Over the last year or so I have massively improved my diet. It’s been a really steep learning curve for me. One of the things I discovered is that eating well isn’t a one size fits all approach. It’s about finding foods and ways of eating that fit into your life and enable you to meet your goals.
For me one of the things that helped hugely was ready meals. I don’t eat them every day, but I do make use of them on occasions when I’m pushed for time. They’re also great to keep in store for nights when I get home late. Those times when I might otherwise be reaching for the takeaway menu!
I do like to make sure what I’m eating actually has some nutritional value, so I’m always scouring the shelves at the supermarket for exciting new meals that aren’t packed with sugar and additives.
With that in mind, when Weight Watchers asked me to try out their new limited edition Summer meals I was more than happy to oblige!
The meals will only be available for 12 weeks, before being replaced with something else exciting. This is also fab for me as I like to switch it up a bit and not eat the same things all the time!
I was sent a couple of each meal to try out. The first one I tucked into was the Brazilian Bahia Chicken.
Seeing as the Olympics is on in Rio. There’s nothing I like better than an opportunity to match my dinner to my TV viewing so this was perfect!
The meal is a slightly spicy mix of rice and chicken, with tomatoes and a touch of chilli. It’s “red food” which my husband loves, so this one was very popular! It’s delicious and perfect for sticking in the microwave for a quick and light meal before I head out to practice on a Thursday night.
If you want to theme your dinners with your Olympics viewing then this one is exclusive to Asda, so you’ll need to head out to your nearest to pick one up!
The second limited edition meal I got to try was the Naked Enchilada and Mexican Style Rice which is available from Asda, Morrisons and Ocado.
This one comes in 2 sections in the packet.Tthe chicken, or “naked enchilada” part, in a separate pot to the rice and beans. You could mix it up after cooking so it looks like the Bahia Chicken, but I prefer to keep mine nice and separate!
One challenge I always like to put ready meals too is the “does it look like the picture on the packet” test. I have to say these stood up pretty well! The chunks of chicken are maybe slightly smaller than pictured, but the portions felt generous and they looked and tasted like actual food!
This one was a little spicier than the first, but not so spicy it blew my head off! I actually really enjoyed that they weren’t scared to make the meals actually taste of something. So often with ready meals what sounds like a super exciting dish turns out to be bland and uninteresting as they try to appeal to all palettes. Yaawn!
As with all Weight Watchers chilled ready meals the limited edition dishes are less than 400 kcal, low in fat and sugar, a source of protein and contain no artificial colours or flavourings. Which makes them perfect to keep in the fridge as a back up.
As they are super low in calories I found these made great lunches. They were also great for training nights when I like to have a light dinner and then a snack during and after training. The low calorie content meant that it was easier to stick to my numbers for the day and still eat 6 meals! It also means there’s room for pudding!
If you’re counting Weight Watchers points these are obviously perfect as they contain 8 “smart points”. I don’t follow a Weight Watchers plan (though I have in the past!) but these are still perfect for me as a healthy meal in a hurry. I’ll often serve them with an extra portion of vegetables or a slice of bread. The Brazilian Bahia Chicken is particularly delicious with a slice of bread to scoop it up with.
If you fancy trying the meals then you’ll need to hurry as they’re only available for 12 weeks before something new will be arriving! They’re priced at £2.59, both can be found at Asda, and the Naked Enchilada is also available at Morrisons and Ocado.
This post was sponsored by Weight Watchers, and I received free products to review. All opinions are my own!