Being a dietitian I always have an interest in food; mainly eating it but hey! I was contacted a while ago by Miniscoff organic foods to trial some of their organic ready meals and sauces for kids. At first, I was a little sceptical because of the negative press generally with ready meals. However, I thought I would give them a whirl. I say “me”, as it turned out hubby and I AND the gremlin all loved the meals.
Miniscoff have a good ethic when it come to children and good nutrition:
We make ready meals for people who don’t buy ready meals. Because we make proper meals in our own kitchens…properly!”
The meals are all made in small batches by hand the small, family company, using all organic ingredients and sourced from British farms.
I have to state there is some salt and sugar added to the meals for taste. Bear this is mind if you are a person who adds zero to cooking. In my house hubby adds to a little salt to meals like pasta sauces and bolognaises, so this wasn’t an issue. Plus the gremlin rarely eats crisps and salty treats. Each meal contains between 0.2-0.8g of salt. A 1-4 year old should be having 2g a day maximum and a 4-6 year old 3g. However, it is also worth bearing in mind the meals are designed for 2-8 year olds. My daughter could not manage a full portion and we considered splitting some of the meals and having with lots of veg. In that case, it is not too much at all.
I received a lovely hamper with 6 meals and 2 pasta sauces, including spaghetti and meatballs, pasta bolognaise, fish pie, chilli, shepherd’s pie and a broccoli cheesy pie.
The verdict?
Hubby and I actually ate the pasta sauces before we went on holiday! They were so delicious, I didn’t even get a picture of the flipping meal. My husband was really pleased with them and compared them to a home cooked sauce. They did not taste sugary or salty, like you may get in a jarred sauce.
The first week back after our holiday away I was out and hubby was having a saved chilli portion (not the gremlin’s fave) so she some spaghetti and meatballs. I was told she devoured around 2/3 of it.
At the weekend family were over and we were going to have a takeaway curry so another perfect opportunity for her to try another. As a pasta fiend my gremlin had the pasta bolognaise with some added peas. Again she ate over 2/3 (hubby had the rest) with no complaining, fussing or being difficult. I was amazed.
Bottom line, these meals taste really good. As the gremlin gets home cooked meals normally, she is used to this and these meals taste home-cooked, so are brilliant.
Price-wise they are not the cheapest meals with 10 for £37.50 so around £3.75 a meal, as an example bundle BUT if you are like me and would use them now and then as convenience, I would say it is worth it. You get what you pay for and in this case, this is healthy, tasty meals. Bottom line my daughter ate them! This is worth any amount of money in my book! It is not often she has a separate meal to hubby and I but there are those occasions. A stash of these in the freezer would be a lifesaver.
Overall these meals were lovely and completely to all our tastes. I even thought some of them would suit people wanting to lose weight; small tasty meals! Vegetables could be added to make a perfect meal; healthy and delicious.
We still have a few in the freezer left and I will be saving them for those occasions when we need a meal for the gremlin.
Would you like to win a small hamper of meals that will include 6 meals and 3 sauces of your choice?
Then if so please enter my giveaway below (you must live in the UK mainland):
We were sent a selection of delicious Miniscoff meals for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.