to consider living on ready meals from now on

[crochetmonkey74]

I HATE cooking and hate food shopping as well- last night as I popped into M and S for a food hall browse I pondered the idea of living on their ready meals from now on- does anyone do this? Do you get sick of it? Is it really expensive?

I live alone so no one else to consider meal plan wise- are there other shortcuts that are as easy but maybe a little more healthy/ frugal?

@MoiraNotRuby

I wish I liked ready meals but they have a sort of orange gloopy aftertaste. Once I don't have to feed anyone else, and its only me, I'll live off three meals on rotation: mushrooms on toast, scrambled eggs, and crisps with prosecco.

I could get behind all these! : )

I do actually love mushrooms on toast and I have this truffle salt which would be nice with it (not too much so I don't get Gout)

@Pigeonpocket

It would be expensive but relatively fine healthwise depending on which meals you choose. Loads of M&S ready meals have good ingredients, some better than I might use at home, and at least they're portion controlled. I think some posters have really weird ideas about ready meals. An M&S curry probably has less calories and salt and fat than one made with a jar of paste (also processed food) at home. A lot of people I know seem to be happy using jars of sauce like Dolmio etc but then demonise "ready meals", it baffles me.

I agree. Half of the people commenting here have probably not looked closely at the ready meal aisle for years because they are a self-selecting group of ready meal haters. M&S in particular do a lot of good ones with healthy fresh ingredients and minimal processing. Most of them include plenty of vegetables - they used to have a sub-brand called “perfectly balanced” or something like that. Or you buy a bag of microwave steam in the bag vegetables to go with it.

And the range of international foods now is great- Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian - lots of things that are good to try and save you buying whole bottles/jars of things like fish sauce that them go off when you don’t use them all.

I think it would take you quite a long time to work through what M&S have to offer, I’d say go for it. Though as you don’t like wet foods so much, you may find that there is less that you fancy because wet textures do tend to work better in ready meals. One tip if you want to be a bit healthier is buy microwave pouches of brown basmati rice and avoid ready meals that come with a tray of pilau or other white rice. Also a bag of spinach microwaved and mixed in with a ready curry is a good way to make it healthier. I chop mine with scissors after cooking for speed.

I think a combination of that, and easy meals that are ready nearly as fast as a ready meal, especially ones that you have to put in the oven - like buy the veg and chick and noodles for a stirfry with the ready made sauce. Or an omelette. Or a baked potato with salad. Or buy the ready made chicken or fish if you like it. I did it for a while when my dd was very young and having her dinner at 12. I craved real flavour after a while though, they started to all taste the same... You can easily cut down on prep times if you're on your own - like ready made rice, ready made noodles etc, ready cooked chicken - expensive for families but good for just you :)

As a result of this thread, I've ordered the calorie conscious range from cook! I still have to feed my children but I often don't fancy what I cook for them and want to try new things they don't/won't like! Thanks OP. By the way I'm with you! I'm SICK of cooking which often means I end up picking or eating unhealthily because I can't be bothered to feed myself as well as everyone else!

A close friend found someone on FB, that cooks and delivers home meals.

Watch the program on ultra processed food and you may reconsider opinions on ready meals
It is a case of everything in moderation, this type of food has a place but shouldn’t be your whole diet

@postitgirl

I think a combination of that, and easy meals that are ready nearly as fast as a ready meal, especially ones that you have to put in the oven - like buy the veg and chick and noodles for a stirfry with the ready made sauce. Or an omelette. Or a baked potato with salad. Or buy the ready made chicken or fish if you like it. I did it for a while when my dd was very young and having her dinner at 12. I craved real flavour after a while though, they started to all taste the same... You can easily cut down on prep times if you're on your own - like ready made rice, ready made noodles etc, ready cooked chicken - expensive for families but good for just you :)

I am a fan of many ready meals but actually for my taste those stir fry sauces are often far too sugary or salty or generally artificial tasting.

When my kids have left home that’s what I’m going to do.
No more cooking.

There was a thread on here a while ago that ended with a few north London MNers posting links. It’s a thing.

Amazing. I'm moving to Harrow.

I HATE cooking, I live on my soup making machine, you can make soup or casseroles in there just throw all the ingredients in there and leave it, it liquidises as well either chunky or smooth.
I won't eat ready meals as I need to lose weight and eat less salt.

