Who eats ready meals?
- Ready meals are used in 77% of households.
- Of those that use ready meals, 28% use them more than once a week, 26% once a week and 44% three times a month or less frequently.
- 32% of households with children use ready meals more than once a week; compared to 26% of households without children.
- Ready meals are eaten most by 15-19 years olds; and least by the over-64s.
- Use does not vary greatly between income bands so price does not seem to be a very significant barrier to purchase. However, ready meals are used slightly more often by people who are better off.
Chilled meals
- The chilled ready meals market has grown considerably in recent years. In 2001, this was 90% higher by value than 1997.
- Chilled meats are perceived as fresher than frozen and room temperature meals.
- The market is dominated by own-label products: Marks and Spencer 28%, Tesco 22%, Sainsbury’s 20%; Asda 11%, Safeway 6%, Waitrose 4%, other own-label 8%, and brands 2%.
Breakdown in types of chilled ready meals sold:
- Indian 24%
- Italian 23%
- Traditional British 22%
- Chinese/Asian (including Thai) 17%
- Other international (such as Spanish, Cajun, Caribbean) 9%
Frozen meals
- The frozen ready meals market was fairly stable for many years, but has been growing since 1999. In 2001, the market was 14% higher by value than in 1997.
- Frozen meals are perceived to be of lower quality and less healthy than chilled meals.
- Frozen meals are commonly served to children.
Breakdown in types of frozen ready meals sold:
- International 50%
- Traditional 28%
- Fish-based 12%
- Healthy recipe 10%
Complete ready meals dominate the frozen ready meals sector (80%) with part meals that need other cooked items to be added (such as vegetables) making up the remaining 20%.
Microwave meal (also referred to as a frozen dinner, ready meal, or because it is often eaten while watching ) is a prepackaged, frozen which usually comes packaged in a flat box. They require very little preparation, and contain all the elements of the meal in one package. An example might be a meal, where the rice, chicken, and all other ingredients are prepackaged in a tray.
They are typically purchased at a and stored in the for later use. When it is time to prepare them, the plastic cover is removed or vented, and the meal is heated in a for a few minutes, after which a fully prepared meal is ready—one requiring minimal effort to prepare. They are the ultimate in convenience, particularly for providing a relatively complex meal with no preparation time, but they can be more expensive than preparing food from scratch (though oftentimes the opposite is true).
The freezing process tends to lose the flavour of food, and the meals are often heavily processed with extra salt and fat to compensate. The dinners are almost always significantly less than fresh food, and are formulated to remain edible after long periods of storage so will need added preservatives
In recent years there has been a push by a number of independent manufacturers and retailers in making microwave and ready meals that are low in salt, fat and free of artificial additives.
Many microwave meals are fully cooked during preparation, and need only to be reheated by the consumer (thus eliminating the possibility of undercooking by misjudging microwave powers and cooking times), but more recently versions have been produced whose packaging is designed to operate as a steamer, allowing rapid cooking of essentially raw ingredients (typically fish and vegetables) immediately before consumption.
This information was researched using the internet (Wikipedia)
I have found that there are advantages and disadvantages to buying and eating ready made foods and I now want to find out abut the range of meals available
RANGE OF READY MEALS
From the information I have found it appears that although ready meals are very popular in the UK and it is a growing market the meal itself is not really very good for us.
I want to find out how popular they are and the reasons that people buy them and whether they know how bad they can be.
I want to find out about the views of young people (11-16 years) when it comes to using ready meals as part of their diet so I have devised some simple questions to ask a group of students at school.
I asked 20 year 7 – year 11 students at my school
Here is my questionnaire with results
Questionnaire
- DO YOU KNOW WHAT READY MEALS ARE?
: Yes : No
- HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE READY MEALS?
: Daily : Weekly : Monthly
- DO READY MEALS TATSE BETTER THAN COOKED OR PREPARED?
: YES : NO : THE SAME : DON’T KNOW
- DO YOU THINK READY/FROZEN MEALS ARE EXPENSIVE?
