'Healthier' ready/easy meals

[popsickle555]

I have had a major Op and can't cook for another 2 weeks...before the Op I batch cooked and DH used all of that up week one...week two was a combination of donated meals from my parents and him knocking stuff together eg baked potato and stuff like that. At the weekend he cooked two proper meals but in the week he is just too busy with work and all the kids stuff (as I can't drive). He is already also making me lunch most days (although I can do simple stuff now so less of an issue).

I need some 'healthy ish' ready meals or easy to make meals. Can anyone help? Looked on Sainsburys but Charlie Bigham etc all so unhealthy! Once a week maybe but not every night.

I reckon next week if he leaves stuff out for me I could whack stuff in the slow cooker which will improve things but I can't do much at all for another 10 days or so. I can't bend down to the oven etc and I can't stand longer than 5-10 mins yet.

Any ideas?! We have two DC's who will eat what we eat but don't like spicy stuff much.

Eggs are a godsend. Omelettes or a potato cake with poached egg and veg are my default “oh god, can’t possibly cook” meals. So are easy things like beans on toast.

Also puttanesca (15 minutes tops) and stir fry with noodles and prawns (10 minutes).

Pesto pasta with some pre cooked chicken in
microwave veg, chicken breast
tuna pasta made with a jar
prechopped stir fry

Speedy recovery op x

That sounds tough, op. I think I'd be ordering a whole bunch of meals from Cook until you are over the worst of it.

Chicken tray bake is good. Just chuck in chicken thighs/legs and add quite small cubes of potatoes and carrots and some salt, pepper and garlic powder and dried herbs and a bit of olive oil
You could add sliced peppers, onions, tinned tomatoes or beans also. Soy sauce or buillion/stock cube works if you don't like salt.

You can just leave that to cook for two hours on gas mark 6 and then you can freeze leftovers or they last 3 days in fridge.

Stockedfood.com might be worth a look. Basically frozen blocks of batched cooked meals - add your own rice etc.

cookfood.net?

Mindful Chef have some lovely healthy meals! They are mainly a recipe box company but they do ready meals too. I have a referral discount code you're welcome to use (if it works on ready meal only orders):

https://www.mindfulchef.com/ref-295139

I think I might order a few from Cook. Ironically DH hates Cook meals (don't know why)!! But has no actual time to cook 😂

Lots of supermarkets do pre prepped vegetables, id grab a good few bags of those, some pre chopped chicken / mince / salmon fillets if you're meat eaters and some easy carbs like boil in the bag rice.

With a few seasoning packets you could have a taco rice bowl / burrito bowl / chicken fajita night / salmon noodle bowl, all of which have pre prepped / pre cut ingredients and can be cooked in 15-20 minutes max.

How old are the DC? They might even be able to cook!

Yes this will work. DD is 13 and can cook but she is never home until 6.30pm at the moment so all a bit much for her with homework etc and of course she's starving as soon as she arrives home! Other DC is 9 so can be helpful but can't cook without help.

Thanks, feel a bit stupid to have not thought of pre prepared veg and such! I cook everything from scratch and it's made me realise tbh how much effort I put in...feels frankly exciting to buy a bag of pre chopped carrots 😂. But needs must!

Can he get to a large supermarket? In the vegetable section they have chilled stew mixes and chilli mixes - try buying belly pork, stew mix and a can of cider - cut up the pork with scissors for ease, brown, throw in veg, add garlic (buy chopped garlic for ease) sage, thyme and the can of cider plus a couple of stock cubes, cook 1 hour.

Asda had shepherds pie mince ready down, buy frozen mash and it's almost a homemade meal with no hassle.

Another easy option is buy the chopped Mediterranean veg, the chopped butternut squash, bag of baby pearl potatoes and chicken pieces, put all into a tray with a sprinkling of Cajun seasoning mix and bake for 50 minutes, spoon over honey, some easy garlic and cook 5 more minutes.

Get the ready meals, it's not the end of the world for a couple of weeks.

I am getting some, just don't want every night is all. Trying not to put on a stone whilst recovering....

You could get hubby to pick up a rotisserie chicken which could be served in pitas or wraps with ready chopped salad and garlic mayo one day, then shredded and added to microwave egg fried rice with a handful of peas and sweetcorn stired through the next.

Presumably you can't drain pasta?

Ready cooked mash from any supermarket (I mean the proper fresh stuff which is just potato, butter and salt), fishcakes and peas.

Ready prepped bag of stir-fry veg, soy sauce/bought sauce, bag of prawns, straight-to-wok noodles.

Rotisserie chicken, bagged salad, tomatoes, new potatoes.

Field Doctor is a ready meal subscription service that deliver frozen healthy meals to your door. I find them quite tasty and am relying on them having just brought home newborn

Slow cooker meals - Bored of Lunch (6 ingredients ) cookery book has changed my life! And don't bother with browning meat, just chuck it all in slow cooker and turn on

There was a batch cooking programme on earlier in the week that used quite a lot of frozen veg and things in one pot which might be worth looking at. I think it was channel 4 on Monday evening. They did a chicken spanish stew which looked good.
Bag of ready chopped stir fry veg, cooked prawns/ chicken / tofu chunks and microwave rice or noodles takes no prep and just add some garlic, chilli and soy sauce to the veg.
Have you got an airfryer? If so you could microwave jacket potatoes then crisp them up in it.

Shakshuka might be manageable if you used ready chopped onions and lazy garlic. Basically once you have browned your onions, chuck in peppers (could use frozen ready sliced) a bit of lazy garlic, cumin and a couple of tins of tomatoes, then you can just turn the heat down to the lowest and leave to do its thing. Then crack your eggs in just before serving. I think you could do it in less than 10 mins standing/hands on time.

Wiltshire Farm Foods might be an option, they seem to be healthier than most.