Indulge yourself the healthy way with these treats FREE from ultra-processed food, by top nutritionist ROB HOBSON

Convenience foods are at the heart of the ultra-processed food crisis. We’ve become too dependent on ‘healthy’ snacks like granola bars for breakfast, muffins from the supermarket for after school, and midweek sanity savers like fish cakes and store-bought pasta dishes.

The answer, of course, is to make it yourself, but I can see you rolling your eyes at the thought. “I don’t have time,” people often say to me.

But today, in the final part of this series from my new book Unprocess Your Family Life, I’ll show you that it doesn’t have to be as time-consuming as you think.

The great thing about making your own convenience food is that you can dramatically increase its nutritional value, even when it comes to making ‘treats’ for the whole family, such as chocolate spread and popcorn.

Also consider the power of your freezer. If you want to go to the trouble of making my daily chocolate banana loaf cake, double the batch and save one for later.

Defrosting baked goods is much easier than going to the supermarket when you’re out of stock. It’s also so much healthier.

Mass-produced, store-bought cakes usually contain a long list of artificial ingredients to improve taste and extend shelf life.

Using the right storage solutions also makes life easier: for example, you can freeze a meal in a container in which you can heat it up.

Do you lack freezer space? Look for silicone bags for both storing and reheating food.

It’s just about learning new habits. Once these are in place, you will feel happier and healthier, as will your children.

Daily bread cake with chocolate and banana

Many store-bought cookies have a long shelf life and contain ingredients that you would never have in your kitchen cupboard, such as the emulsifier sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, and processing aids such as triethyl citrate and microcrystalline cellulose. Keep it simple and homemade for a healthier, tastier treat.

SERVES 8

125 g whole wheat flour

125 g plain flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of fine salt

3 large, very ripe bananas

2 eggs, beaten

100 g coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons of honey

60 g dark chocolate (70-85 percent cocoa solids), cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line it with baking paper. Then mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Peel the bananas and blend them in a food processor until pureed. Add the eggs, coconut oil and honey and mix again until smooth.

Pour the banana mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir lightly. Then carefully fold in the chocolate pieces.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for ten minutes and then place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy the cake on its own or with banana slices.

Chocolate spread

Why settle for store-bought chocolate spread with added emulsifiers when you can make your own in no time?

This homemade version is less sweet and has a real hazelnut flavor and a richer chocolate flavor.

FOR 200g

200 g blanched hazelnuts

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2-3 tablespoons of honey

Pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast in the oven for ten minutes. Make sure they don’t burn. Once roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and process for five minutes until a smooth paste forms.

Add the cocoa powder, coconut oil, honey and sea salt and process for another 30 seconds.

Slowly add 100ml of water to the mixture to achieve a spreadable consistency – you may not need all the water. Store the spread in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will keep for up to two weeks.

Popcorn with honey, cinnamon and sea salt

This has the sweet and salty vibe of store-bought popcorn, but has less sugar, more flavor and costs a fraction of the price, making it a great family snack. Popping corn is also a good source of fiber and antioxidant polyphenols, which can help promote good long-term health.

SERVES 4

1 tablespoon coconut oil

80 g popcorn kernels

1-2 tablespoons of honey

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan (with a lid) over medium heat.

Add the popcorn kernels to the pan and cover with the lid. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent the kernels from burning as they pop.

Once the popping has stopped, remove the lid and place the popcorn in a large bowl.

Pour the honey into the same pan and add the cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine.

Return the popcorn to the pan and stir well to coat it with the honey-cinnamon mixture. Allow time to cool before serving.

Sweet chili sauce

Making your own sweet chili sauce is surprisingly easy. I reduced the amount of sugar in this recipe and used honey, a natural sweetener – although technically still a type of sugar.

MAKES 300 ml

150 g honey

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 clove garlic, minced

½–1 teaspoon ground dried chilies

Nice pinch of sea salt

Place a pan over medium heat and add all the ingredients, together with 120 ml of water, and stir well until the honey has dissolved.

Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for six minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring the sauce to a jar or bottle for storage. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

BBQ sauce

Store-bought sauces tend to be ultra-processed and high in sugar and salt, so I tried to reduce both in this recipe. By using fresh ingredients such as onions, garlic and tomato passata, this sauce not only tastes better, but also offers a superior nutritional profile.

MAKES 500 ml

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

500 gram jar of tomato passata

60 ml apple cider vinegar

160 g black syrup

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for five minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes.

Stir in the passata, vinegar, syrup, salt and herbs if desired and bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Allow to cool and use a hand blender to blend into a smooth sauce. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

ISOTONIC ELECTROLYTE BEVERAGES

Lemon and lime flavor

The biggest part of what you pay for when you buy these ready-to-drink drinks is the packaging; they are very cheap to make yourself and taste just as good.

FOR 1 LITER

1 large lemon

2 limes

1 liter of water

5 tablespoons of sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

Squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits into a large jug and add the squeezed fruit. Add the water and stir. Place it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Remove the fruit from the water and stir in the sugar and salt to dissolve. Place the mixture in a liter bottle of water, shake it and then let it cool in the refrigerator.

• ADAPTED from Unprocess Your Family Life by Rob Hobson (Thorsons, £18.99). © Rob Hobson 2025. To order a copy for £16.14 (offer valid until January 25, 2025; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
• For more delicious recipes visit mailplus.co.uk/food