Ready meal suggestions

[jknight]

Thanks for all your suggestions, there is a lot of useful info which will really help me look for the right stuff ont he packets.

Cooking extra portions for mum just wouldn't be practical, I work part time, there are 4 of us to cook for, normally fitted in in a rush between both kids activities and neither my or OH's brain would cope with that, I don't have much spare freezer space and no spare fridge space the day my on line shop is delivered, so I can't add mum's meals to this easily either.

Mum is in sheltered extra care, so I need to find out if someone will help a delivery driver if he turns up when reception is open, as mum wouldn't know how to buzz him through downstairs doors (she can't hear the phone, and isn't even aware of this option) as then deliveries of either Oakwood or Wiltshire might be options. I've checked out Oakwood and again their local delivery day is a day I work.

I will have a look at the supermarket ones suggested, I didn't want to try a supermarket one that no one had said was OK, as I won't be there when she is eating them I am not sure I will get any feedback, although the carers are all well known to my mum and really like her.

Mum is about 12 mins or so from me, and I can drive past either Morrisons or Asda & Aldi on the way. M & S and Sainsbury's are a few minutes out of my way, but only doable at non holiday times as the traffic even on a week day is manic for teh whole of November and December (by Cheshire Oaks outlet village).

I didn't realise some had to be defrosted before cooking if frozen, and I know the senior organising it asked that the meals take no longer than 11 mins to cook from frozen, the carers will pick one and cook it I guess. Mum makes her own tea and coffee during the day, not sure she'd want a drink with a meal.

She does eat in the on site bistro for lunch, and I know often has salad, so maybe is getting some veg. I did leave fruit and veg in fridge when she first moved in, and she never ate it so I stopped buying it, but I did notice the meals I bought didn't have a lot of veg, which was what prompted my question really. She will eat anything except spicy if put in front of her and always used to eat lots and lots of veg. I have introduced evening meal as I felt she would accept it now, and there was space to include it in the increased care package, I don't think she has been eating much after lunch alot of days, but other days she has(sweet food).

She either binges sweet food or doesn't eat any, but she knows where the cakes are because she gets her breakfast out every day.

The carer I saw when she had her first meal call suggested soup, so I will get a few other tins in as suggested of pasta etc.

I only get there once a week normally and sometimes I miss a visit so need to have a fortnights food in place in reality, which rules out fresh food to some extent.

Do you trust your mum to heat them properly? My first major alarm call was when mum was eating microwave porridge, raw with cold milk. I had been buying mum microwave meals that just needed veg adding. Mum hasn't touched veg for a few years and the microwave was set to 'defrost'! That's when I organised meals on wheels. (And that is a whole other story!)

 

[jknight]

OP has carers in to prep meals.

I wasn't doubting your care. So sorry if you thought I was x

 

[Georgina63]

Meals on Wheels\Community Meals

Hi, sorry if this has been suggested already, but is meals on wheels\comminity meals an option? We had meals delivered (at lunchtime as the only option) but they proved successful. Prior to that M&S or Waitrose ready meals both good. Also tried Wiltshire. Gx

 

[jknight]

Meals on wheels are great. Nice food served piping hot (from apetito, round here) my mum makes herself, and eats, a sandwich, before the meal arrives, then leaves the veg (never leaves pudding) I have left notes, to no avail. Her diet is awful & she is gaining weight rapidly. I guess, at 86, I should be glad she is eating!

 

[jugglingmum]

Thanks for all info

As stated at the start she is in sheltered extra care, so there are a team of carers on site who will be heating the food up, this is for evening meals as she eats in the canteen at lunch time, but often salad, but often isn't eating again in the evening, even the biscuits and cakes I leave for her.

I did end up using Morrison's last Sunday (thought Asda was open until 5 but it wasn't) so I picked up some WW meals as long dated, which I knew thanks to this thread.

I am going to see if I can get smaller meals in Sainsbury's now.

The carers are the same team as mum knows well (one big plus about this extra care facility).

I really don't think trying to get anything delivered will work very well so I am going to try the smaller meals.

Haven't got to M & S yet to look at what they've got. Will look next week.

No tesco near me, so not really an option, Asda, M & S, Sainsbury's Morrison's, Aldi are all within about a mile or so and sort of on way to mum's so given those have been mentioned I will muddle through with those. Just another job to add to my list - so thanks for all your help as it has helped.

 

[arielsmelody]

I haven't tried them because they didn't come until my children were past that age, but if you want smaller portions you could try some of the ready meals for toddlers. I've started buying the ordinary Sainsbury's fresh ready meals (which I usually freeze) and they've been fine. I think the supermarkets have picked up their game with food like that in recent years.

 

[Spamar]

Just a word of warning re ready meals. I can eat them, but if I have too many, they affect my gut, causing pain etc, I won't go into details. The last date ones are worse than the fresher ones. So it toilet habits change, just change the diet for a while!
Too many is more than 2 a week, for me!

 

[Dave66]

Hi

Having worked in the ready meal manufacturing business for the last 10 years, producing products for all the major retailers, I wouldn't recommend these products to anyone. They're "cheap" to buy for a very good reason, value for money, not really.

If you want real value for money and nutrition, buy a pack of mince add some diced carrot, swede, parsnip, peas and bingo, you probably have 3 or 4 separate meals to freeze from about 500g of mince and you know what has gone into them!!

You can do the same with liver, sausages, chicken thighs, turkey, use some Coleman's or So Juicy mixes for variety and you could probably produce 2 weeks of home made "ready meals" for under £25!

I would suggest buying mixed frozen vegetables, which are just as nutritious as fresh veg, whatever that really means in supermarket terms is anyone's guess. These can be used as a side or to add to the main meal for a change.

Buy some spud and turn the mince into a cottage pie, add some sliced potato and you've created a sausage or chicken hot pot.

Whichever road you go down, I wish you luck and happy and healthy eating to your Mum.

 

[jugglingmum]

Thanks for your suggestions.

If you read my post I do cook everything for myself and my family from scratch, and never use bought sauces due to added sugar and salt, however as a working mum (I leave for work at 8 and back at 6 on the days I work) of 2 sporty children I simply do not have the time or the fridge/freezer space (kitchen about to be ripped out as well) to cook extra portions for mum.

Given that mum's money will likely end up paying for a care home further down the line I think paying for ready meals which may well delay her moving to care home is value for money.