fish stock of 1 tablet, mixed seafood, mixed whitefish fillet, mussel, lemon,fish paella from the oven
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Another way to avoid E numbers is by avoiding processed foods completely (or as much as possible) in your daily diet. remove, and eat a much healthier diet.
Eating out
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As we discussed a bit earlier, avoiding E numbers gets a little trickier when dining out. Because it is more difficult to know exactly what is in the food that you are served. However, if you really don't want to get E-numbers then it is worth looking for restaurants, cafes, and hotels that advertise the use of organic produce, local produce, and whole foods, especially as the chance greater here is that they try to avoid processed foods.
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When in doubt about eating in a restaurant, you can always ask which ingredients they use and whether they are additive-free. Most restaurants are used to asking questions. about their food, this is mainly because many people need to know everything precisely for allergy or dietary purposes.
Helping children avoid E-numbers
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If you are a parent (or maybe a healthy uncle or aunt) then you know that children should definitely avoid certain E-numbers. The best way to prevent children from ingesting these E numbers is to introduce them to a healthy and balanced diet.
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Of course it gets a lot more difficult once kids get older and eat at boyfriends' homes, go to birthday parties, or when they're old enough to buy their own food. While ultimately you have little or no control over these elements, it is possible to help promote good values and present the facts about E numbers. Then children can decide for themselves whether they want to receive E-numbers or not when they get older.
Conclusion
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Of course it is also important for the manufacturer to make sure that the food they put in the supermarket is reasonably healthy for the consumer. However, as has been shown, it is not always conceivable to ensure that all possible problems are avoided. Although these E-numbers have eventually become a standard ingredient, they are often only of aesthetic value or are present to make food last longer.
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15 minMain dishgreen tagliatelle, garlic, Red pepper, olive oil, tomato cubes, cocktail shrimp, mixed salad, vinaigrette,spicy tagliatelle with shrimps -
50 minMain dishsomething crumbly potatoes, sauerkraut natural, tomato paste, sambal oelek, bacon, semi-skimmed milk, unsalted butter, Gelderse smoked sausage,Sauerkraut with smoked sausage -
20 minBreakfastrucola lettuce, bunch onion, roasted red peppers in pot, traditional olive oil, medium sized egg, fresh cream, grated mature cheese, butter,creamy cheese omelet with arugula -
25 minMain dishceleriac, floury potatoes, olive oil, beef finches, onion, Apple juice, gravy natural, dairy spread,beeffinch with sweet apple gravy
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When people make their own food, they often find out that they feel better, not only because of the reduced amount of E-numbers, but also because of the fact that they know what they eat, and thus make healthy choices more often.