Best supplier of ready meals.

After my dad died, my mum didn't cook meals for herself. Occasionally she'd do something like scrambled egg for lunch and she baked cakes for us all. She had Sunday lunch with us.

Instead, each evening she had a tea plate full of salad type food and another with a mixture of fresh fruit. She had a slice of wholemeal bread with each. It was healthy, easy to prepare and she really enjoyed it.

Maybe something like that would be an alternative to a cooked meal sometimes for you.

Thanks again for all your comments - and I can now say that I’ve eaten three different WF meals (and one of their rice puds).
They do remind me a bit of school dinners!
They do feel more nutritious than supermarket ready meals and seem to have more veg. They are super easy to cook/heat up and the size is about right for me. As most of them are designed for the microwave I don’t have to worry about the cost of heating the oven. I will probably get fed up with them at some point but for now they are quite acceptable!

A friend said that the greatest incentive to her recovery after being discharged from hospital, were the Wiltshire Farm Foods arranged by Social Services. She found them unpalatable, to put it mildly - and that is all S1ocial Services would organise.

Admittedly, this was before supermarket shopping online was introduced and now with so much competition from other specialist suppliers, WFFs may well have upped their game.

M&S or Waitrose.
My 92yr old aunt had the Wiltshire Farm Foods and said they were ok. To be fair, she wasn’t the best cook herself, when younger 😊. I tried them occasionally when visiting and thought they were pretty tasteless.

It sounds like it’s been a very tough time for you. I hope you feel better soon.

MawtheMerrier

My one reservation about ready meals or “ping cuisine” as some people say, is the inherent possible health danger of highly processed food. such as frozen or premade meals, including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. You might like to read or listen to this

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

They have their place, I think, and many claim to have reduced the salt content of their meals. Some have also reduced the sizes!

I suppose, like most things, you get what you pay for although I think M&S ready meals are not as good quality as they used to be.

Even with ready meals, it's easy to add extra vegetables as they can be popty pinged too.

Blondiescot

MawtheMerrier

My one reservation about ready meals or “ping cuisine” as some people say, is the inherent possible health danger of highly processed food. such as frozen or premade meals, including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. You might like to read or listen to this

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

We've all got to die of something eventually. At 90 and 95, I'm not too sure my in-laws would be bothered about any possible health dangers.

Blondiescot
Our aunt was not allowed salt in or on her meals by the Consultant when having a short stay in hospital because it was bad for her.
She was 99.
Perhaps if she hadn't had so much salt and cream she might have lived another two months and made 100.

MawtheMerrier

My one reservation about ready meals or “ping cuisine” as some people say, is the inherent possible health danger of highly processed food. such as frozen or premade meals, including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. You might like to read or listen to this

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

We've all got to die of something eventually. At 90 and 95, I'm not too sure my in-laws would be bothered about any possible health dangers.

Around here, it's definitely 'Cook' - as their frozen meals actually taste home made! I'd usually avoid bland ready meals altogether, as I'd rather have a salad, jacket potato - or beans on toast, any day. For variety, or to tempt the appetite, though, try Cook!

My one reservation about ready meals or “ping cuisine” as some people say, is the inherent possible health danger of highly processed food. such as frozen or premade meals, including frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. You might like to read or listen to this

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

Having said that, we don’t use many ready meals, it’s mainly their curries which I buy sometimes for a stay in Saturday night.

Best ready meals: Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

We recently had a three course meal with friends that was entirely Cook, and I was very impressed with the quality. Have browsed the website and yes they can be a bit expensive, but I wouldn't plan on 3 courses on a regular basis. An aunt had the WFF meals and enjoyed them while she had an appetite, but in her last weeks just pushed the food around her plate. I don't think there was any food that could tempt her, she even stopped her daily tipple. I've found some M&S I like, some Sainsbury's I like and some Waitrose that I like, but I mostly cook from scratch so these are never every day. Nice to have an effortless meal available though so I'm going to splash out on some Cook ones for the freezer

Taste the best Sainsburys or M n S. I like stuff like Thai food and don't think my tastes will change, is it a generational thing?

GrammaH

"Cook" meals are absolutely delicious. They're available online or from their own shops in some towns, Cirencester & Stamford for example. Our local Co Ops have also started selling them recently so that's probably a nationwide thing now. Excellent quality, lots of different options, tasty puddings as well as mains and starters. I have been known to serve one of their family sized meals to guests....sssh!

I think our local farm shop at a garden centre sells frozen Cook meals.
We haven't tried any yet but may well do some time soon.

No thoughts on meals sorry - but hoping you are ok and wishing you a better New Year xxx

Last time we got a Charlie Bigham fish pie there was hardly any fish of any sort in it. I.think we each detected a prawn though.

I regularly use Parsley Box as they require NO refrigeration and stay fresh for many months, I also cook occasionally but the ready meals are quick and easy. The ones from Parsley Box are just stored in a cupboard, pop them in a microwave for a couple of minutes and you have a tasty meal for three or four pounds, I've tried others but always go back to Parsley Box because of their long shelf life and great taste.

Hi is there anyway you could get anyone to batch cook for you ? Healthy meals put them in the freezer, take one out when you want one

I have deliveries from Dishpatch, Michel Roux meals. They are quite expensive but the quality is Michelin star standard. Perhaps more special occasion than everyday meals though.

Tried WFF for my mother. She hated them (she was v fussy) I was surprised to find they worked out more expensive than M&S small ready meals, which she mainly liked.
She’s gone beyond ready meals now and hardly eats anything at all now just surviving only on cups of tea.
The Cook range sounds good. Will bear in my mind for when I reach the “ready meal stage”.

Just adding air fryer is marvellous rather than oven if cooking from scratch Iv got 3 trays in mineso can cook the whole meal with ease for two days I got it from the kettle & toaster website it came in battered box may have a blemish on but great and half priced goods!

agree found parsley box pretty tasteless, even the grandkids would not eat them and they usually demolish anything thats food!!

"COOK" without a doubt, you pay for the privilege but they definitely are the best - home cooked, properly !

Further down the line M&S, and Waitrose, steer clear of most of the others!!

Have been Home Instead care giver for ages and Wiltshire farm are popular say they are well balanced meals, lots of choices, can cook from frozen so no need to plan and are thin in size not bulky so good storage
Oak house was the other are they still available ? and Marks yes, more expensive than other supermarkets but is nice food ! Gut feeling to read packaging the cheaper supermarket bargains can be more unhealthy salt & sugar etc

My Mum was a very fussy eater and also a vegetarian. She really enjoyed the Wiltshire Farm frozen meals which she just microwaved. I used to place the orders, they’d deliver and even put them in her freezer. I felt it was such a good service.