Thread: Free/Low syn ready prepared meals

Hi I was hoping you could all throw some ideas my way, I personally cook everything from scratch and bulk cook for when I'm short of time however my best mate is trying to follow SW and is struggling as she says she has no time to cook.

She gets home late after work and says she doesn't want to spend her weekend cooking as she just never gets around to it.

I've told her there are a few ready prepared meals available, some which are quite surprising, not sure if they're still free but lamb shanks in minted gravy for example.

Hoping we can come up with a list of some meals that you guys have bought that are free/low syn so please throw your suggestions this way.

I know there is a Free food directory to buy but class isn't until Thursday and I'm trying to get her sorted ASAP x

Originally Posted by HPSaucy

Hi I was hoping you could all throw some ideas my way, I personally cook everything from scratch and bulk cook for when I'm short of time however my best mate is trying to follow SW and is struggling as she says she has no time to cook.

She gets home late after work and says she doesn't want to spend her weekend cooking as she just never gets around to it.

I've told her there are a few ready prepared meals available, some which are quite surprising, not sure if they're still free but lamb shanks in minted gravy for example.

Hoping we can come up with a list of some meals that you guys have bought that are free/low syn so please throw your suggestions this way.

I know there is a Free food directory to buy but class isn't until Thursday and I'm trying to get her sorted ASAP x

Hiya!

I too cook everything from scratch however have made the following which a really quick

Baked to perfection salmon in lemon and herb sauce. Take out the freezer and pop in the microwave! Done in 4 minutes. I love spinach so a bag of this (pop a few holes in the bag) in the microwave for a minute tops to go with it!

Chilli and garlic in a wok throw in some king prawns and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Serve with spaghetti

Sorry I know they are not ready meals x

Originally Posted by Sculls

Hiya!

I too cook everything from scratch however have made the following which a really quick

Baked to perfection salmon in lemon and herb sauce. Take out the freezer and pop in the microwave! Done in 4 minutes. I love spinach so a bag of this (pop a few holes in the bag) in the microwave for a minute tops to go with it!

Chilli and garlic in a wok throw in some king prawns and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Serve with spaghetti

Sorry I know they are not ready meals x

That's perfect, thank you so much, the salmon sounds great as very quick but even the prawn one with cooking the spaghetti would only be about 15 mins.. Quicker than ordering a takeaway or walking to kebab shop which she keeps doing lately! X

Originally Posted by HPSaucy

That's perfect, thank you so much, the salmon sounds great as very quick but even the prawn one with cooking the spaghetti would only be about 15 mins.. Quicker than ordering a takeaway or walking to kebab shop which she keeps doing lately! X

I really wanted a take away last night and I made a box of stir fry veg, chilli garlic soy and some salmon and it was lovely without the guilt! I am a single mum and work full time so sometimes have to have healthy quick options! My slow cooker is a friend! Today I will whack a roast chicken in there with some herbs and spices and go out for the day with my daughter! Chop up some veg and throw in the oven tonight and dinner is done

Originally Posted by Sculls

I really wanted a take away last night and I made a box of stir fry veg, chilli garlic soy and some salmon and it was lovely without the guilt! I am a single mum and work full time so sometimes have to have healthy quick options! My slow cooker is a friend! Today I will whack a roast chicken in there with some herbs and spices and go out for the day with my daughter! Chop up some veg and throw in the oven tonight and dinner is done

We've had the slow cooker chat and she says she loves hers.. Just rarely uses it!

I do feel for her but feel I am bashing my head against a brick wall sometimes x

The Look What We Found range do some nice low syn meals - I've had the Tees Valley beef casserole at 1.5 syns and the Tees Valley Chilli is 1.5 or 2 syns. They range in syns and some can be quite high so you do have to be careful. They cost around £2.50/£2.99 but are really nice, I stock up on them for work because they're quick and easy if I haven't had a chance to prepare a lunch.

I've also come across the Asda reduced calorie range this week, I had the spaghetti bolognese which was 4.5 syns.

HTH

Originally Posted by HPSaucy

We've had the slow cooker chat and she says she loves hers.. Just rarely uses it!