: YES : NO : SAME PRICE : DON’T KNOW
- ARE READY/FROZEN MEALS HEALTHY?
: YES : NO : NOT SURE
: YES : NO
- DO YOU THINK READY/FROZEN MEALS ARE EXPENSIVE?
: YES : NO : SAME PRICE : DON’T KNOW
- TICK ALL THE TYPES OF MEALS YOU BUY?
- PIZZA
- CURRY RICE
- ROAST DINNERS
- PASTA DISHES
- POTATO DISHES
- ARE READY MEALS HEALTHY?
: NO : YES : DON’T KNOW
- DO YOU BUY READY MEALS THAT ARE LABELLED AS HEALTHY?
: YES : NO
- DO YOU PREFER READ/FROZEN MEALS TO COOKING YOURSELF?
: YES : NO
IF YES EXPLAIN WHY
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
- HOW MUCH DO YOU SPEND ON READY MEALS?
£0.75-£1.00 £1.00-£2.50 £2.50+
Results
14 out of the 20 students asked knew what ready meals were which could indicate that they eat them at some time
75% of the students asked had ready meals at least once a week (4 students ticked the daily box)
This indicates that the ready meal industry is a big one
Although a lot of them have ready meals frequently they do not seem to like them very much most of them said that they prefer prepared meals from home.
The results show that the curry rice is the most preferred dish following the roast dishes. Curry rice dihes aren’t similar to home-prepare meals that’s why people prefer them instead
From the information I have collected so far I am ready to write the title of my task
Investigate the use of ready meals amongst young people and try and encourage them to make more foods from scratch at home
I will need to develop this idea and here is a list of my criteria for completion
- Completion of my Questionnaire to find out the popularity and types of ready meals that are eaten by young people
- Supermarket survey of types of meals available
- Tasting sessions of a variety of ready meals
- Ideas for practical work that will encourage young people to make their own meals
Supermarket Survey
I have gathered information on ready/frozen meals from ASDA store so i could prepare the meals and find out what people really liked
Taster 1
Taster 2
Taster 3
Taster 4
Ideas for practical work
Savoury / sweet
Specification for dishes
Attractive
Appeal to young people
Enjoyable to make
Dish could be frozen
Healthy –reduce fat increase fibre
Practical no 1
BRIEF
For this practical I wanted to compare the readymade spaghetti Bolognese and homemade to see which would taste better, save time, which is cheaper and also healthier etc
DISHES CHOSEN
Spaghetti Bolognese (Home prepared)
Spaghetti Bolognese (Readymade meal)
RECIPES
Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Chopping board, knife, measuring jug, measuring spoons, saucepan, baking dish, garlic press, can opener, spatula, colander
Method
1. Dice onion and fry with the garlic for 5 minutes.
2. Add minced beef and cook until it turns brown.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in canned tomatoes, puree and herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Boil water in a large saucepan. When the water is boiling add spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
6. Drain using a colander.
7. To serve, place spaghetti on a plate and cover with sauce.
http://cook.dannemann.org.uk/cooking/mains/bolognese/
REASONS FOR CHOICE
* To compare both meals on which would taste better
*To compare which meal would save time
*To compare which meal would be cheaper
*to evaluate which one would be healthier for your diet
PLAN OF WORK
ORDER OF WORK
TASTE TEST SHEETS
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Cooked Meal
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Ready Meal
Price comparison
Home prepared meal Spaghetti Bolognese (Readymade meal)
The tables show how much the ingredients cost by looking at this I am comparing which meal would be cheaper and it shows that the readymade spaghetti Bolognese would be a lot cheaper to buy than going to the shop and buying the ingredients but it doesn’t taste as good as the prepared spaghetti Bolognese with much more ingredients in it
Evaluation of my dishes
These are the two dishes I prepared both meals look delicious but they might taste different due to the ingredients used the method which was used to prepare the meals and also the time it took to prepare the meal
The picture says it all students who did the taste sheets and tasted my meal preferred the cooked meal because it had more taste it was spicy whereas the ready made had no taste all you could taste was the Bolognese and the, majority of the spaghetti was less than the Bolognese. It took me about 15 minz max to prepare the Bolognese and the spaghetti took about 8minz to cook properly and with the ready made meal I only had to remove from packaging and reheat in the microwave.