@avidteadrinker

Watch the program on ultra processed food and you may reconsider opinions on ready meals It is a case of everything in moderation, this type of food has a place but shouldn’t be your whole diet

Yeah, this meal below has no place in anyones diet

Chickpeas (20%), Water, Coconut Milk, Onion, Red Lentils (6%), Black Lentils (6%), Celery, Spinach (4%), Kale (4%), Garlic (4%), Tomato Paste (4%), Red Chilli, Maple Syrup, Ginger, Sunflower Oil, Cumin Seeds, Garam Masala, Sea Salt, Turmeric, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Fenugreek Leaves.

@CandyLeBonBon

Not everything is made up of chemicals 😐

Literally EVERYTHING is made up of chemicals! 😂

I thought that too!

I pondered the idea of living on their ready meals from now on- does anyone do this? Do you get sick of it? Is it really expensive?

We dined on M&S ready meals for a couple of weeks while the kitchen was being remodelled and cooking meant a microwave and an electric kettle. I was very glad to get back to normal.

I could do it long term if it was only lunches though.

I did hello fresh for a while and then realised I would get more for my money in the food hall at m&s! Feel guilty though as it's probably really bad with weird chemicals and not good when feeding a child. Compromise is buying things like seabass with a lemon butter etc rather than ready made cottage pie

To those talking about how bad ready meals are in terms of nutrition - yes, some are, but the fresh M&S ready meals actually aren't too bad. All ready meals are not the same. Frozen ones are usually the worst.

That's not to say I'd do what you're suggesting OP. I think ready meals still tend to have more salt, fat, chemicals and sugar compared to home cooking. But for a short term fix there's really nothing wrong with the M&S ones. I ate them a lot when I lived on my own.

@PinkPlantCase

Be careful with your salt intake. Ready meals often have way more than home cooking would.

Yes, but you can see exactly how much, which is not the case with a restaurant meal or takeaway.

"Frozen ones are usually the worst."

Not sure about this. Cook claims theirs are healthier because they're frozen at a low temperature. Lidl has/had some frozen steamed meals that seemed pretty healthy to me.

@EssentialHummus

Also, if you are anywhere near Wembley or Harrow there will be a no of Indian home cooks who will deliver fresh and healthy food Is that true? (I'm in north London and don't know those areas).

Yup. There was a thread on here a while ago that ended with a few north London MNers posting links. It’s a thing.

If you’re an Indian home cook in s London please get in touch

I am an Indian home cook in SE London but I seem to be completely occupied cooking for my own family :)

@IntermittentParps Agree it is expensive. There are also some home cooks on Gumtree occasionally.

It’s really not a healthy way of eating and will most likely impact your long term health. Ready meals are highly processed & often have a lot of salt, sugar, preservatives etc.

@BoxHedge

I know someone who did this for several months and ended up getting Gout. Possibly due to all the salt.

I've had ready meals all my life and no problems like that. (not necessarily every meal, but regularly).

@FrownedUpon

It’s really not a healthy way of eating and will most likely impact your long term health. Ready meals are highly processed & often have a lot of salt, sugar, preservatives etc.

Have you read all the examples people have posted? Ready meals have changed a lot since the eighties and nineties - there are some perfectly normal, healthy options out there.

I think it's fine if then balanced with salads (eg mixed leaves, smoked mackerel, lemon juice and olive oil) etc. Some are healthier than others. I would also suggest (assuming you have a freezer) batch cooking lasagna, chilli, stews etc for winter

I only eat M and S / Cook ready meals

There's a new classification of 'processed food' and food that is assembled from ingredients is not the same

It's just food, often with short dates on it ie. it's fresh food

There's a list somewhere of yucky ingredients that signify whether something is processed - Google for it and look for it on the ingredient list.

I can tell you what's in the spinach daal - nowt processed

@Bodgers

I bloody love a ready meal!! Actually feeling quite jealous that you have so much freedom to have whatever you like each night - my husband and child demand freshly cooked meals, but in my dream world I’d be tucking into a Mac n cheese tonight! Enjoy whatever you go for!

Then tell them to cook half the time and you have your Mac and cheese!

If you're already going to M&S, they do loads of salads, which is easy when it's hot.

I do covet a personal chef, though. One thing I have loved when I've gone on yoga holidays is that healthy food just turns up at mealtimes, and I don't have to prepare any of it, or even have the effort of deciding from a menu.