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.

Sometimes at the weekend in place of a take away (which we can no longer afford).

Food isn't available on prescription where I live now (is it anywhere?).
Only one of us is GF (2 if my mum is staying, but that's not often). So I never cook GF for all of us, as we all eat differently, but I've never seen family sized GF ready meals.
It's hardly traumatic to cook GF (eating out is another matter), DD has ready meals or I will make GF Yorkshire pudding (probably the only thing I won't buy ready made.) with some kind of filling. She has buckwheat pancakes or socca and adds a filling. Salads, sushi, meat spuds and veg. I'm not sure how it's difficult to cook GF tbh and that's coming from someone who despises cooking.

And celiac is an acceptable spelling. Normally not the UK version, but fine, no need to point it out to the pp.

Very occasionally, but I don’t really like them & we’re trying to eat as healthy as possible. They tend to be high in salt & fat, so I prefer to avoid them.

The word “class” is a word that appears in the Oxford English Dictionary. Did you want to take it up with them please. Just because it offends you doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I have no desire to stop using it just as you have chosen to remain on the thread despite the offence you have taken.

If I thought you were sincere I’d gladly share my recipes. Try BBC good food, the batch lady and Becky Excell “gluten free cup of tea” who I just love.

I often add an 'easy cooking' item in my weekly trolley, but never the typical version in plastic.
We either eat a Charlie Bigham or some sort of quiche/frozen paella. Let's say on average 3 times a month.

I've never actally eaten a ready meal. Tinned /chilled soup, fish fingers or a chilled oven ready pizza yes, but I have never had one of those pre preared meals you get on a tray.

Mainly because whenever I look at them - usually at the end of a busy week when I am wantering round M&S for something nice and easy to cook, they always look pretty expensive and unappetising - I would rather pick up chips.

I also have never owned a microwave so I am not sure how I would heat them up.

Food isn't available on prescription where I live now (is it anywhere?).

It is here. A friend whose child is allergic to gluten has his food on prescription. They have a cupboard full.

@SusannaQ i think prescription boxes are a post code lottery. I stopped claiming mine but don’t think they’re available in my area anymore.

No! A lot of ready meals contain things that are not "food".

I love canned beans and occasionally eat Ramen (about once a month. Sometimes twice, I guess).

The local supermarket also has fresh lunch/dinner meals that are basically precooked. I just need to heat them up on the stove.

Lol, this. Findus crispy pancakes, birds trifle, those stinky sandwich spreads in little jars 🤢

Never.

I think this is true and the UPF issue isn’t just ready meals. It’s everything from takeaway burgers and pizzas to frozen foods, flavoured mayonnaises, packet sauces and supermarket bread. It’s biscuits and cakes and stock cubes and squash. It’s ‘spreadable butter’ and margarine, pre-grated cheese and 0% yoghurts. It’s syrup in coffee and soft-scoop ice cream. It’s instant coffee and breakfast cereal, and it’s Alpen and Marmite.

Ready meals are just a fraction of the picture.

Very rarely tbh and never when kids were growing up. I was very lucky that I could work part time and so always did a home cooked meal for dinner. H worked shifts so did the cooking during holidays.

As a singleton now, I can't justify the expense v nutritional value of microwave/oven ready meals much as I would love to! Generally make an omelette or pasta or use up chilli/bolognaise from batch cooking.

Charlie Bigham's doing well advertising-wise out of this thread 😆

*Fresh lunch/dinner meals:

They are usually full of veggies, some contain (still crunchy, IDK how!) Salads.

Should be made on the same day or the next. Don't keep any longer.

It is available but, you have to have had a 'biopsy' from the stomach to confirm that you have coeliac disease.

I live in London and bread etc is available on prescription if you have had the above.

No, never, but then I always cook from scratch and live in Europe, where there is no culture if ready meals.

I've never 'eard of him but will Google anon.

I also pay for my prescriptions but, i do that as a yearly cost of £110.00 which brings it down.

Never.

As a veggie they are almost all pasta based and I can make a quick pasta dish in much the same time as it would take to microwave a couple of ready meals.

Having said that I probably wouldn't buy them anyway.

Where do you think UK is?

Has anyone mentioned Allplants frozen ready meals yet? As the name suggest they are just literally all plants. No shit in them at all and they taste good and are decent portions. Not cheap but zero food waste when I eat them ( which is a lot, plus other ready meals….I do not cook!)

Never. I prefer cooking.

@Merryoldgoat .
I just get so excited when I find things that are inclusive :)