Should I fill the freezer with Cook ready meals

[theotherfossilsister]

I'm pregnant and tired all the time. Dp doesn't really cook. I keep coming in from work and eating crap or ordering takeaway. My iron's pretty low.

Would a freezer full of Cook ready meals and sides be a good solution? It's really expensive but I'm guessing this is reflected in quality and nutrition and far better than a chippy.

I feel like it would be worth it to have something in that's decent when I can't cook. Yes or no? Any alternatives?

I've been put off by how long they take to cook. They look nice but I think for the time and money I could just actually cook something. Why can't your partner cook some basic meals? Soup, slow cooker type stuff?

Their food is good but pricey. Have you looked I to "Hello fresh" or the many similar companies?

Hello fresh is really faffy.

I would get a couple of Cook meals and also hone cook a few meals in bulk eg casserole, lasagne, shepherds pie, fish pie. Then you can just microwave them. I like a rotisserie chicken with salad and crusty bread. Really easy. Lots of snacky fridge bits like sausage rolls, hummus, crudités that you can shove on a plate.

I've used Cook when I have felt unwell or been unable to cook and their food is really good, so much better than supermarket ready meals. I'd do it if I were you, OP.

I lived off macaroni cheese whilst pregnant it was the only meal I could keep down, DH made do with whatever was going. I wish I got to the stage where I was organised with meal prep, but it never happened.

Yep! They microwave really well, add a sachet of micro rice/veg and it’s a perfect healthy dinner

The alternative is to batch cook yourself and bung it in the freezer. It will be a whole lot cheaper.

@Namechangeforthis88 he's actually really dyspraxic and has cut himself badly before and got chilli in his eye. He's great but it renders him completely non practical and it's not worth it.

Hello fresh sounds a bit like work, and if I'm cooking I may as well do something I know, but just so tired and stressed. Maybe I could do some big soups though. Just battling this fatigue and trying to stay at work

Sounds like a good idea. Cook meals are nice and they have a range of options ranging from the healthy to the calorific.

I guess I could make a huge macaroni cheese and eat it with frozen peas

I made a Bolognese last week and couldn't eat it as it was too garlicky and I love garlic

Charlie Bigham stuff is nice too.

@theotherfossilsister

I guess I could make a huge macaroni cheese and eat it with frozen peas

I made a Bolognese last week and couldn't eat it as it was too garlicky and I love garlic

do you want to though? It's okay to treat yourself and just buy stuff in. unless it's a concern about cost.

I really like Cook. The ingredients are what you’d use at home and it’s not super salty. Takes a while to cook but it’s not like you have to do anything. You can also get a 10% new baby discount that lasts I think 6 months (might be a year) and that you can kick off whenever you like before the birth.

Cook is great OP, I buy one of the variety meal packs for the freezer now and then, it means there's something nice to eat on my late nights at work.

I'd like to, I do feel guilty about cost but we're not going out much anymore so that's sort of an expense we don't have. Also it would be luxurious to take away the one small worry about how will I find energy to cook

Ps you can also save a bit of money by doing accompaniments yourself. Eg get a Cook stew but get your partner to do some rice to go with it. My husband isn’t big on cooking either but he can manage that ok!!!

Yep
Get cook. Delicious and easy.

I would mix it with some easy prep meals too.
We like things like grilled fish (10 mins under a grill and we serve with microwave pouch of rice/grains and chopped veg through the mix e.g. tomatoes green bean peppers etc...)

I am 38 weeks pregnant we will be eating cook 3-4 days a week for the first month when the baby arrives.

That makes sense, yeah, cook stew but Tesco mash perhaps

As long as you can afford it, do it!

Make sure your DH doesn’t scoff more than his share though - not saying yours will but there are threads on here about men eating their partners batch cooked food for pregnancy/ after the birth.

It’s cheaper than takeaway I’m sure

@Totalwasteofpaper ah that sounds good

Could you just cook double of stuff that freezes well? If I make a lasagne or an apple crumble, I always make two, so that I can freeze one and put one in the oven.

Dp doesn't really cook.

Why on earth not?!

he's actually really dyspraxic and has cut himself badly before and got chilli in his eye. He's great but it renders him completely non practical and it's not worth it.

Ready prepped and frozen veg, herbs and spices.

I'm disabled and can no longer be trusted with most raw veg and a sharp knife!

But most veg can be bought ready to use and is very easy to cook with.

I'm veggie but I also know you can buy meat/poultry/fish ready diced too.

With your iron being low are you taking a supplement? Remember also that you need to take vitamin c rich food/drink alongside the iron rich to aid absorption

Soups/stews/casseroles/chilli/curry are all super easy for novice/reluctant/unconfident cooks but also packed nutritionally

Do you have a slow cooker?

DH and I eat COOK meals a couple of times a week. We have three young DC that I do cook for, but their tastes are pretty limited and there are only so many times I can eat pasta bake, roast dinner, sausage and mash etc. so DH and I order different dishes to eat when the DC are eating meals that we don’t fancy having. The meals are expensive but lovely, the Spanish bean stew and roasted vegetable lasagne are my current favourites.

Of course get Cook meals in , Charlie Bigham is good too and I freeze the ones that don't have rice with them.
It's only for a short time. Far more nutritious than take outs and the cost won't be much different.
Look after yourself. It's priority.

An alternative would be to go to m&s and stock up on their ready meals. Look for the healthier stuff (if that's what you want!). Their stuff is good.

But like a PP said, if cost isn't a huge issue, then yes of course you should do it. Look after yourself because that also means you are looking after your lovely baby. Cook dinners are indeed very tasty and I don't think they are particularly poor value.