The FastDay Forum

As I'm a real newbie to this I was hoping people would share their opinions on ready meals. I understand that this WOE is about health and wellbeing but do people cheat and grab a ready meal occasionally just for the simplicity of knowing the calculations are done for you? I have not eaten many ready meals in the past but they do seem like an obvious choice here.

So... What do you think? Are they evil and to be avoided at all cost or do some of you eat them regularly and still see health benefits and weight loss with this WOE???

Have just seen the massive number of threads on this subject - Sorry, should have checked first!!!

To my way of thinking anything that helps you stick to the plan is fine, I use ready meals occasionally M&S do a good range. So until you get your head round planning what to eat go for it!

I'm a newbie to the forum too but have been reading it for a while for the advice and support.

I think many ready meals are absolutely fine and as you say are a good way of being able to control the calorie count. Most supermarkets do a good, balanced, calorie controlled range. Particular favourites of mine are the M&S 'Count on Us' and 'Fuller for Longer' ranges.

An added benefit especially if you're busy or have children demanding pizza, etc. is that you don't have to spend ages preparing your own meal on a fast day.

Looking forward to an M&S fish pie (340 cal) to which I will add some roasted veg.

I can't remember the last time I had a ready meal, I never found them satisfying and so for me they'd be a risk for cravings on fast days. I prefer to put my meal together myself as I know what's going in it, and also I can bulk it out and get more for my calories. I have to admit though, I've heard a lot about the M&S fuller for longer (or something like that) range and I keep meaning to at least have a look but I always forget.

Besides the fresh chilled soups that keep for a couple of days, I generally avoid ready meals.

Ever wonder why that chicken stir-fry has a used by date 1 week into the future? You're better off cooking big batches of fresh meals every couple of days and sticking them in the fridge to reheat later rather than a diet of ready meals where the nutrition has to be added back in later. Weigh the food out yourself, don't be lazy. The 30 mins you wait for a meal to heat the oven could be spent preparing your own dinner from scratch.

Besides the fresh chilled soups that keep for a couple of days, I generally avoid ready meals.

Ever wonder why that chicken stir-fry has a used by date 1 week into the future? You're better off cooking big batches of fresh meals every couple of days and sticking them in the fridge to reheat later rather than a diet of ready meals where the nutrition has to be added back in later. Weigh the food out yourself, don't be lazy. The 30 mins you wait for a meal to heat the oven could be spent preparing your own dinner from scratch.

I think you're being a little harsh - many ready meals are actually very good quality (and healthy) as long as you choose the right ones.

I don't think it's lazy at all when many have perhaps had a very busy day at work coupled with children and simply don't always have time to either weigh out food or pre-prepare days in advance.

Whatever works for you should be the advice...

[carorees]

I just can't bring myself to pay so much for a small amount of food which often seems to contain a lot of cheap starch! I looked at the M&S Fuller longer range and saw a lot of potato/rice/noodles in the packet and thought "well that bit only costs a few pence and the rest isn't worth paying £3.50 for"! (can you tell I'm stingy with money?!) And the portion looked a lot smaller than my massive stir fried veg portions on a fast day!

But that's just me. Lots of people do find ready meals useful and if it helps get through the fast day then go for it!

As someone who has never really cooked and spent virtually my whole life eating ready meals, I find them a completely easy way to eat the right number of calories. However, I do agree with carorees about the price - especially in M&S, so I do shop around and will also buy them reduced and put them in the freezer.

I have about 1 ready meal per month. Much more to eat if you weight it all out but ready meals are handy to have around if no time to cook..agree with Caroline!

You have to read the ingredients as carorees said. Even before I started the 5:2 diet I was aware of the way they could be stuffed with cheap padding. I was just interested in the value for money in term of nutritious veg and meat, but it applies on fast days too where you don't want to waste calories.

