Eliminating some proccessed food where to start?

As I have started to eliminate some of the processed foods, I have a varied approach.  Sometimes I try for less processed or processed but NonGMO foods, and sometimes I go for things made from scratch.

Items that I now make from scratch (at least 90% of the time)

  • Pasta sauce
  • Pie crust
  • Cookies
  • Granola

Items that I make from scratch occasionally

  • Rolls
  • Bread
  • Pretzles

Items that I swapped to NonGMO

  • Baking Powder

 Things I am trying to find alternatives for

  • Instant Oatmeal
  • Chicken nuggets
  • Stove Top Stuffing
  • Bisquick pancake and baking mix

For the instant oatmeal I found a few recipes on line that I will try out.  I do actually have the time to make regular old fashioned oats in the morning, but the problem is one of texture, one of my kids doesn't like it and I can relate.  So rather than fight that I want to look for better healthier options.  The reason I picked this was a friend posted a comparison of the ingredient list for Quaker Oats Instant oatmeal in the US vrs the UK it was crazy.  I had not given it much though previously but there it was in my face.  I did learn that we can get the UK version in the US under a different name and it was twice as expensive.  

That would not be realistic for my budget so off to the internet I went.  Fortunately for me there are a bunch of homesteader types that have figured out how to make instant oatmeal packets.  Most of the posted recipes are very similar so I am going to poll my family to find out their favorite flavor (I am pretty sure it is the apple and cinnamon but I want to confirm that) and then I will make up a test batch to see how it goes.  I don't expect it to taste the same, that is not what I am looking for.  I am looking for a healthier version that they like, a small but very important distinction.

The next thing that was pretty easy to find online was a replacement for Bisquick.  Again once my current supply is done I plan on making a small batch and trying it out.  

Will this work?  Probably but I am not expecting instant success, I will likely need to tweak things here and there but the bulk of the hard work has been done by many on the internet.  It will certainly take time as I compare various recipes and read through the comments to determine which one I think will suit our tastes best.  And this is why I am not looking to dive into the deep end and make massive changes all at once.  The plan is to replace things here and there and just keep building.
 

 


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