From my taste sheets and pictures take it shows that the home cooked meal was better that the readymade meal even though it took longer to prepare it still looks better and taste better than the 5minutes readymade meal. The home cooked meal had a better taste took longer to prepare it also cost more but still tasted better at the end of the day its not about quantity ts about quality so I would recommend the readymade spaghetti Bolognese because it does not taste as better as the home cooked. If you look closely at the after picture it shows that people preferred the home cooked because it had a better taste and wasn’t saggy like the readymade and people preferred the home cooked because home prepared most people don’t trust the readymade meals because they go through processes and are added with ingredients we don’t know about that’s why people would prefer the home cooked because it is enrichened with ingredients people are familiar with. All my results show that the home cooked meal was the best out of the two
Practical no 2
BRIEF
For this practical I wanted to compare the home baked Swiss roll and a shop bought Swiss roll to evaluate which would taste better save time and also be cheaper
DISHES CHOSEN
Swiss Roll (Home prepared)
Swiss Roll (Readymade Shop)
RECIPES
The Ultimate GCSE recipe book
REASONS FOR CHOICE
* To compare both meals on which would taste better
*To compare which meal would save time
*To compare which meal would be cheaper
*to evaluate which one would be healthier for your diet
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
PLAN OF WORK
CHECK LIST FOR RESOURCES
ORDER OF WORK
TASTE TEST SHEETS
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Tick one box in each column
Ready Made Swiss Roll
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Home cooked Swiss Roll
On this practical the readymade Swiss roll was better than the home prepared because people who did the taste sheets and tasted the Swiss rolls said that the readymade was too sweet but the texture of it was smooth whereas the home prepared was also smooth but didn’t have enough sugar people complained that it was cracking as well and it was too soft. If I had added more jam and sugar to it and also bake it for longer it would have come out better. Also if you look at the picture people preferred the home cooked Swiss roll because it wasn’t too sweet as the readymade and also it didn’t have too much sugar in it
Equipment
Swiss roll tin, electric hand mixer, weighing scales, greaseproof baking paper, pencil, scissors, pastry brush, palette knife, sieve, mixing bowl, large metal spoon, cooling rack and sharp knife.
Method
- Preheat oven to 200ºC or gas mark 6.
- Line and grease a Swiss roll tin, 18cm x 30cm with greaseproof paper.
- Sieve the flour.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick, creamy and white.
- Gently fold in the flour, using a metal spoon, a little at a time.
- Pour the mixture into the Swiss roll tin.
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Do not overcook.
- While the Swiss roll is baking, place a piece of greaseproof paper on the work surface and sprinkle the extra sugar on top. Warm the jam in a microwave for 10 – 15 seconds.
- When the Swiss roll is cooked, tip it onto the sugared paper. Peel off the lining paper from the cake.
- Spread the warm jam over the cake with a palette knife.
- Roll the cake, using the paper and a tea towel to help you.
- Place on a cooling rack.