I do feel for her but feel I am bashing my head against a brick wall sometimes x

Sounds like she doesn't really want to do it tbh!

I'm out of the house for at least 13 hours a day during the week & still manage to cook, and go to the gym. I haven't eaten a ready meal in years!

She could make all the following in the time it takes to heat up a ready meal.

Spaghetti carbonara from scratch (1 healthy a)
Jacket Potato with some form of topping
Thai Green Curry with prawns (2 syns + healthy a)
Grilled Pork Loin, jacket potato & veg
Steak, jacket & veg
Salmon with cous cous & veg


The best thing she can do is buy a load of those steam fresh veg packs & a George Foreman grill. Between those 2 things, some meat or fish for grilling & a microwave to cook either jackets or rice. She could also roast some veg at the weekend, which doesn't take any effort as the oven does all the work, portion up & heat up in the microwave whenever she wants them.

Check the Aldi website. They had some of the Tees Valley things cheaper last week; they may still have them.

Originally Posted by heidiseeky

The Look What We Found range do some nice low syn meals - I've had the Tees Valley beef casserole at 1.5 syns and the Tees Valley Chilli is 1.5 or 2 syns. They range in syns and some can be quite high so you do have to be careful. They cost around £2.50/£2.99 but are really nice, I stock up on them for work because they're quick and easy if I haven't had a chance to prepare a lunch.

I've also come across the Asda reduced calorie range this week, I had the spaghetti bolognese which was 4.5 syns.

HTH

Thanks, can you tell me where you get the Look what we found range please? X

Originally Posted by kingleds

Sounds like she doesn't really want to do it tbh!

I'm out of the house for at least 13 hours a day during the week & still manage to cook, and go to the gym. I haven't eaten a ready meal in years!

She could make all the following in the time it takes to heat up a ready meal.

Spaghetti carbonara from scratch (1 healthy a)
Jacket Potato with some form of topping
Thai Green Curry with prawns (2 syns + healthy a)
Grilled Pork Loin, jacket potato & veg
Steak, jacket & veg
Salmon with cous cous & veg

The best thing she can do is buy a load of those steam fresh veg packs & a George Foreman grill. Between those 2 things, some meat or fish for grilling & a microwave to cook either jackets or rice. She could also roast some veg at the weekend, which doesn't take any effort as the oven does all the work, portion up & heat up in the microwave whenever she wants them.

I think she sounds like she doesn't want to do it either! My hubby said to me this morning that if this doesn't help her then stop trying to help, he said don't even mention sw, easier said than done because she keeps telling me she does want to do it and needs help!

George Foreman grill sounds like a great idea actually, will mention that, I've said to her this week why doesn't she set the oven to come on an hour before she gets home with a jacket spud in there as she doesn't have a microwave now to nuke it first.

Thanks for your help, totally understand where you're coming from, I work 16+ hours at work sometimes and I'm still organised, I think maybe doing shift work helps as I can cook in morning before going to work so perhaps I just don't understand what it's like doing regular hours, thanks again x

Originally Posted by AnnaFaraday

Check the Aldi website. They had some of the Tees Valley things cheaper last week; they may still have them.

I'll have a look, thank you x

the steak pieces from marks and spencers in the tin are free. Some of the count on us range is low in syns aswell

The only meal I know that is free (as I myself cook from scratch like you) is 'tin of asda chickpea dahl)
And I think tesco light choices chicken in tomato and basil sauce is very low syn.

Then obviously there is all the pasta n sauce things.

She could cook some meals and freeze portions?

Originally Posted by starburst85

the steak pieces from marks and spencers in the tin are free. Some of the count on us range is low in syns aswell

The tin is £2.99 but really meaty and gravy is nice especially with a tbsp Colemans Horseradish ( 1syn) mixed in serve with free smash and some veg ( frozen or ours tend to be tinned mushy peas!)
Tasty quick meal for 2 tend to always have a tin in the house for a quick meal if neither of us home and need to be out again early evening

Originally Posted by HPSaucy

Thanks, can you tell me where you get the Look what we found range please? X

You can get them from most supermarkets, they're in the soup and tinned foods aisle.