Is Cook Food worth the money?

[VanillaEverytime]

I’m thinking of filling my freezer with some Cook Food meals. I’ve had 1 or 2 some years back when the local garden centre stocked them but it’s been some time so I can’t recall what I thought of them. I’m disabled and under a lot of stress at the moment and my nerve damage and mental health have been an even bigger issue than normal so I need something I can just throw in the oven as opposed to Hello Fresh meals which don’t work for me when my nerve damage flares up.

TIA

I use them sometimes, and think they are definitely the best of the ready meals. They’re non upf and cooked more like a home-frozen meal.

I do think that they’re too expensive for what they are.

I used them after both children for dinners for the first month or 2 and I got 3 or so single portions for lunch each week.

It was worth it for me as it meant I had nutritionally balanced food during a stressful time

We used them when I was very ill after my first was born. The beef bourgignon is fairly nice. However, they're quite expensive and just nothing like as good as freshly cooked food (tbf no ready meal can be) and now they remind me of being ill and therefore taste of despair.

Use them for sure, it'll make your life easier and keep you fed, but it won't "spark joy" unfortunately, imo.

I've only tried one or two because, as you say, they're pricey, but I thought they were pretty good.

Tasty but expensive and it would get repetitive.

When we can’t be bothered to cook we have:

a supermarket quiche with salad leaves and coleslaw

a pot of soup and toast

jacket potato with butter and a few slices of cheese

fresh pasta with pesto or some ready-made sauce (most of these are not upf )

They are quite nice, but they are incredibly high calories (lasagna is 620 calories, I think) and lots are high in sugars and fat etc. I wouldn't call them particularly balanced.

Lots of them also need sides - the lasagne definitely needs a salad, the curry's need rice etc. Otherwise you're basically just eating meat and sugar or meat and carbs, and that's not satisfying.

That being said for ease and convenience I'd recommend them. But absolutely be mindful of just how unhealthy some of them are. There's been a few times where I felt quite sick after as their food is so rich.

I think they are much better than other ready meals and a lot more nutritious than grazing on crap as you cannot face cooking.
I buy them for my elderly parents from time to time, like meals on wheels only from the freezer. My mum is bed bound and dad is perfectly capable of sticking the oven on but I can’t picture him ever making a massive batch of something to home freeze, and his meal tastes can be a bit eclectic. I would definitely give them a try in your position.

I think that if you want some freezer ready meals then they have a good selection and come in handy for times we can’t cook.

We had some after my youngest was born. I was really looking forward to them but personally I’d go for M&S ready meals- cheaper and yummier

I don’t love them. They can come in handy. I think they are overpriced.

Thanks all. I think that I’ll give them a try. I’ve been eating salad and/or snacking on fruit and raw veg and nuts and seeds but I’d like something a little more substantial a few times a week so I’ll order some.

They are not as expensive as pub/restaurant meals OP and they’re a lot nicer in some cases, so treat yourself and enjoy them

I think they’re great. I recommend the Indian meals, especially the butter chicken, the steak pie, and the duck meal with juniper.

We only get them as a treat because, for us, they’re too expensive to have often, so I’d say they’re worth it for a treat.

No. They all taste of breadcrumbs.

I too had to give up using Hello Fresh because I couldn't manage all the cooking involved.

My husband (also disabled) would normally turn his nose up at ready meals but has enjoyed everything that I have ordered from Cook. It is expensive but probably as close as you can get to a meal that you have prepared yourself.

We have a Cook shop near us and have tried the odd thing. Really enjoyed them. I would happily eat them very day!

Half of them seem to need an hour in the oven and aren't microwaveable which destroys the point for me. I would rather have stuffed pasta & salad (5 mins) or a Bol pot. Or fishfingers & frozen peas! Yum.

They’re ok but I think Charlie Bingham meals are nicer and cheaper than Cook. (or they used to be) You can freeze most of them too.

I’m thinking about ordering Stocked, for similar reasons.

I agree with this

I order them as I cannot stand up for long to cook as I am on crutches. They are the only ready meals I can cope with other than some MS ones and I cannot open tins.

They deliver if you spend over £50.

Some of the kid's meals are satisfying with a side order of microwave veg if you are not very hungry.

Many of them taste better if cooked in the oven so I invested in an air fryer to save on electricity.

We do things like this too, especially the quiche and jacket potato.

Also, shop bought fish cakes, chips and salad

Steak slice or sausage rolls, warmed up in the oven, with salad

Home made fried rice using rice from a pouch, ready diced bacon cubes and ready diced veg and a couple of eggs - takes literally ten mins but is basically cooking from scratch (that's what we've decided!) and it's healthy and colourful.

All of the above "spark joy" for us in the opposite way to how Cook meals spark despair

I think they're pretty good

I have the Thai meals occasionally when we fancy a takeaway b

Near me there is a lady who basically offers home cooking she is a cake lady but also puts together meals a few times a week she charges £6 or so never used her as she is a little far but I think I would consider it if I was in your position I wonder if there is somebody near you?