Price comparison
Home prepared meal Swiss Roll (Ready Made)
The price comparison is showing that the ready-made Swiss roll was cheaper than preparing the homemade Swiss roll by £2.00.so the convenience Swiss roll was better in taste which is showed in the taste tests results also saves time last but not least it was a lot cheaper
Practical no 3
BRIEF
For this practical I wanted to compare the home Tesco frozen cheese and tomato, Ham and cheese Pizza and a home prepared pizza to evaluate which would taste better save time and also be cheaper
DISHES CHOSEN
Cheese and tomato pizza (Home prepared)
Tesco frozen cheese and tomato (Readymade Shop)
RECIPES
The Ultimate GCSE recipe book
REASONS FOR CHOICE
* To compare both meals on which would taste better
*To compare which meal would save time
*To compare which meal would be cheaper
*to evaluate which one would be healthier for your diet
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
TIME PLAN
PLAN OF WORK
CHECK LIST FOR RESOURCES
ORDER OF WORK
TASTE TEST SHEETS
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Tick one box in each column
Ready Made Cheese Tomato Pizza
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Home cooked Cheese Tomato Pizza
Price comparison
Home prepared meal Tesco cheese and tomato (Ready Made)
Practical no 4
BRIEF
For this practical I wanted to compare the home made Lemon Cheesecake to the Tesco Value Lemon Cheesecake to compare which is better for taste, quality and cost
DISHES CHOSEN
Lemon Cheesecake (Home prepared)
(Readymade Shop)
REASONS FOR CHOICE
* To compare both meals on which would taste better
*To compare which meal would save time
*To compare which meal would be cheaper
*to evaluate which one would be healthier for your diet
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
TIME PLAN
PLAN OF WORK
CHECK LIST FOR RESOURCES
ORDER OF WORK
TASTE TEST SHEETS
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Tick one box in each column
Ready Lemon Cheesecake
DISLIKE A LOT = 1
DISLIKE = 2
NEITHER LIKE OR DISLIKE = 3
LIKE = 4
LIKE VERY MUCH = 5
Home cooked Lemon Cheesecake
Tesco Value Lemon Cheesecake 315g
A smooth baked cheesecake with a sweet meal biscuit base, topped with a tangy lemon sauce
Ingredients
Biscuit Base (30%), Water, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Skimmed Milk Soft Cheese (8%), Vegetable Oil, Yogurt (from Milk), Sugar, Lemon Juice (2.5%), Wheat Flour, Milk Proteins, Modified Maize Starch, Dried Egg, Malt dextrin, Modified Potato Starch, Gelling Agents (Pectin, Carrageenan, Carob Gum), Dried Glucose Syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and Triglycerides of Fatty Acids), Dried Cream, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Buttermilk Powder, Dried Skimmed Milk, Antioxidant (Calcium Lactate), Lactic Acid, Flavoring, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Colour (Curcumin)Biscuit Base contains: Sugar, Whole meal Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Wheat Flour, Water, Partially Inverted Refiners Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Salt, Emulsifier (Mono- and
Cheesecake Recipe
Base' Ingredients
6oz sweet, whole meal or digestive
or if appropriate, ginger biscuits
3oz melted butter
Method
Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.
Work them into the melted butter with a wooden spoon. Press the mixture into the base of a loose-bottomed tin; allow cooling and spooning cheesecake mixture on top.
Bases for Cheesecake may vary according to flavor and recipe.
Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
1 cup finely crushed Vanilla Wafers 3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted 4 eggs divided
3 pkg Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar 3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel 2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch 1/4 cup lemon juice
Method
PREHEAT oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch spring form pan
(or to 300°F if using a dark non-stick 9-inch spring form pan).
Mix crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
SEPARATE 1 of the eggs. Cover and refrigerate egg yolk for later use. Set egg white aside. Beat cream cheese, 1-cup sugar, flour, lemon peel, 2 Tbsp. juice and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add egg white and remaining 3 whole eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.
Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.
Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
MIX 3/4-cup sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan, gradually stir in 1/2-cup water and 1/4-cup juice until well blended.
Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly,
cook and stir until clear and thickened.
Beat reserved egg yolk lightly with fork.
Stir in 2 Tbsp. of the hot cornstarch mixture.
Return to remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan,
mix until well blended.
Cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.
Cool slightly. Spoon topping over cheesecake,
refrigerate until set.
Project Evaluation
For my project evaluation I had chosen to investigate convenience foods meals. And would be comparing the frozen/ready meals and the prepared meals comparing and trying to investigate which one of them is better for value cost health and also time saving. Looked at different dishes from Sweet dishes Deserts Main course meals and Snacks
I used a variety of methods for my research including primary research such as surveys, interviews and questionnaires also the secondary research will be from books, magazines, journals, leaflets and also the internet
I also looked at what convenience foods were the kind types that were being old in supermarkets, shops and groceries stores. Popularity? In my questionnaire I found out how popular they are? Nutritional content, information