I haven't bought any microwave meals for ages now but I still use the microwave dishes they came in and freeze my own meals. It is just as easy to cook a large meal and freeze what's left over (well, a bit more peeling on the day). I have fast days meals with their weight and calories marked on them, along with ordinary meals for normal days, or to keep the rest of the family happy on a fast day.

D_C

Besides the fresh chilled soups that keep for a couple of days, I generally avoid ready meals.

Ever wonder why that chicken stir-fry has a used by date 1 week into the future? You're better off cooking big batches of fresh meals every couple of days and sticking them in the fridge to reheat later rather than a diet of ready meals where the nutrition has to be added back in later. Weigh the food out yourself, don't be lazy. The 30 mins you wait for a meal to heat the oven could be spent preparing your own dinner from scratch.

I think you're being a little harsh - many ready meals are actually very good quality (and healthy) as long as you choose the right ones.

I don't think it's lazy at all when many have perhaps had a very busy day at work coupled with children and simply don't always have time to either weigh out food or pre-prepare days in advance.

Whatever works for you should be the advice...

I've yet to see one that doesn't bulk out the packs using starchy carbohydrates. And they're incredibly expensive to boot. How much effort you spend on cooking is what you make it. I could spend hours slaving away making some huge 3 course affair, but I generally work 10 hour days with a few hours of travel on top of that, so I have zero time in the evening.

Like yesterday: I bought a kilo bag of chicken fillets, stuck the lot on foil under a preheated grill with some cajun spices - about 30 seconds prep while I got them out out of the packet.

Set the timer for 10 minutes, boiled a kettle, peeled a bag of carrots, topped and tailed another pack of green beans, stuck them in the steamer - 5 mins max effort. Went off to do other things for the remaining 5.

Turned off the veg and set aside to cool. Turned chicken over for a further 10 mins while I went and folded some laundry.

Came back, put them in Tupperware and left to cool in a sink of cold water. Stuck in fridge.

6 or 7 minutes of actual effort. For 4 - 6 meals (depending on how hungry the husband is). And I probably spent a max of about £2 on each fresh home made meal.

And pizza for the kids? By some tortilla wrappers, grill one side for 30 seconds. Spread ungrilled side with tomato concentrate and sprinkle oregano. If they're fussy about the thickness of their bases, just get pizza bases in the Italian section.

You can buy mushrooms, ham and cheese all pre-grated/cut. stick on toppings, back under the grill for another 3 minutes. Pizzas are done and probably quicker than the shop bought ones - better yet, get the kids involved if they are old enough, get them to pick and put on their own toppings. It's what I do with my friends and cousin's kids when ever I babysit and they love it because it's their pizza.

And they're probably getting something with far less salt, fat and sugar than the frozen crap.

I did get a few of the m&s fuller for longer ones the other day, only because they were on 3 for 2 and I was working late. They are surprisingly tasty and low cal. I wont touch any of the other 'low fat' meals now but will prob use m&s occasionally!!

I don't buy ready meals when I'm watching what I'm eating.
And when I don't watch what I'm eating, I mainly buy "special" meals from the international weeks at the supermarket (Indian, Chinese, Mexican etc).
I also bring back M&S pies and pasties from Britain and freeze them for when I miss a taste of home.
My mum says that if she lived in England she'd never cook again. I'm the opposite. If I lived in England, I'd spent the first month eating crap, ready meals, Indian and pub food but then I'd probably couldn't stop cooking.

Anyway, IMO, once in a while it won't hurt to try something different. We all have foods that we like but are lazy or bored to cook them (we might not even know how to) so why not buy them ready for us? After all we do have meals out, we eat cakes, biscuits, stuffed pasta and all these are things that we could make ourselves as well, right?

Each to their own, but I never buy them. I think they are expensive, and are often full of preservatives. I completely agree with mresta about cooking from scratch being what you make of it. Batch cooking is a good way of putting in a little bit of effort in one go, but then knowing exactly what you're putting inside your body.