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
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!
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