meals on wheels vs light n easy

[davidc4430]

ive been getting meals on wheels for many years and although they are fine for a pre prepared frozen meal for a while ive thought they are pretty ordinary.

my meals are/were delivered once a week on a friday lunch time so i had to be home.

my delivery comprised 1 hot meal and 6 frozen meals with deserts.

they would not let me order just the meals so every week i got 7 deserts i threw away, i dont like thawed out deserts. in fact i hardly ever eat desert, if i do its fresh fruit.

the aluminium packs often looked like they had been used for footy practice, all squished and unsealed in places.

but the meals were mostly ok.

some time back i was regularly getting some really nice meals, roast lamb, roast beef, roast pork, chicken snitzel, fish in batter.

but lately its all stews with the occasional fish, roast meal thrown in.

and allways with pumpkin which i dont like.

i dont get any choice as to my meals, its not until they are delivered i find out what i get.

i have no problem with the volunteers delivering the meals they are allways friendly.

so a friend said she was getting 'ligh n easy' meals and said she found them very good.

so i took the plunge and ordered some from light n easy as you can order just one time or regularly there are no ongoing contracts, you order and pay.

i recieved my first order today and i'm impressed by the paching!

they come in a lage polysteyrene box wuth a dry ice bag inside to keep them cold, the box is sealed with tape.

the meals are in perfect order ready to go into my freezer. not damaged at all!

online when ordering i get to choose what meals i want from a huge range! no pot luck here.

if i wanted i could order 7 of the same meal! not that i ever wood with such a large choice.

the delivery is left at my door if i'm not home. not possible with MOW.

so now i'm ready for the taste test, fingers crossed they are as good as they look.

btw, yes MOW is cheaper but when i dont have to buy deserts it works out cheaper.

i only buy main meals.

[davidc4430]

the thing i also am impressed with is the meal on a plate does look very much like the posed picture on the box.

usually pictures and reality are very different.

ive seen stories on tv about burger ads where in the advert the model has difficulty holding the burger its so big n thick but then they buy one for the story and its really not that big or good looking once out of the box n paper.

[davidc4430]

Day 6 Roast Chicken

as with previous meals, quality of vegetables and meat were very good.

i think maybe the meal needed say 20 or 30 seconds longer heating as the chicken was only above warm and a little tough.

its the first meal ive not liked, but only because it was a little tough.

i'll cook the next Roast Chicken a little longer.

[davidc4430]

Daqy 7 Roast Lamb

very nice, 9 out of 10.

[davidc4430]

New meals,

today was Everyday Christmas Dinner.

hmmm, was lovely, cept for the Pumkin!

[imastawka]

Looks good, David.     

I think these are a well rounded meal and an easy  'out'  for someone who can't cook.

Or for someone who just can't be bothered cooking.

As long as they are big enough for your appetite.

[lurker172602]

Hi David. Looks like you are enjoying your new meals. I’m surprised though by your comments re MoW.

I’ve been a deliverer for about 6 or 7 years now and have never seen anything like what you describe. I’m not disputing what you are saying, just doing a bit of PR work for other delivery areas 😉

Our meals are packed in a poly type material that is decomposable and can go in either the oven or microwave. They are beautifully packed and list all the ingredients on the lid. Most of them also come in regular or mini sizes for different appetites.

Our clients get an order form each week, sometimes with an additional “specials” list attached, and they order as much or as little as they want. They have complete choice in what they order. One gentleman only gets 2 main dishes per fortnight for they days when he goes to bowls and doesn’t want to cook for himself LOL

I tasted some when I first started (at the orientation session) and they were really tasty and well cooked.

Our services meals come from an organisation in Wollongong that provides employment for people with special needs, so that’s a positive too.

I think MoW have realsied they now have to compete with companies like L&E and have lifted their game accordingly (around our way anyway)

Anyhoo, good to hear you are happy with what you are getting now and eating well.

[lyhargr_0]

Pleased you are enjoying your meals David.  MOW service in my town is disgusting, in that the meals are cooked and packed in Hamilton Hospital, they then transported 30kms to where I live. Thus by the time they are being delivered to those you need them, they are a luke warm mess. The council has be approached and refuse to do anything about it, so it's a case of putting up with it or finding an alternative, which not everyone can afford to do

[davidc4430]

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@lurker172602 wrote:

Hi David. Looks like you are enjoying your new meals. I’m surprised though by your comments re MoW.

I’ve been a deliverer for about 6 or 7 years now and have never seen anything like what you describe. I’m not disputing what you are saying, just doing a bit of PR work for other delivery areas 😉

Our meals are packed in a poly type material that is decomposable and can go in either the oven or microwave. They are beautifully packed and list all the ingredients on the lid. Most of them also come in regular or mini sizes for different appetites.

Our clients get an order form each week, sometimes with an additional “specials” list attached, and they order as much or as little as they want. They have complete choice in what they order. One gentleman only gets 2 main dishes per fortnight for they days when he goes to bowls and doesn’t want to cook for himself LOL

I tasted some when I first started (at the orientation session) and they were really tasty and well cooked.

Our services meals come from an organisation in Wollongong that provides employment for people with special needs, so that’s a positive too.

I think MoW have realsied they now have to compete with companies like L&E and have lifted their game accordingly (around our way anyway)

Anyhoo, good to hear you are happy with what you are getting now and eating well.

---

i now wish id taken a photo of a meals on wheels delivery for comparison.

my MOW were delivered on fridays around lunch time.

1 hot meal and 6 frozen meals + deserts.

they came in aluminum trays with a cardboard lid, only the meal title and date was stamped on the top. no ingredients or anything else.

often the frozen meals would be damaged, crushed foil or lids lifting.

there was never choice on what i recieved, and i couldnt 'opt out' of the deserts. although they did allow me to 'opt out' of the soups?

why not i ask? deserts must have a value right, so not getting them would reduce the cost, good reason to stay with MOW right?

my meals get cooked somewhere locally, possibly the hospital, but i dont know.

what your describing is very much the same service as L&E

nothing like our local MOW.

i suspect unless our MOW get with it and compete with L&E they will go out of business.

the only advantage i see with MOW is they are slightly cheaper and if you were watching every penny you prolly would go with them.

their meals are fine, but no where near the L&E meals.

[davidc4430]

Chargrilled Steak & Mushroom Sauce

The one was the best yet, 11 out of 10!

vegies perfect and steak tender, sauce tasty

delicious, i could eat this one every day!

well lets not over do it right.

but its definately on my re order list.

[snow*jewel]

The meals look really nice. 🙂