Preservative/ additive free diet. Where do we start?

Hi All,
Before my DS starts eating solids, I want to change our diet to one that has as few preservatives and additives as possble so that we can set a good example, and hopefully improve our own health in the process. We're also vegetarian (mostly - DP and his family are and I usually just eat with them, although if we eat out I'll usually have some meat.).

Do we just stop buying canned/ packaged foods and go for the organic stuff instead?

What about things like cheese, milk, bread, pasta, etc. How/ where can we get the healthy versions of these?

What about costs? We're pretty limited on funds at the moment can we get this cheaply or is it going to cost us the earth?

What about healthy alternatives to take away, I know we can make our own pizza but what else?

DP is worried about getting bored, I've tried to explain that there is millions of things we can do with fruits and veges, but DP is sceptical about this whole idea. How can I convince him this is the right thing to do. I'm sure it is, isn't it?

Any recipe ideas would be great too.

TIA
Heather :)

ETA - I had a look for a similar thread(s) but found it hard to fish through all the info.

Check out "Additive Alert" and "Failsafe" - both have websites and books.

Do we just stop buying canned/ packaged foods and go for the organic stuff instead? I buy stuff with no "bad" additives - there is a lot out there you just have to read labels. I also cook a lot from scratch

What about things like cheese, milk, bread, pasta, etc. How/ where can we get the healthy versions of these? Bread from Bakers Delight, cheese with no colours added, normal pasta and milk

What about costs? We're pretty limited on funds at the moment can we get this cheaply or is it going to cost us the earth? I have found it cheaper

What about healthy alternatives to take away, I know we can make our own pizza but what else? We make hamburgers, pizza, "subway" nuggets and chips

HTH

Failsafe is a great place to start, and one of the hospitals has a fantastic program and cookbook as well - RPA maybe? Otherwise, a dietician specialising in food sensitivities and allergies is a good idea also.

I think starting by not buying packaging of foods unless its labeled "certified organic" or you get to know the labels. Additive Alert and Failsafe can help as a strict guideline.

When we did the elimination diets, we went off all milk and dairy and soy products as well, so it was a bit more extreme.

Our diet became a lot more healthy, but it did take a few minutes longer to prepare. I find it can be cheaper and more exciting to make it yourself.

We do heaps of stir frys, meat & 3 veg, bolognaise, shepherds pie, sausages and mash, etc etc etc... there are heaps of alternatives to packages, you just have to get to know what flavours you like and how to cook it :)

We dont have any allergies so far, it's more of a general health thing. I don't want DS getting hooked on fast food, lollies and soft drinks. I know it's inevitable he'll get it one day but I'm hoping to prolong it for as long as possible. I'll check out the websites suggested though, thanks :)

MantaRay - is the hospy one for people with allergies and sensitivities or for the general public?

Anyone else?

Reading labels and looking for ingredients described by a number is a good idea, but maybe take things slow so it's not so overwhelming at first.
For instance, concentrate on finding a good quality source for fruit and veg - especially if it's certified organic. Look for things that are in season and maybe check out local farmer's markets so you have a good idea that it's probaby fresh and hasn't been stored for ages.

Then, when you have that down, you can start with dairy, or whatever. Many grated cheeses have preservative added, while the blocks don't, so it's better to buy the block and grate it yourself, for example.
Then move on to breads/canned things/jar sauces etc.

Generally speaking, the closer something is to how it is naturally, the less junk is probably added. eg. real butter would be a better choice than margarine.
Choose products with real sugar over diet alternatives.

Asian recipes have heaps of flavour using natural ingredients (stir fry for example) and are really quick and easy - just stay away from pre-made sauces.

It's sad that you probably do pay more for quality food, but not always. It might seem hard at first but what an awesome thing you're doing for your whole family! Good luck :D

When DH and I switched to an additive free diet, we went hard out from the offset. no easing the body off it or anything like that. It worked out ok and we do feel better for it. Ironically, we actually found we had more energy to cook good meals without all that crap in our bodies, and we really started enjoying our time in the kitchen.

My "best friend" in this was exclusivelyfood. Great webbie where the food is just that, exclusively food. We made a shopping list on the computer (we used indesign but word or openoffice would work too) and we added all the bad additives to the side of the list so that when we were shopping we had the list of numbers with us the whole time and could keep sorting through the stuff on the shelf until we found one that didnt have it. Amazingly woolies Select brand has been faithfully bad additive free.

You really do not have to be a v*gan to maintain a really healthy diet. At the very least splash a touch on the B12 fortified cereals as B12 is utterly, unarguably vital for the brain (the only natural digestible source is animal products) but otherwise, it will probably help the budget a bit as we find the most expensive part of our shopping is the meat. We spend $400 a fortnight for 8 people (that includes nappies so Phoebe gets included, lol). Shop around. Dont be afraid to go to more than one shop and make sure you create a shopping list with your regular purchases on it and mark down what you need while looking through the cupboard because its vital for financial reasons.

Finally, you have the web, use it well. There are plenty of sites out there that will write out how to make a bolognese or roux based sauce without buying it prepacked, dehydrated and 'contaminated' for longer shelf life. Else, hit the library and search through the ancient 70s and 80s cook books with a pocket full of 10c coins! They are awesome!

Good luck!