This week I’m joining lots of other parents and bloggers by taking part in the #NoJunk Challenge launched by children’s food brand Organix.

As much as the (self-proclaimed) Nothern Love Machine protests, there will be no pre-bought pizzas, pies or processed rubbish on our menu this week. Instead, we’re aiming for healthy meals, cooked from scratch, full of nutritious ingredients that don’t have lots of numbers after them.

Last week I admitted that since becoming pregnant, although I’ve eaten lots more fruit and veg, our family’s meals haven’t been as healthy as they once were. Cooking from scratch has just felt like too much effort some days, when my pregnancy exhaustion levels reach new heights. We’ve slipped into some bad habits that I know are all too tempting to keep if we don’t stop and take a look at what we’re actually eating. 

Last weekend the NLM bought a pie for his lunch. It wasn’t until he got home that he checked the label and actually realised what the ingredients were. On the front of the packaging this tiny pie looked delicious, full of home-cooked juicy meat and vegetables. But when he looked closer he found out the pie contained 110% of his recommended fat intake for the day – at over 60g of fat, most of it saturated. And that’s not to mention the huge levels of salt.

It’s scary really. There is still a way to go in terms of regulation of the UK food industry. Nearly half of top food brands in the UK sell products that are high in fat, salt and sugar products. This might not sound so bad, but when these types of foods make up a regular section of your diet it’s not great for anyone’s health.

I’ve been really inspired by the paleo eating adventures of Jane at Northern Mum and Alice at More Than Toast recently, not to mention all the great healthy eating advice from Ruth at Let Her Eat Clean. While I’ll happily admit I’m not ready to swap our family’s menu for a strict paleo one, I have been trying to find alternatives to processed foods and we’ve been eating far less white bread (and bread generally) and more fruit and veg.

This week I’m going to attempt to take it to the next level and banish processed foods and ready meals completely. We’re eating a healthy cottage pie with organic mince meat, mashed sweet potato and chopped tomatoes (rather than a thick gravy sauce). We’ll also be munching on tuna nicoise salad with asparagus, olives and boiled eggs. And, later in the week, there’s a chorizo and white bean stew served with baked white fish. I’m also planning a healthy chicken, leek and onion bake with roasted cauliflower.

I won’t lie, it is more effort eating this way. It meant that last night I had to actually be organised for once and write a weekly menu plan. This is something I used to do when we were on a stricter budget, but it’s slipped over recent months. It took me ten minutes to think of some healthy meals and write down the ingredients we’d need. I’m hoping those ten minutes will prove a worthwhile investment and we’ll all feel better at the end of the week.

It’s going to be interesting. When I initially agreed to take part in the challenge with Organix I was hesitant, but now I’m feeling pretty inspired. Some comments on the post I wrote last week have spurred me on, along with the knowledge that it’s the best thing for my nearly four year old, not to mention the unborn baby currently residing inside my bulging tummy.

You never know, maybe the NLM will decide he’s off the pizza and pies for good… Maybe.

If you want to join me there’s still time. You can sign the #NoJunk pledge here and we can cheer each other on as we do it. I’ll be tweeting asking for inspiration and tips throughout the week using the #NoJunk hashtag, so if you have any great recipes to share I’m all ears!

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This post is written in association with Organix. All views and words remain my own. For more information please see my disclosure page.