Slimming World Ready Meals - tasteless!

[tiredandabitfat]

Hello,

Hoping to lose some weight and have started SW.

Not intending to follow religiously, and I know a lot of people criticise SW, but I've lost a few pounds following the general ethos.

ANYWAY! I've got the recipe books etc, some look delicious.

I also stocked up on some of the ready meals from Iceland, for a quick dinner when I'm pushed for time.

I haven't enjoyed any of them

They sound great, they look great. There is just something to bland about them.

Have just tried the baked chicken fajita lunch bowl thing - couldn't even get halfway through, just so tasteless.

Anybody else felt the same?

As way of motivation, in case anybody is interested, I am 5 foot 7, and was 12 stone 7.

I got down to 12 stone 1 loosely following SW (mainly cutting out bread and cooking oils etc). Have had a manic few weeks away with work and having to just eat whatever I could find really....I know I have put some of that weight back on but can't face thr scales...trying to just get back on it.

They are all really bland, I boost them with stuff like chopped chives, paprika, hot sauce etc before blitzing in the microwave.

Basically use any seasonings you like that don't add extra calories.

If you're having meal replacement milkshakes then you can do things like heat them so they turn into hot chocolate, or ice and blend it to a frappe, or if using a powder mix add less water and whisk it up so it turns into a mousse rather than a shake.

The last bag of slimming world chips actually tasted sugary. Very hit and miss with the meals. I try not to have much reliance on them.

I got throw fits, for a time I liked the salt & pepper chicken with a portion of the chips and now I rate the tomato pasta sauce, cook up portion of own pasta and have that with the longstem broccoli.

I have done the recipe from the latest magazine - salt & pepper homecooked chips where you can add in fried peppers and onions and whatever else you might like.

Its the lack of fat that makes them tasteless, fat and oil act like a taste carrier, part of the reason they are so delicious. I suppose to appeal to the most people Slimming World can't make them too strong a flavour. I think you have to look at the ready meals and use them as a base for flavours you really like, and don't add any (or few) syns. In this case your spice rack is your friend, also tasty veg like peppers, or butternut squash to roast, and get bags of frozen to have handy.

Also when you have more time, and are making yourself a nice meal, why not double it up and freeze portions. That way you have your own home made ready meals for when it gets manic again.

There's loads of other food you can have that's quick, they've never appealed to me to be honest. I find it best to double cook and freeze portions.

Never bothered with the ready meals but I really enjoy the recipes from the Slimming World magazine and books. The Peri peri chicken one is amazing and tonight we had the easiest risotto, basically put the ingredients in a tray and bang it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Like @MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I double up on quantities and freeze them so I build up a stash of ready meals in my own freezer.

Try the naked beef burrito lunch bowl. I tend to agree with you but this one's really tasty

I liked the Singapore noodles. Burger pasta and curry sauce. Rest of them I tried I had to add flavour.

my go to meal that’s quick is eggs based. Omelette or scrambled eggs and bacon.

or I batch cook. Easy to heat up

I like the carbonara but you have to use a healthy extra for that.

I remember having a couple of their cereal bars one morning and they upset my stomach. Christ knows what’s actually in them. Found most of the meals bloody awful. Hence why I’m still fat.

That's the sweetner!

Does it have to be Slimming World? I had Tesco Calorie Counted and some of those aren't bad at all. When you're hungry, I'd go as far as to say they're good.

Weight Watchers cottage pie was terrible though. I ended up batch cooking my own.

I only buy the oven chips now. It's as quick to cook an omelette as it Ito microwave a frozen meal and I can't finish the meals as they are so vile.

I'm sorry but I just can't square the 'I'm trying to lose weight' with 'I've brought ready meals'. Ultra process food will contribute to weight gain, regardless of who makes it. You're best to stick to actual proper food. There are loads of quick dinner options, so I don't think time is an excuse here

*processed

I would look at what ready meals you can find that are equivalent in calories and macros and go with that. Slimming world ready meals are not special, yes if your doing slimming world they will say to use them but any ready meal aimed at dieting will work the same. I would look at the Weight watchers meals, or any of the supermarket meals aimed at low calorie/healthy/balanced.