To use ready meals for the kids often?

[Eekkeed]

My oven has broken and I can’t replace it just yet, the job still works but I find cooking really stressful so I’m going to get a microwave to use just for the mean time but I also quite bad mental health issues going on atm, I have ocd which can make cooking and washing up a really really long and stressful process- I am working on the MH issues but in the mean time, would it be awful to give my kids ready meals for dinner a few times a week?

Something like a ready made cottage pie/fish pie/slag Bol (they’d probably have half each) served with one of those frozen steam bags of veg or the frozen microwaved jacket potatoes with either tuna or cheese, micro rice and veg with pre cooked chicken, that sort of thing

Lunches are usually healthy, hummus crackers ,cucumbers carrots etc and snacks are usually fruit- apples/strawberries. theu have weetabix and fruit or peanut butter toast for breakfast.

Atm meal times are such a mess and I end up just ordering food way more often than I’d like, I’ve definitely fallen into some bad habits with takeaways and a lot of picnic plates for dinners

To the 14% of people who say you are being unreasonable, try putting yourself in OPs place, no oven and struggling with OCD.

As others have said, it’s absolutely fine OP. I hope things improve for you. 💐

I was also going to suggest an air fryer. Between and air fryer, microwave and toaster I could feed my kids every meal, every day.

Air fryer will do the usual stuff like chicken goujons, fish fingers, potato croquettes (anything in breadcrumbs basically) but also baked potatoes, pies, a whole host of stuff really. So easy and fast to use.

On the ready meals I don't see any issue at all with using them regularly, we do. I just worry about salt intake for mine so stick to the toddler ones (they are younger). 3 year old is super fussy so I count any food going into her body as a win...

Also bagels, pitta, crumpets etc are all good alternatives to toast to mix it up a bit. My kids absolute favourite meal is bagels with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon which takes 5 minutes to make.

OP would you find it less stressful if you knew in advance what you were cooking.

When mine were little and didn't eat with us, we had a 4 week rotating menu that I stuck on the fridge and it made shopping and prepping easier, you could add ready meals on your more stressful days.

Btw I have the Aldi air fryer which was £30

They're fed, they're warm, they're loved.

Parenting won. Don't be caught up with everything you see on social media with everything being organic, homemade, whatever else. It's all bollocks.

It's a good idea, and I would plan a week at a time too. But, make sure you are feeding yourself too. "On toast" is good for giving them different textures too.

Steam bag veg is a great idea for your little one. Grated carrot was the first salad veg my salad-refuser accepted.

Ready meals, fine to be going on with!

And you can cook lots of things on the hob. Pasta, eggs, rice, stir fry, and…. Spaghetti bolognaise! Poach fish in some milk, nothing wrong with fish fingers fried in a tiny bit of oil. Boil and mash some spuds.

You could do

• beans on toast
• boiled egg on toast
• soup & bread
• get a toastie maker
• pasta and ready made sauce sauce
• pasta and Bolognese
• potato waffles in toaster

But otherwise ready meals are ok.

@Eekkeed do you work with any agencies or professionals that can make an application to Glasspool for a cooker. If they aren’t already a registered agent the sign up is quite straightforward

I have a little microwave steamer which might be cheaper for the plain carrots and peas.

What about a slow cooker? They’re really cheap (probably cheaper than a microwave) and you can just bung a load of stuff in it in the morning and forget about it

You do what you've got to do.

Personally, I have adult ADHD, and suffer a lot with decision fatigue. To combat that I have the same breakfast and lunch every day. I also have the same "on a theme" dinners at least 4 nights a week.
Tuesday night is McDonalds (I work late on a Tuesday, and grab a quick maccys in between 2 jobs).
Wednesday night is soup and toast (or "something on toast") because that's another working late night.
Thursday is curry night.
Friday is pizza.

If giving your kids ready meals for a few weeks eases your mental burden in the meantime. Just do it.

Give yourself a break Op. Sounds like you are doing way better than you think. Kids are fed, happy and healthy. Some good suggestions to keep costs down, as ready meals can be pricey. Hope you get cooker fixed/ replaced soon and get through current MH struggles.

OP you’re doing fine. I get my DD kids ready meals from Morrisons and M&S. The M&S one are her favourite and I look out for them when they are reduced and freeze them. She has them couple of times a week and usually egg/beans/cheese on toast 1-2 times a week.

Sounds like you’re doing a great job under the circumstances. Go easy on yourself.
I was also going to suggest an air fryer if it’s an option- I hardly use my oven now. They are easy to clean too.
One of my go-to easy dinners for the kids is stir fry. You can buy frozen stir fry veg and chicken that is already cut up and the straight to wok noodles, so there is minimal washing up.

Try and get the kids version of ready meals as much lower in salt.

Adult ready meals mostly very heavy in salt and easy to go over what kids should have

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/salt-nutrition/

I think I’m the short term it won’t be an issue a couple of times a week and PP have given some great ideas for quick nutritious teas. Personally I’m a big fan of the cold tea type meal. Salad veg, cubed cheese, slice of bread, chopped fruit and some ham etc with a yoghurt or something similar. Very little effort and reasonably balanced. No need for tea to be a cooked meal every night.

DD lives on the kids ones from M&S as she had issues with swallowing when younger and they're all soft with hidden veg, she gets a side of peas or broccoli stalks (weirdo won't eat the heads). She can eat other stuff now but loves those meals and eats at school so doesn't need anything huge in the evening.

You sound like you're doing a fab job feeding your kids a decent balanced diet. A lot of the time frozen and ready made food uses very fresh ingredients too.