Do you eat ready meals regularly?

[RedRosette2023]

Following from another thread - I heard a statistic the other day that said up to 90% of people regularly consume ready meals. As in, in a plastic container and from the microwave or oven.

I sense that MN is quite middle class so likely not representative of the whole of the country. But I was surprised by that statistic.

I genuinely can’t remember the last time I ate a ready meal. I occasionally gave eldest DC an Ella tray when they were weaning, a meal I could keep in my changing bag and have handy in case we were out over tea time. My youngest refused any pouches etc so he has never had one. He’s always just eaten what we’ve eaten and taught me baby food is totally unnecessary, albeit convenient at times.

I am coeliac so it’s possible my habits have been formed due to necessity - I would struggle to pick up a ready meal I can eat with ease. M&S do some and I think GF ones slightly more available now but I just don’t buy them.

I’m also not a SAHM Mum, I work a pressured job four days, my DH works away mostly during the week, I use hello fresh etc 3-4 days. But I always find time for a meal. My ready meal is something batch cooked out the freezer.

No judgment - just genuinely interested.

Never.

Never. I might buy my family the odd ready made cottage pie or lasagne but that’s only a few times a year and only if we’re in a huge rush .

Very rarely, I may get a lasagne but I can only think of once in the past year I've done that. However we probably have a frozen meal around weekly, something like fish fingers or nuggets and peas or beans with frozen potato.

Only if I can't be bothered to cook.

Everyone even vaguely interested in this subject should read that new Ultra Processed People book. It’s fascinating and utterly terrifying. Some of the stuff that’s in those things, and what it does to the body, is grotesque.

Never.

Never. Sometimes an oven pizza, which is kind of a ready meal.

No, I don't, am more likely to have an omelette/ rice and beans/ sandwich in a pinch. I work in care though (in people's homes) and they very often rely on ready meals, understandably I think.

I have quite a few slimming world meals in the freezer. They're tasty, filling and I don't have to deal with the portion control battle which I've always struggled with (eg I won't eat all day then my dinner plate, it overfloweth) Will usually have a side salad with it or a steambag of veg. I have one maybe once per week, when the kids are having something 'kiddy' and DP is working late. Of course I prefer and do cook from scratch 80% of the time, but sometimes it's nice to hit a button and have a hot meal in 7 minutes 🙌🏻

Not all ready meals are cheap microwave meals though.

I would class anything premade as a ready meal really, so a premade family size fish pie is still a ready meal.

Generally we will have something like a fish pie, lasagne or a charlie bingham curry about 2 times a week.

I’ve been reading, that’s actually where this statistic came from it’s at chapter 10 also listened to their podcasts. Absolutely fascinating. I didn’t eat much UPF anyway, but it’s made me really think about what I do eat and am giving DC. I don’t want to derail though as the other thread is about that.

never. PIL live on them so we always have something from cook etc at theirs. I think they are massively overrated and in NO way like cooking from scratch. they are also hideously expensive.

No, they’re not all cheap microwave meals. But i would still say they’re a ready meal. They’re either purchased ready to heat and eat or purchased with raw ingredients/a number of pre-made but yet to be assembled ingredients.

I have no idea what Charlie Bingham meals are, but I don’t eat those either and they still fall under that category.

If we have a fish pie I’ll have made it.

I've never had the tray kind, and my DC have never had packaged baby food. However I do have frozen pizzas, fish fingers, oven chips etc. I also use microwaveable rice pouches sometimes. So there's no moral high ground tbh 😆 I love cooking and I do my best wrt batch cooking and coming up with quick recipes etc, but I work full time too so in my opinion there are days when one has to accept reality!

Rarely, I pick up the odd one on my way to work to have at lunch if it is going to be a very busy or long day and I want something warm.

No yuck. My kids do like pot noodles though

We often do fresh vegetables but then stick some "ready" stuff - like fish in breadcrumbs or burgers along with some kind of prepped potato - in the oven. I'm not sure if that counts or not.

I do keep microwave rice in (I wouldn’t say that’s a ready meal). I hate the environmental impact but my batch freezer meals tend to be curry, chilli, chicken and occasionally a microwave rice is needed.

I’m not judging, was just genuinely surprised that the vast majority are eating ready meals.

I have them once or twice a week. I hate cooking.

Very rare. I rather cook.

Factoring in the the calories, fats, sugars, salt, and ingredients, it’s not worth it. I can make the same food with similar ingredients and it comes out better tasting and more fulfilling than buying one nor does it take me particularly long to cook. I also have leftovers that I can eat later.

I struggle to understand why they’re so calorific and fattening when they are practically tasteless.

Where are the family size lasagne and fish pies from? Like the big supermarket ones?

Most nights tbh

Microwave rice isn't processed at all, it is literally just rice

I eat microwavable soup if that counts? But other than that I don't buy ready meals, mainly because I'm vegetarian and the veggie options are usually pretty grim! I ate a microwaved lasagne at my friend's house recently when she invited me over for dinner, and despite it being from the more expensive range, it was nasty as anything. The sauce was like a gelatinous goo. Also I'm not middle class by any stretch of the imagination.

Never, but I am a foreigner and wasn't brought up on them. V occasionally eat instant ramen. If I am pushed for time, I just make scrambled eggs.