How big are ready meal portions these days?!

[IntoValhalla]

So firstly, I’m being lazy and having a ready meal lasagne because today has been a mad rush and I simply can’t be arsed to cook.
Anyone else really surprised at just how massive the portions are in supermarket ready meals?! I’ve got a lasagne for one and it’s huge
I know it’s not a healthy option by any means - pretty much everything was red on the little “traffic light system” nutritional info label, but I’m surprised that at this size it’s labelled “serves one” and I’m someone with a...let’s say “healthy” appetite!

I'm not overweight and I eat a lot. Go vegan! I eat tons of veg and soups. Lost 2st going vegan.

Drogo to be fair...the whole “only eating until you’re satisfied” thing has only come about since being pregnant Before, I would eat something yummy and keep going past the feeling of initial fullness but the horrendous heartburn that this baby is causing has put a stop to it! If the heartburn = hairy baby myth turns out to be true, I’ll be giving birth to baby Chewbacca! I never experienced this with either of the last two pregnancies!

Off to google Paul McKenna too! I’m familiar with his name, just never looked into his methods or anything before!!

I'd eat two of those

Ive been known eat two of those
But I would feel sick afterwards

WindsweptEgret yes I do realise that there are different varieties of foul salads,but none are very filling, and a HUGE plate of it served with a slither of lasagne would leave my kids starving and probably threatening to call childline.

That’s TINY! Would be ok as a starter though.

I'm always still starving after a ready meal!

slither of lasagne

Sliver!

DH and I usually have a ready meal on the first night when we go away (caravan) Something like a moussaka but will share it and maybe have some green beans or something with it. Couldn't eat a whole one to myself (normal sized ones, not the family things) see also restaurant portions, had a pretty good pub meal recently but it would have been a lot nicer if the portions weren't so massive.

If I was taller, or more active I'd probably eat more but I'm not so I don't. Context is everything, my 25 yr old son cycles to and from work and is very active, he eats accordingly.

A ready meal of 600 calories sounds about right for me as a dinner with vegetables on the side.

If I was having garlic bread or chips with it then I would only eat about 2/3.

As a lunch meal it would be too filling but perfect for a dinner which is the main meal for me.

Thank you Kalopali

The last few times I've had similar sized lasagna portions, I've made myself a bit sick because I've put practically half an iceberg lettuce on the plate with it, I love the two together. My appetite varies. Right now I'd eat most or all of that. With or without the lettuce. I'm hugely obese. But sometimes I have no appetite at all.

I always find ready meals tiny and leave me hungry especially compared to restaurant portions.

Restaurant sizes used to be fine for me when I used to overeat. Now I have my portion sizes under control they are too big and the staff always ask if there is something wrong with the food as I usually leave around a half of it.

Same with cereal portion sizes. I used to eat loads but now a recommenced portion size is correct.

I'm only 5ft 3inch and have a desk job so my calorie intake isn't much.

I am surprised at the number of people who split a ready meal between two adults. Even with veg I would still be very hungry after that.

Ah, but this is Mumsnet, Emma, where I once saw someone claim that they couldn’t eat a whole Magnum

ThanksIt Seriously?
I know I thought the lasagne was big - which I accept most people think it wasn’t....but I think even my 4yo would give a Magnum a good go

If I were to split this between two then it would have be with a salat, some hummus to start with and maybe a split pudding.

Otherwise I’ll have the whole thing. It’s not that big.

I can honestly say I've NEVER looked at a ready meal & thought it looked even close to massive. That lasagne looks average. I'm amazed half of it in its own has made an adult feel stuffed.

If I have a lasagne I'd usually have chips or garlic bread with it 😳

Pockets - to be fair, I couldn’t eat a whole full sized Magnum, I think they are really sickly.

I’d inhale that lasagne though!!

I also can't eat a whole Magnum and feel sick before the end of it.

But whether or not the lasagne is a lot or not depend s on what else the OP has eaten that day surely?

Not everyone eats hardly anything in the daytime in anticipation of a big dinner so it might not be the OPs main meal of the day, so if she's eaten a decent meal at lunchtime, that might be why she's full on half of it.

I could eat a whole one, but not with sides too, and I would want sides for variety and to get some veg in. A whole one would be a whole lot of boring to me. It's not a competitive under-eating thing at all. What I added would depend on how hungry I was, add some baked sweet potato and other sides to half of one and I certainly not going to be starving!

I never buy ready meals as they are tiny!

600 cals is aa tiny meal

I am for about 1000 cals for dinner (2500 a day), my DH and teen boys eat even more

It just never quite hits the spot so I don't even bother with ready meals, bloody tiny portions

Ready meals are bloody tiny - that lasagna would barely touch the sides for me and I'm hardly a big eater!