How To Avoid Processed Foods (And Maintain Flavor)?

Oh my. I (we?) eat a ton of processed food. A coworker once labeled me the King of Processed Food, in fact. He used to eat oatmeal all the time (with fresh raisins mixed in). He used the dry oats straight out of the Quaker box.

I tried it. After decades of taste bud assault, the flavor came across as very weak.

Last night, playing chess online, I whipped up a quick batch of maple and brown sugar oatmeal. I was so proud of myself. Here I was, eating healthy. I passed up fatty bean & cheese burritos, macaroni and cheese, brownies, cookies and ice cream all in favor of a healthier snack. Then my wife reminded me the oatmeal I was eating was as processed as red licorice. Or more!

Check out the ingredients:

Whole grain rolled oats (=good)
Sugar (=bad)
Natural flavors (=good)
Artificial flavors (=bad)
Salt (=bad)
Calcium carbonate (a chemical used in paint and adhesives!, so =bad)
Guar gum (=bad?)
Caramel color (=bad)
Niacinamide (not too bad)
Vitamin A palmitate (what the hell's that?)
Reduced iron (iron's bad, I've read)
Pyridoxine hydrochloride (I didn't do well in Chemistry)
Riboflavin (OK)
Thiamin mononitrate (a vitamin B derivative, I think)
Folic acid (OK)

At least the two packets I ate only contained four grams of fat. That's something to be happy about, I suspect.

But now I'm on the lookout for nonprocessed foods. Other than a salad bar (and even that's iffy), what other edible options are out there?