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Does food have to be made from scratch to be good?

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So, does food have to be cooked from scratch to be good? There's a lot of talk about 'natural' and 'clean' ingredients, but do we need to be concerned when buying whole or semi-finished products? It's time for Health Day, and we'd like to reduce stress a little.

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The dream of the natural, pure and genuine

When we, modern people, envision the perfect meal, we like to think of something homemade, preferably made with pure organic produce from the farmer around the corner. We want to know what's in the food we put into our bodies, and we want to give our children the very best.

The demand for locally produced and organic ingredients is important for development in many ways, and it is also nice if we can appreciate good ingredients and have time to prepare them together. I agree with all this, but at the same time I want to add some nuance, and perhaps remove some of the stress and pressure we can feel sometimes when we want everything to be right and perfect.

Is homemade food always better than whole and semi-finished products?

It may seem obvious to think that homemade food is always better than whole and semi-finished products, but the fact is that this is a question that is not easy to answer. completely impossible to answer. It depends on ...

  • Which whole or semi-finished product we are talking about (there are better and worse alternatives).
  • How and what you cook (there are also better and worse options)

But perhaps we can still discuss some advantages and disadvantages between the different options.

Laga mat i husbil

Benefits of home cooking

How nice it is to have a home-cooked meal! One thinks of shared meals, with plenty of time and love for the food and the family. You can probably think of many different benefits. Here are a few:

  • Cooking can be a great way to spend time together as a family.
  • You can pass on traditions and cooking skills to your children.
  • You know what you're putting in your food, and you can choose good and nutritious ingredients.
  • You can avoid adding too much of things that are not good for you (e.g. salt, which is sometimes too much in whole and semi-finished products).

Advantages of whole and semi-finished products

Whole and semi-finished products do not sound as genuine and cosy, but I can still see that there can be some health benefits sometimes. Here are some examples:

  • Families with children can get a chance to feel less stressed.
  • People who are unable to prepare a meal from scratch (e.g. people with cognitive disabilities) may experience increased independence.
  • You can make a decent meal in situations where you don't have the time or opportunity to stand at the stove.

But are whole and semi-finished products ok?

Whole and semi-finished products include lots of different types of food, such as soups, sausages, meatballs, breaded fish, ready-made sauces, pasta dishes, micro-dishes, etc. There is of course a lot of variety, and some dishes are better than others.

A relatively common problem is that this type of food contains too much salt. There can also sometimes be more saturated fat than is good for you. Menmany whole and semi-finished products also contain many important nutrients.

Choosing whole or semi-finished products is almost always better than, for example, choosing snacks or something similar. Health problems in society are not so much related to the consumption of whole or semi-finished products, but to completely different issues, such as the consumption of sugary drinks.

Ready to eat! But not so stupid!

How do you know which 'ready-to-eat' food is better or worse?

All food products containing multiple ingredients must be provided with an ingredient list. The ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, meaning that the ingredient with the highest weight is at the top. The ingredient list is therefore a good guide!

Foods may contain various additives that affect shelf life, texture, taste or colour. All such additives are required by law to be described, and this is what you will often see as E numbers. The "E" stands for the fact that the substance is authorised by the EU (and therefore approved as harmless), and you can search for all substances in the National Food Agency's E-number search.

Summing up

The bottom line is that it is wonderful, good and wise to cook your own food from scratch. However, it is possible to supplement with whole and semi-finished products from time to time, and you don't have to feel guilty. We wish you a great Sunday and week! Want to read more about food and health? Read here:

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