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 prefer Charlie bighams ready meals to Cook and they’re a bit cheaper.

I did the same when pregnant with twins. We do Hello Fresh and Gousto every so often for a reset, but you are right. It is still work.

Cook is expensive but we asked family to chip in for six weeks or so of meals to cover last weeks of pregnancy and newborns. Alternated with very simple, very quick pasta meals and so on it worked out well.

Depending where you live, it might also be worth visiting local farmshops/markets/delis and stocking up? My bog standard Saturday Market now has a lady who does vegi/vegan food including reasonably priced bakes, while the farm shop often has lovely cottage pies or quiches.

Slow cooker is my saviour, currently 20 weeks pregnant and need 2 naps and in bed 7.30 😂 my DP doesn't really cook either. I Shove everything in the slow cooker in the morning when I have the most patience and energy and it was ready in the evenings, all I had to do was put a portion on a plate or bowl and eat. You can put any leftovers in the freezer for another night.

A big slow cooker is a life saver. Batch cooking will be really important for at least the next decade. I used to do pasta sauces, casseroles, soups, all portioned and frozen. When you are pregnant and feeling like death you can just chuck stuff in and switch it on.

The Cook meals do take a while unless you microwave them - not as nice - but you can have a bath and put jamas on while you wait.

Cook meals are expensive but good quality. We really like the Moroccan lamb one. They do a baby pack I think for when baby is born, a good idea for a present we got given one but this is going back a few years. They also do / used to do gift vouchers so you could always ask for them if you have a birthday coming up etc

I batch cooked loads when pregnant so I would have easy meals once baby was born. Unfortunately baby had CMPA and I was breastfeeding, so gave up dairy. Didn’t get to eat any of the batch cooking. Just a word of warning as I know others who also had to give up certain foods while breastfeeding.

Try eating more beef re iron

I got given the "new parents" Cook box as a present when DD was born and it was the best baby gift we got. It made life so much easier - especially as she came at 38w and i hadn't got round to doing much batch cooking. DH only got two weeks paternity so they were great when he was back at work. I'd say why not? I have some of their pots in the freezer for lunches if DD (now 8months) is having a particularly tricky day and i don't get chance to eat.

Cook is insanely expensive (to me) but if you can afford it why the hell not? In the olden days you would have been in bed and looked after for a whole month post-birth. This is the modern day equivalent and probably much cheaper than deliveroo.

This is what I used to do for friends who were pregnant - get them a voucher for Cook online or for a store if they lived near, for after the baby was born.

If cost and storage isn't a problem, I'd do it OP. You'll be busy enough when the baby arrives.

God yes, give yourself a break!

Also there are Mindful Chef frozen ready meals. I also like Spice Tailor, really quick and easy and tastes home made.

Oh yes, and for a great Cote at Home is fab.

Anything is good if it makes your life easy and stress free.

Just my experience but I didn’t love Cook enough to have a freezer full. We tried them pre-baby and we’re a bit disappointed. We had half and half in the end - a few meals (chilli, curry etc) which I made simply and froze. Then a few (5 or so) Cook options. Probably enough for 12 days and then used things like omelettes, jacket potato’s, filled fresh past with healthy things with them. And then take aways

Try all plants. They have some really delicious plant based meals. I'm not a veggie, btw.allplants.mention-me.com/m/ol/tb9gm-diane-booth use this link you'll get £20 off!!!

Cook is good. But surely you can also do v simple meals like jacket potatoes and beans etc.

Or I make a big veg soup each week which does the lunches then and doesn't take more effort than chopping veg.

Mindful chef frozen meals are great and can be microwaved direct from the freezer. No nasties at all in them.

Easier to just buy Charlie bigham meals from the supermarket. Cook is quite expensive

I was going to say Charlie Bingham too. Although cook is fab

I find Charlie Bingham much too rich, especially compared to the Cook Wholebowls - or anything else from the healthy section.

We got some cool meals as a gift when Ds was a newborn and really enjoyed them, if you can afford it do what you need to make life easier xx

Do it. Love Cook. Recommend roasted chickpea curry which is very healthy and filling. Charlie Bigams are good to be quite rich like another poster said.

I think it's a really good idea to get some Cook meals in - they're not far off homemade. You could choose the ones that are going to be good for iron, beef stew, liver and bacon plus dishes you're too tired to bother with. Then you could cook quick things like omelette, pasta and fish yourself.