Annabel K Ready Meals - tried em?

[JoshandJamie]

And if so, what do you think or more importantly, your kids think?

Also, has anyone noticed that the packaging doesn't list the component parts of some of the ingredients, worcester sauce for example? I thought that companies had to do that.

[TheBlonde]

I thought they were pricey
DS refused to eat it
DH had it instead

[hunkerdave]

I think it's hypocritical of her to market these.

[JoshandJamie]

so do I. But given she is supposed to be the baby food expert, I would have thought she'd have followed all the packaging rules and I'm pretty sure she hasn't

[hunkerdave]

I just object to her making a fortune from books telling you how to lovingly puree a carrot (I mean, wtf?!) and then selling the pureed carrot (plus other stuff) in frozen form as well.

[climbingrosie]

JandJ when packaging food, ingredients that form less than a cetain percentage if the meal don't have to broken down into their component parts (so the ingredients in a few dashes of worcester sauce don't have to be listed) although it should say contains shellfish or crustaicians in the allergy advice bit) Not idea what her labels are like but I write labels for food (amongst other things!). Trading Standards would come down pretty hard on anyone who didn't follow the labelling legislation. If you think she hasn't followed all the packaging rules you can call up trading standards, they will investigate it for you

[JoshandJamie]

Thanks for that clarification climbingrosie. Am still not convinced by the products though

[climbingrosie]

me neither, especially with the stupid name and the list of ingredients! ...and her excuse not to use organic ingredients..but still charge prices worthy of organic food! bit of a cop out if you ask me...


still, it's a free market and just one more option for parents needing ready meals and quick easy options when they don't have the chance or time to 'lovingly puree carrots' themselves!

[Ladymuck]

I find that it is a great pity that she has done this, and frankly I think that some of her books actually are quite unhelpful to the cause of healthy eating for kids. Feeding kids good healthy food isn't that difficult most of the time - something I probably discovered more from Mumsnet once I had been exasperated over lovingly making some AK dish which took forever ony to have it instantly rejected. Her books, being the "bible" for feeding young children, often present cooking as something really difficult (I have yet to discover why a hand moule is better at pureeing that a liquidiser/food processor?)

There is no need to buy this type of ready meal for kids imo, and I think that it is a real shame that she has sold out. Bring out the scrambled eggs, or jacket spud and beans, or pasta. Reinforce the idea that there are loads of meals that don't need a list of 10+ ingredients but which can be prepared in 15 minutes. Tbh whether she has followed the packaging rules or not doesn't really matter - it is still pre-prepared packaged food.