to think good quality ready meals are quite healthy?

[Onlywayisupmaybe]

My diet is pretty bad generally so I’m trying to change to have regular meals as a first step.

Am I deluding myself to think that ready meals from M&S healthy ranges (eat well and count on me) are quite healthy or do they count as UPF?

I don’t have the motivation to cook from scratch so any tips on easier options which are reasonably healthy would be appreciated.

My neighbours get Wiltshire farm delivered we are way outside London .

Most of Wiltshire Farm Foods are horrid. In their favour, they are made of real food - but the flavour & texture are 'institutional' and I think the portion sizes are small. They sell hard to old people because they think we don't know how to order from supermarkets and our taste buds are shot to pieces 😅

Is it not nice that's a Shame they always look fine in the adverts . My poor neighbour their family organised it so it was easy for the carers.

My mother had Wiltshire farm foods meals during the Covid lockdown. They were useful at the time but she can’t face them anymore and said they all taste the same after a while.

Yes, it is a pity, @Mrsjayy! They're getting fed, which is the main thing - but they cost the same as Cook, M&S, etc.

I can guarantee that you won't find "Lentil Protein Preparation" (Water, Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Lentil Protein, Sugar, Modified Potato Starch, Stabiliser: E461, Emulsifier: E435, Acidity Regulator: E331, Flavourings, Salt, Stabiliser: Xanthan Gum, Colour: Carotenes) classed as "normal ingredients" by most people.

What's wrong with using whole unprocessed lentils?

Taken from the M&S meal linked above

I wonder If they taste a bit "hospital food" ?

When I was struggling to eat I found pots of hummus with veg sticks or breadsticks a quick and easy way to get some calories in me, OP, if you need some extra ideas alongside the meals.

They are not the worse but be careful of heating plastic, I was advised by a dietician to take the food out of plastic and heat up on normal plate. Heated plastic can effect hormones.

For the length of time you need to microwave some of these ready meals you can have a super healthy stir fry.

You could buy ready prepped veg, a packet of sauce and some chicken strips/ prawns /beef and stir fry. 9 min start to finish.

I like to do prawns with stir fry veg and make my own sauce with lemon or lime juice, olive oil and cumin. Stir in some soft noodles and enjoy. Alternatively eat with crusty bread.

Or as pp, air fryer.

Ready meals are a good first step to regular meals in the first instance though. Especially if you’ve not been eating regular meals. Baby steps.
Nutritionally, check the ingredients for salt/ sugar / preservatives and saturated/ trans fats.

My only comment would be to be wary of things labelled "healthy" is often it's misleading. A meal might be low fat, but will be higher in sugar and salt to make up for the lost flavour.

Other than OP, I would focus on meals you enjoy.

Agree with others who have said fed is best for you right now OP.
Fwiw I've found 'gym kitchen' meals pretty good (i think they're available from most major supermarkets) They advertise themselves as high protein so a bit faddy, but they usually have a decent bit of meat, grains and veg. The ingredients list isn't bad and I find them more satisfying than the more traditional ready meals like pasta dishes which seem to be 90% sauce/mush!

Use the Yuka app and scan the bar code. It will tell you everything. I love it.

For now, @Onlywayisupmaybe - just eat your ready meals, and try not to worry. If you can add some vegetables and/or salad, so much the better.

When you feel ready, try my easy massive salad strategy:

• assembly a large bowl of salady stuff and refrigerate: cabbage, chickpeas, black beans, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc
• add salad leaves when you are ready to eat
• dressing of lemon juice, white wine vinegar, EVOO, salt, pepper, chili flakes
• some parsley, mint or basil (optional) - make a pint and keep in a jar or bottle
• add canned tuna or boiled eggs or left over chicken etc.
• when ready to eat, assemble, put on your favourite music, and enjoy.

Another fan of the Yuka app here. The least processed foods aren't always the ones you'd think.

I spend many happy hours scanning my way through the stock in my local supermarket stock and am now on 'good morning' terms with the security guard who caught me scanning my way through their entire stock of breakfast cereals!

Healthy meals and social interaction. Win, win.

Good to know Wiltshire Farm isn’t good - I haven’t tried it myself (so shouldn’t have recommended, really) but had thought of getting it

Hi OP, I can really empathise with you as I have lost a lot of weight (medical condition) & I have no appetite. I’ve also started to become quite anxious about what to eat each day as I never know what I will feel like & I often feel simultaneously a bit sick but have an empty stomach. Anyway I used to eat very healthily but I have decided to just eat whatever I can to get the calories in to my body. I don’t have the energy for meal planning/ cooking at the mo so ready meals are often a good bet. The Charlie Bigham ones are good (though expensive as pp said) or I like some of the M&S pasta ones. Or there’s the ready made pizzas, filled pasta, quiches etc. Ready meals have come a long way in recent years! But sometimes I do have a pot noodle/ some super noodles or anything I know I can stomach! I feel for you as it’s bloody awful. Good luck OP.

Try cook food

Also would second how lovely your post was @HelloMyNameIsElderSmurf & some of the other really understanding posts on here.

Oh you're well behind the curve mate, first it was cereal (shit in a box), then it was salt (salty shit in a box), now it's UPF (processed shit in boxes) that's going to kill us.

Thank you @Sleepismyfavourite and others, you can see I'm starting to lose my cool a little bit now. I wish people would RTFT... this isn't a straightforward situation and the most important thing is that OP eats something...

I have eaten ready meals - mostly Indian, Paella or Chinese. I do worry about the heating up / cooking in plastic trays and wonder if plastic is leaching into the food.

"People being frightened to eat bog standard bread, or things in tins"

I make bread. That's bog standard. Flour. Water, yeast, salt.
Cheap loaves often have up to 20 ingredients, they are definitely not bog standard.
Lots of tinned stuff is fine; it's a way of preserving unprocessed foods as well as a vehicle for UPF.

Sweet cherry tomatoes, small cubes of raw carrot and chopped baby cucumbers in a bowl in the fridge can be a really easy way to get some fresh, raw goodness on board. The sweetness of tomatoes can also be good at stimulating your taste buds. Alternate with chopped melon, strawberries, blueberries and grapes. No cooking required. Hope you find some useful tips on the thread.

Always have extra vegetables.