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The decade may have seen the rise of pre-prepared meals, but there’s more nutrition in them than you might think
Like many baby boomers, I have a particular fondness for the convenience foods we loved back in our youth. Social factors were affecting our eating habits and big changes were happening in the kitchen. By 1975, half of mothers aged 25-54 were in paid work. Technology had improved and as more families bought fridges and freezers (95 per cent of households owned a fridge by the end of the 1970s), the popularity of convenience foods soared. For dessert, I remember Arctic Roll, sometimes served with a tinned peach placed on top because we were a bit fancy. Or a bowl of creamy Angel Delight at my grandparents’. The whisking, the leaving it to “set” for a few minutes never felt anything short of magical.
It’s been over 40 years since I’ve eaten this stuff and I’m keen to revisit it. Will those 1970s classics evoke happy memories of tea in front of Blue Peter? Or will I be gagging over the first bite? I shop for as many retro delights as I can find (some prove elusive, seemingly gone forever) and prepare to relive my youth.
We kick off with boil-in-the-bag white fish in parsley sauce. This, I recall, had a thrilling element of danger to it. Would Dad scald himself as he lifted the bags from the bubbling pan? Would we all be rushed to the burns unit upon contact with the scorching sauce?
As the classic Findus version is no longer around, I dish up an equivalent – Young’s Fish Steaks in Parsley Sauce – and am underwhelmed by the small, flattish rectangle of fish. Meanwhile, the sheer quantity of sauce defies expectations. The plastic bag seems so small yet a lake of off-white liquid floods the plate. As I add a dollop of Smash instant mash, I can’t help singing the jingle: “For mash get Smash!” My husband looks unimpressed but that may be because the fish/mash combo has created an entirely colourless meal. But actually, it doesn’t taste bad, and it would be fine if, say, you were convalescing or without teeth. I’d never serve Smash to guests (or if I did, I’d hide the packaging) but for quick, cheap, lump-free mash you could certainly do worse.
The next evening, it’s a Vesta Chow Mein. While the sauce and soft noodles can be whacked in the microwave, instructions for the “crispy curls” strike fear into me. (I don’t remember this component. Perhaps, like a terrible nightmare, I’ve blocked it out?).
“Place into a chip basket and lower into a chip pan of hot fat,” it reads, at which point I throw down the box. I haven’t shared a house with a chip pan since 1978. Ah, there’s also a frying pan method. The resulting gloopy mess is virtually inedible, as is the Vesta Beef Curry I subjected my husband to the following night. The rice is fine – it’s just plain boiled rice – but the dehydrated sauce, containing “chopped and shaped beef” (shudder) and made up with water, is best consigned to the past.
More successful is our tinned fruit cocktail dessert, which is exactly as I remember it: not unpleasantly soft and squishy. You could virtually suck the fruity pieces up through a straw. Our Dream Topping accompaniment seems unnecessarily sweet – were our taste-buds different back then? Is that why we loved those saccharine Carpenters records?
Likewise, next evening’s Crispy Pancakes (no longer Findus but Birds Eye) look just as I remember them. I bake them for double the recommended time and still they don’t brown but stubbornly remain an almost fluorescent orange. I suspect the only way to brown them would be to spray them like components for a car. Of course, they’re incredibly artificial and saltier than I’d like. But they’re not hideous.
We round off my experiment with Angel Delight, with the butterscotch aroma transporting me back to those blissful tea times at my grandparents. I’d report that it’s horribly synthetic and doesn’t chime with my sophisticated palate. But oops, I seem to have guzzled it all.
These days we scoff at such retro options. However, despite the 70s boom in frozen and dehydrated meals, there was still a lot of cooking from scratch. “We have more disposable income now but we prioritise entertainment and unhealthy snacks rather than proper home cooked foods,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton, dietitian at the Health and Food Supplements Information Service.
“In the 1970s, people spent 25 per cent of their disposable income on food. Now, it’s less than 12 per cent.” Treats were regarded as expensive and for special occasions rather than every day. These days, as Dr Ruxton points out, “we are literally surrounded by low cost, high calorie foods all vying for our attention through offers, BOGOFs and advertising. It was much simpler in the 1970s when your mum would go to the shops with a list.”
According to vitamin company Nourished, a surge in poor diet has resulted in over half (57 per cent) of Britons reporting a decline in their diet and nutrition in the past decade. Over half of our daily calorie intake now comes from ultra processed foods (UPFs). While not all UPFs are necessarily bad, a major study published in the British Medical Journal linked such dietary habits to numerous serious health conditions, including cardiovascular illnesses, Type 2 diabetes and sleep problems, as well as anxiety and depression.
