How to have a real food Christmas
$ 81.86 for 3.560kg $ 4.29 for 275g 200g
tocking up at the supermarket for Christmas can be stressful — in time taken and money spent. So spending the extra time searching for products which have the most real food in them, and are therefore better for your family, is an extra stretch at this time of year.
I have spent an afternoon in the supermarket for you and come up with my best selections for Christmas Day food items that will do you and your family the least harm.
Obviously the best things to put in your trolley for Christmas is loads of seasonal fresh foods, such as asparagus, strawberries, new potatoes and salads, and keep the processed foods to a minimum.
Please note that as it’s Christmas the Sugar Police are on holiday, so I will be unable to point out the highsugar items in this story. There really is only one choice when it comes to buying pork and that is making sure it is free- farmed and not raised in crates.
At Freedom Farms the pigs are raised outdoors with shelters, so no sow crates, no farrowing crates and no concrete fattening pens.
They are also independently audited.
The bad news is it is impossible to buy a ham without a lot of additives, because by necessity the pork is cured to make the ham.
This one has 88 per cent pork but also water, salt, sugar, stabilisers, thickener, acidity regulators, honey, antioxidant and preservative sodium nitrite ( 250).
This preservative has had a controversial past
I chose this because it had one natural colouring instead of three in the others on offer but it does have artificial flavour and two preservatives. It has the most fruit at 28 per cent. 125g butter melted 750g mixed dried fruit ½ cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp raspberry jam 2 eggs lightly beaten ½ cup sweet sherry ¾ cup plain flour, sifted 3 Tbsp self raising flour, sifted 125g blanched almonds Put butter, fruit , sugar, jam, eggs, sherry and flour in a large bowl and mix until all ingredients are combined. Spoon mixture into a greased 20cm ring pan. Top with almonds and bake at 160C for 1 ½ hours. Cover with foil and cool in the pan. Pavlova is very easy to make but sometimes it’s easier to pick one up at the supermarket.
I chose this one because it has all the ingredients I use at home when I make one: sugar, egg whites, white vinegar and natural vanilla essence. find that everyone’s favourite stocking filler is actually not too bad for you.
These chocolates have two natural colours, cochineal ( 120) and anthocyanins ( 163), and nothing too nasty.
There is, however, artificial flavouring.
Tip: For about the same price why not opt for Whittaker’s Artisan Collection of chocolate bars for $ 16.99, twice as much chocolate as the Roses 225g. You’ll get four 100g bars of really nice, real food chocolate to give to someone or simply enjoy yourself. The Christmas table must have some sauces so here is mypick of the best: I was pleasantly surprised to see that this UK offering was healthier than other local offerings.
The only things in here are cranberries ( 34 per cent), sugar and water. No artificial colour or flavour. Interesting to note that other more expensive and posher brands of mustard on offer contained preservatives, artificial flavour and just mustard.
This pot contains mustard flour, sugar, vinegar, salt, Worcester sauce, turmeric, white pepper, cardamom and the stabiliser xanthan gum ( 415) which is a natural product. The thing to watch out for with mint sauce is that it actually contains some mint.
Other sauces on offer contained just 2 per cent and 0.5 per cent mint, requiring the addition of flavouring to make up the deficit.
This one has 25 per cent mint, vinegar, sugar, glucose fructose syrup, water, salt, acetic acid, xanthan gum and natural colour cooper chlorophyllin. I couldn’t resist putting in this rather expensive import from England because it is so divine and means you can be very British by adding this sauce to your plum pudding.
It contains nothing but sugar, butter and brandy. Note: All items were bought at a New World supermarket on November 30. Stock items often differ between supermarkets and change leading up to Christmas, but on the day these were the best offerings I could find.