What meals are "worth" making yourself?

calleyw

Bogof_Babe wrote:

It's all very well thinking we know what's going in our food, but I bet those who lovingly made home-prepared dishes with a shake of paprika in, didn't reckon on the Sudan-1 scenario.

And as for all the chemicals they spray on crops during the growing process :eek: ...

The only good reason to make rather than buy, in my view, is cost. For all other considerations, we are in the lap of the Gods - or should I say the manufacturers/farmers?

But you still have control as to how much fat, sugar, salt etc you put in. And you cook a ready meal in the plastic tray. Which I am sure is very good for you as it heats up and release chemicals in to your food.

I was not trying to be holier then thou with making your own. But the taste is also much better than mass produced rubbish. It just does not compare.

But each to there own

Yours

Calley

Bogof_Babe

Hope I haven't caused upset here - was just joining in the OP's original question from my viewpoint, and got a bit carried away.

I rarely buy ready meals, although I did when I was working full time. My parents thrive (literally) on them, as at 90 and 86 they are incapable of preparing anything from scratch. They appreciate those little bags of steam-in-the-microwave veg, and it is better than no veg at all, which would be the situation otherwise as they can't be bothered to put a meal together nowadays - no criticism there, they are both in very poor health and arthritic.

I suppose I was just playing devil's advocate - sorreeee .

moggins

DIdn't upset me hun, in fact you've just had me costing out my chicken pie for the hell of it

Chicken - 1 breast and some thigh meat - 66p
Campbells Mushroom soup - 32p (I only ever buy them when they are on BOGOF)
Pastry - approx 30p
few mushrooms - 20p

Total cost - £1.48

What's the cost of a decent family sized pie these days? £2.99? I'm not counting the value ones as you can't equate the two.

mhoc

calleyw wrote:

I was sad last week and worked out the cost of hubby's packed lunch.

It was:

Left over pasta and sauce
Pkt crisps
home made cake
Apple
Pkt soup and a flask of tea.

Cost came in at about £0.61p and I excluded cost of cooking.

What can you get for that now a days. Not a lot.

I have mentioned it before. Somethings are not just about money saving but about knowing what is going in your food.

Yours

Calley

Also using the food you already have in the house, rather than wasting it or going out and buying your lunch out. Time I think to start nagging husband again about buying bought sandwiches for work!

Trow

I think the Sudan1 arguement is a bit irrelevant - when you consider the vast quantities of ready meals that were taken off the shelves because of it!

Pooky

[QUOTE=I'm going to make HM hawaiian pizza and adding up the cost of the pineapple tin, ham, passata, mozzarella, la la la before you make the base soon adds up (especially when branded ones are on BOGOF!)

Ramble over - what's the most/least economical HM dish compared to bought?

DFS[/QUOTE]


I suppose it depends on what you eat as to whether it's worth HM or not. I wouldn't be making a hawaiian pizza unless I had left over pineapple and ham to make it with and then I'd use bog standard cheddar instead of mozzarella.

My meal costs have halved since going all HM but that's through planning. A £1.99 medium chicken (not free range or from the butchers - but good enough for me) did 4 of us for 4 meals last week. A 65p pack of mince did the rest of the meals with assorted veg and baking.

If you planned to have different meals each night that required a whole different set of ingredients than I'm sure the costs would equal ready prepaired in a lot on instances.

It's not always just about knowing what's gone into your food either, sometimes it's the pleasure of knowing you made it.....even if it does create half a ton of washing up in the process

MATH

Bogof_Babe wrote:

Hope I haven't caused upset here - was just joining in the OP's original question from my viewpoint, and got a bit carried away.

I rarely buy ready meals, although I did when I was working full time. My parents thrive (literally) on them, as at 90 and 86 they are incapable of preparing anything from scratch. They appreciate those little bags of steam-in-the-microwave veg, and it is better than no veg at all, which would be the situation otherwise as they can't be bothered to put a meal together nowadays - no criticism there, they are both in very poor health and arthritic.

I suppose I was just playing devil's advocate - sorreeee .

I think at approaching 90yrs old you can be forgiven for slamming a bag of ready veg in the microwave. I used to sniff at such items (particularly frozen yorkshire puddings) until someone pointed out how people like your mum and dad really benefit (and keep their independance) by using them.
Long may their micro 'ping'

dorry_2

we had hm shepperds pie today for dinner. cost:-

mince 99p (asda half of double pack for £1.99)
oxos x 3 30p
onions 10 p
tinned carrots 13p asda
pototes 34p lidl

total cost £ 1.86 or there abouts

me, hubby and labordor ate half and froze the other half for end of month!

i think it was cheapest sunday dinner we have had and we really enjoyed it!!

Queenie

Anyone read the book: "Stop that Heart Attack!" by Dr Derrick Cutting? Makes fascinating reading If you haven't read it, borrow it from your library - wish I'd read it years ago!!!

If you look at the levels of salt, sugar and fat in "processed" foods, it's shocking! For example, did you realise, the biggest single source of salt in the UK diet comes from .....

... factory-made bread? I have no doubt that a bogof pizza may well be cheaper on the purse at that moment - but, in all honesty the *real* cost comes later!

So, if I'm faced with a choice of say, ham & pineapple pizza @ £2.99 BOGOF (plus, don't forget to add the cost of the accompaniments) ... well, frankly, the shop can "bogoff" ... I'd much rather spend my £2.99 and make two family meals using more wholesome (and often, more satiating) foods. Amazing how a humble jacket spud, HM coleslaw and a rice pudding can fill you up.

When speaking about "financial" cost .. do bear in mind, the hidden financial long term cost.

Lillibet_2

misty wrote:

I use to buy these for my son - he's 3 and loves his fish but I loathe it. Now I buy him skinned cod a large piece will be cut into 3 pieces(freeze 2) - 5 minutes in the oven in foil and milk and butter - mashed potato and easy cheese sauce and some veggies. I can make this in less time than it took to cook the other one in the oven - there's a much higher fish to mash ratio and it's cheaper or equivilent ot the admiral. I do like spicy beanburgers but don't think I could be bothered to prep all the ingredaints and faff about binding and coating when I can buy them ready done. Whenever, I've tried to make burgers of any kind - they've fallen apart on me at some stage.

#

Misty, I tend to steam the fish over the boiling potatos, saves heating up the oven. Oh, and I boil the potatos whole/halved & unpeeled & scrape out the insides for the mash topping & save the skins to crisp up in the oven & stuff later in the week too;)

Afraid I still buy ready meals & pre-made pies etc when they are reduced to stuipd prices to stick in the freezer for off days. Hubby works shifts & sometimes it's just easier to have something he can read instructions off & bung in the microwave when he's ready than try & juggle 2 seperate meals:p I also still buy cheese & tomato pizzas, nice ones not the value range, and add different toppings myself when I am ready to cook them.
Pasta dishes, soup, lasagne, fish pie etc I would always make myself from scratch.