“We are better informed today but our diet has deteriorated,” agrees health coach Anne Iarchy. “People don’t have cooking skills any more despite all the cooking shows on TV. And with both parents or partners out working, and so many more kids and social activities after work, there is less time devoted to cooking from scratch.”
When it comes to portions, size matters. The diameter of the average dinner plate has increased from 22cm in the 1970s to 28cm. Back in 2013, research led by the British Heart Foundation revealed that portion sizes had risen dramatically over the previous two decades. The average chicken curry frozen ready meal was 50 per cent bigger and a ready meal lasagne had grown by up to 39 per cent.
Our mealtime habits also affect how much we eat. Less than half of the British public (45 per cent) now eat meals at a table, according to YouGov figures. For those who cohabit, one in five eats at a different time or in a different room from those they live with. Dr Carrie Ruxton remembers a time when we would “eat together, talking instead of looking at our devices and understanding the real value of food.”
“Snacking on the go and eating in front of the TV have become everyday habits,” notes Melissa Snover, a nutritionist and founder of Rem3dy Health. “This often leads to mindless eating, overconsumption and less nutrient-rich food choices. When we’re distracted, we tend to reach for UPFs high in sugars, salts and unhealthy fats because they’re quick, convenient and taste good. This pattern disrupts our connection to hunger cues, making it easier to overeat and harder to make deliberate, nutritious choices.”
Can food be addictive? According to research by the American Society of Nutrition, certain highly processed foods are more effective in activating reward-related neural systems than less processed choices. Packed with refined carbohydrates and fats, these are the foods we associate with strong cravings and find hard to stop eating, even when we’re full.
We also have a far greater choice of foods, which sounds positive. But is it really? “Since the early 2000s we have seen a huge rise in the variety of specialty foods for specific diets and allergies,” observes Melissa Snover. “This is great news for those with allergies or who practise a restrictive diet. However, many of the foods which have been converted for these groups are filled with bulking agents, added sugar and salt, flavour enhancers and other additives, which mean they are far less healthy than their original version.”
Plant-based burgers are a case in point. “These often rely on processed oils, starches, bulking agents and other additives to mimic the texture and taste of meat,” continues Snover. “They can have higher sodium content and include ingredients like methylcellulose, a chemically modified form of cellulose.” And we laugh at instant mash, which is basically dehydrated potato? Maybe, these days, the joke is on us.
How our 70s favourites stack up against today’s versions
“The flavour of the Waitrose one will be nicer and probably less gritty,” says health coach Anne Iarchy, “as the cream adds a lot to the texture and richness.” However, because of its butter and double cream, it packs more than triple the calories of the instant mash (341 compared to 95kcal). “This is a good example of taking an excellent food then making it indulgent and high calorie,’ says Dr Carrie Ruxton.
“Boil in the bags were usually lower in fat than fried/coated options,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton, “but they were incredibly salty. Ready meals are much improved these days with lower salt levels.” Today’s fish in parsley sauce is, in fact, low in calories and fats, and its salt content is classed as medium. Anne Iarchy adds: “Frozen fish fillets with coating also have been pre-fried. Which means that on top of the salt, there is also extra fat from the frying.”
Vesta’s ingredients list is vast. No wonder it’s hard to find these days – I ordered mine from a specialist website. “I think today people would not get it due to the MSG,” says Anne Iarchy. The description of “chopped shaped beef” is also a turn off, and the process of adding water to dehydrated meat sauce seems as dated as a Showaddywaddy record. “The modern version will be significantly better,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton. “And a ready meal can be a good option occasionally when you’re in a rush. It’s the takeaways you want to watch as most provide around 50 per cent of your daily calories in one serving.’”
My beloved Bachelor’s Savoury Rice proved elusive, so we plumped for the closest match. “Savoury rice was very salty,” remembers Dr Carrie Ruxton, “but then we had different taste palates in the 1970s.” Both versions here are fairly salty (salt content is medium) compared to a plain microwaveable rice pouch, which Dr Ruxton says “is much healthier. Ideally, go for wholegrain rice to add more fibre”.
The mousse is far creamier and more luxurious. However, in terms of calories, fat and sugar content, it’s off the scale. (It contains 10 times the fat of our 70s favourite: 295kcal vs 98). Plus, as Anne Irachy points out, “Angel Delight can be a good way to get milk into kids for calcium.” As an occasional treat, it’s not the worst way to satisfy a sweet craving.
This Ben & Jerry’s tub contains five portions – but crucially, when do you stop? “Some people I know can work through a whole tub,” says Dr Ruxton. “Any dessert packaging which promotes portion control is good for our waistlines.” In contrast, Arctic Roll might seem rather basic compared to luxury ice cream. But perhaps slicing our treats is a better option. It’s easier to keep on mindlessly spooning after all.
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